Height of white-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) as an index of deer browsing intensity
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Authors: R. C. Anderson
Date: 1994
Journal: Ecological Applications
Volume: 4
Number: 1
Pages: 104-109
Summary of Methods: This study, in Illinois, found that Trillium stem height was positively correlated with the percent of the herbaceous understory that is browsed, which indicates that change in stem height can be a good indicator of the general status of the herbaceous flora as influenced by deer browsing. Based on deer population densities in association with study sites supporting Trillium populations, with stable stem heights and flowering plants, maintenance of deer densities of 4-6 individuals/km2 is recommended for deciduous forest health in northeastern Illinois. In the eastern United States, intense,historic deer browsing may have significantly altered sites that have occasionally been mislabeled as 'undisturbed' sites.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: deer management, indicator species, local extinction, odocoileus virginianus, white-flowered trillium, trillium grandiflorum, understory vegetation, grazing, herbivory
Annotation: Grazing classified as "intense"; no numbers associated with this designation.
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