Can Silviculture Change Deer Impact?

A case study conducted on the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania supported the hypothesis that silviculture can be used to increase forage production within a landscape of forest strands to mitigate the impact of deer on forest regeneration. The case study took place in a management area completely lacking advance regeneration. Beginning in 1988, silviculture to produce high forage (13% clear cutting, 33% thinning) was applied to this 1,100- acre compartment. Successful regeneration developed on all of the clear cuts, where regeneration stocking averaged 90% (+ 7.0%, N=5). Advance regeneration in partial cuts increased (p< 0.000, paired t-test) over time, from 17.5% (+17.8%, n=14) to 64.4% (+30.5%). This preliminary assessment suggests that increasing forage available to deer by using established silvicultural practices can reduce the effect of deer browsing on forest regeneration. This article was written by S.L. Stout, D.S. deCalesta, and L. DeMarco for the 1995 Society of American Foresters Convention Proceedings. The conferece was held October 18-November 1, 1995 in Portland, Maine.

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