White Trillium abundance in Eastern woodlands is a key indicator of Forest Health.........White Tail deer have decimated the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge population of Trillium over the years.........Refuge Biologist Thomas.Rawinski recently pointed out that the plants and flowers in the under-story of the forest tell you a lot about the health of that woodland.........Trillium are loved by deer and they are one of the first plants to go bye bye when deer density goes north of 10 per square mile.................oak seedlings are taken out of the understory................our Eastern woodlands are left with garlic mustard and exotics that the Deer do not eat, throwing the whole system out of whack and sinking many populations of forest dwelling birds and mammals

Expert: Local deer herds devouring vegetation

MONTEZUMA, N.H. — There are differing opinions on deer populations across the Northeast.
While some see them as a beautiful species that needs to be protected, others see them as a source of food and still others see them as a source of ecological problems that have caused widespread damage to forests.
Saturday afternoon at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas J. Rawinski held a discussion on the impact of deer on the forests of the Northeast and how some of that impact has radiated out into others areas of concern.

Rawinski, a botanist with the U. S. Forest Service based in Durham, N.H., is no stranger to the Montezuma lands. Rawinski earned his master's degree at Cornell and spent a great deal of time studying the wetlands, the forests as well as the animals of the area.

"There is a great variety here," Rawinski said. "There is a diversity of plants, animals and food."Rawinski said that he spent on Howland's Island in the late '70s."Things look very different now," he said. "We are not seeing as much vegetation as we did back then. There are less trees, less plants and flowers."

After years of study, Rawinski attributes these losses to growing deer populations, pointing out that deer feed on many plants, such as white trillium which is often abundant locally. Deer also tend to feed on young trees as they sprout, such as Kentucky Coffee trees and northern white cedar.

In one study, Rawinski pointed out that the numbers of white trillium an area of Hickory Hill in the Montezuma lands was monitored between 2009 and 2001. In 2009 there were 9.6 plants with flowering stems per 100 square meters, while in 2010 this number fell to 2.5, but rebounded in 2011 to 8.2.
"Deer love white trillium," he said. "The plants and flowers in the under-story of the forest tell you a lot about the health of that forest."

While deer do have preferences, Rawinski said that as populations grow and food supplies become scarce deer will eat most anything they can, even toxic plants. This loss of new growth plants and trees leave forests open to invasive species.

Rawinski pointed to recent photos of forest in the Montezuma complex that look relatively devoid of the flowers and plant life often found in forests.While in some areas less desirable plants like garlic mustard are flourishing. Rawinski said that this is one of the key signs of the impact of large deer populations."They don't like this (garlic mustard)," Rawinski said. "So a lot of this is growing. But this lack of growth is bad for the health of the forest. Other invasive species like Japanese still grass can get a hold here like it has in other forests just 100 miles from here where this is a major issue."

Rawinski said that in part the increased populations are from a diminished number of hunters as well as from conservation efforts.(AND NO WOLVES AND NO COUGARS TO SO-CALL "STEM THE TIDE" of bambi--blogger Rick)

"Less people are hunting," Rawinski said. "There is also a term I've coined, eco-environmental gentrification. As lands change hands and people want to conserve the land, what is the first thing they do? Push the hunters out."

This has led to growth in deer populations and peripheral problems beyond the forest, such as traffic accidents involving deer, as well as injuries to motorists, damage to property as well as malnutrition in deer populations that simply do not have enough food to sustain their numbers.

Rawinski believes all of these problems can be alleviated by various groups working together.
"It is eco-system management," Rawinski said. "Wildlife management, forest management as well as other people like hunters and communities can work together to find a system that will keep deer populations in balance and keep forests in balance as well."