Sustainable management of white-tailed deer and white-cedar

Abstract

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are common in forests and farmlands throughout the United States and Canada. While their propensity for eating gardens and ornamental plants is well-known to frustrated homeowners, few outside the wildlife and forestry professions are aware of the profound effects deer have on forest understory composition and growth. Even when populations are not exceedingly high, deer have a controlling effect on forest vegetation in many regions, including the northeastern and north central U.S. and southern Canada where their range overlaps with that of the northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.).

Citation

Kenefic, Laura; Ruel, Jean-Claude; Tremblay, Jean-Pierre. 2015. Sustainable management of white-tailed deer and white-cedar. The Wildlife Professional. Fall 2015: 33-36.