I am studying the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on herbaceous vegetation on Tribal lands in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Special attention is being paid to comparing common and at-risk forb species to determine the potential role deer play in their abundance and distribution. Pellet-based distance sampling, vegetation surveys, and deer exclosures are being used to gather estimates of deer density, browse rate, and vegetation susceptibility. Ultimately, this project will provide Tribal biologists with a fuller understanding of complicated ecological systems including density-specific effects, mechanisms of vegetation distribution, and forb recovery rate. Recommendations for wildlife and land management practices will be provided focused on population sustainability, at-risk species recovery, and long-term monitoring practices.
