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Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2005
- Title: The effects of moose and deer on harvested oak-pine forests of Central Massachusetts
- Primary Author: Edward Faison (Highstead, Inc.)
- Additional Authors: David Foster (Harvard University)
- Abstract:
New England has witnessed a dramatic range expansion and population increase of moose (Alces alces) and deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in recent decades, due to reduced hunting and natural predators, widespread forest harvesting, and the legacies of agricultural abandonment. Moose have returned to Massachusetts after an almost 200-year absence, and deer numbers are perhaps higher than at any time previously, suggesting these herbivores may be exerting unprecedented influences on southern New England forests. A sizable literature has documented the effects of moose on boreal forest ecosystems and the effects of deer on northern hardwood forests of Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes Region; however, very few studies have documented the impacts of these two herbivores on forests of New England. This study aims to address this research need using central Massachusetts as a study area. Because deer and moose are attracted to abundant, young, nutrient-rich forage often associated with forest harvesting, harvested stands are likely more impacted by herbivory than unharvested stands and will therefore comprise the study sites. Using a series of 7 year old exclosures built in harvested oak-pine stands of the Quabbin and Ware River Watershed Forests, this study will investigate the following questions: 1. Are moose and deer significantly altering seedling and sapling composition, seedling/sapling density, species richness, and tree height in regenerating oak-pine forests? 2. Has selective moose and deer browsing, as well as urine and feces deposition, affected soil nutrient levels in these regenerating oak-pine forests? Results from this study may have broad implications across southern New England where the landscape is highly fragmented due to diverse ownership and chronic low-intensity logging.
- Research Category:
