Effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on plants, plant populations and communities: A Review

摘要

Large effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) upon individualplants, plant populations and communities have been documented in a number of studies.However, well-supported experimental measures of the magnitude and geographical extentof these effects are still surprisingly scarce. Deer-caused changes in stem morphology andreductions in plant growth rates are well-documented in some parts of the North America.Furthermore, deer have been shown to affect the composition of several plant communitiesin the north-central and northeastern United States. There are some documented cases ofdeer-caused reductions in plant survival; most of these are tree seedlings and saplings. However,many studies have detected no effects on plant survival or fecundity, or have foundthat negative effects occur only in a fraction of years, seasons, sites or deer densities. Littleis known about population-level or ecosystem-level impacts. Many regions and plant communitieswith large deer populations have not been studied. Whereas deer density is clearlyimportant in determining spatial and temporal variation in the presence and magnitude ofdeer effects, other factors that may modify the effects of deer density are poorly understood.