White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) positively affect the growth of mature northern red oak (Quercus rubra) trees
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) positively affect the growth of mature northern red oak (Quercus rubra) trees
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DOI：
10.1890/es13-00036.1
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发表时间：
2013-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Casper, Brenda B.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lucas, Richard W.;Salguero-Gomez, Roberto;Casper, Brenda B.
了解和预测鹿（鹿科）对森林生态系统的影响是生态系统生态学的重大挑战。鹿的食草行为可以引起森林林下植物群落的生物量和物种组成的巨大变化，包括生命周期早期的树木（即。例如，幼苗和树苗）。这种变化会影响幼龄到成年的过渡以及成熟森林的未来年龄结构和物种组成。林下植被的变化也影响森林生态系统中能量和养分的流动。然而，研究鹿对成熟树木的影响的研究很少，并且依赖于树木生命周期早期阶段的外推效应。我们测试的假设，没有鹿会导致在成熟的树木的生长速度增加，通过检查白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）对成熟的树冠树木的影响。我们研究了在北美温带落叶林的一个重要组成部分，在美国东部的落叶林，16年的鹿的围栏内外的红栎个人的增量增长。我们发现，围栏内的成年树木比直接暴露于鹿的树木生长得更少。我们的研究结果强调了白尾鹿对Q成年个体生长的间接影响。与以前基于未成熟或林下乔木种群的研究所预期的相反。我们建议增加成年树木的生长在鹿的存在下，可以解释增加营养输入通过鹿粪便和尿液存款和改变竞争环境belowground通过减少林下植被浏览。强调成年树木在森林生态系统中的生态和人口重要性，这项研究的结果表明，鹿对成熟树木的直接和间接影响不应被忽视。
Understanding and predicting the effects of deer (Cervidae) on forest ecosystems present significant challenges in ecosystem ecology. Deer herbivory can cause large changes in the biomass and species composition of forest understory plant communities, including early life-cycle trees (i. e., seedlings and saplings). Such changes can impact juvenile to adult transitions and the future age structure and species composition of mature forests. Changes to understory vegetation also impact flow of energy and nutrients in forest ecosystems. Studies examining the influence of deer on mature trees, however, are rare and rely on extrapolating effects from early life cycle stages of trees. We tested the hypothesis that the absence of deer would result in an increase in the growth rate of mature trees by examining the impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on mature canopy trees. We examined incremental growth in individuals of Quercus rubra, an important component of temperate deciduous forests in North America, inside and outside 16-year deer exclosures in eastern U.S. deciduous forests. We found that adult trees inside exclosures grew less than those directly exposed to deer. Our findings highlight the indirect effects of white-tailed deer on the growth of adult individuals of Q. rubra in a way opposite of what would be expected from previous studies based on immature or understory tree populations. We suggest the increased growth of adult trees in the presence of deer may be explained by increased nutrient inputs through deer fecal and urine deposits and the alteration of the competitive environment belowground through the reduction of understory vegetation by browsing. Underscoring the ecological and demographic importance of adult trees in forest ecosystems, results from this study suggest the direct and indirect effects of deer on mature trees should not be overlooked.