Deer Population a
Challenge for Area
Forests
potomaclocal.com
By CHARLES SMITH
Prince William Conservation Alliance
Many residents in Northern Virginia understand
the need to change
land use practices to stop or minimize habitat
destruction and preserve
good examples of our native plant communities.
An increasing number
of people also support combating the spread
of non-native invasive
species to include problem plant species and
insects such as gypsy moth,
which can strip tree foliage and cause their death.
the need to change
land use practices to stop or minimize habitat
destruction and preserve
good examples of our native plant communities.
An increasing number
of people also support combating the spread
of non-native invasive
species to include problem plant species and
insects such as gypsy moth,
which can strip tree foliage and cause their death.
These two conservation priorities remain
tremendously important, but
there is a critical need to add another:
controlling populations of
white-tailed deer.
tremendously important, but
there is a critical need to add another:
controlling populations of
white-tailed deer.
People arrived in North America over
13,000 years ago. Once our
species arrived, we, not wolves and
mountain lions, gradually
became the top predator controlling
populations of large herbivores.
Many of those species eventually
went extinct. The white-tailed deer
nearly joined their ranks by about 1900
, with very few deer left in the state.
13,000 years ago. Once our
species arrived, we, not wolves and
mountain lions, gradually
became the top predator controlling
populations of large herbivores.
Many of those species eventually
went extinct. The white-tailed deer
nearly joined their ranks by about 1900
, with very few deer left in the state.
In the mid-20th century, Virginia joined
many other states in reintroducing
white-tailed deer to supplement the
few deer left and increase numbers
for sport hunting. From the 1950s
through the 1980s two things happened
that greatly contributed to the increase
in the number of deer. First land
use shifted away from agriculture toward
suburban and urban uses.
many other states in reintroducing
white-tailed deer to supplement the
few deer left and increase numbers
for sport hunting. From the 1950s
through the 1980s two things happened
that greatly contributed to the increase
in the number of deer. First land
use shifted away from agriculture toward
suburban and urban uses.
Contrary to commonly held beliefs,
suburban landscapes do not take away
deer habitat – they create it. Deer are
adaptive animals. Suburban
development creates preferred edge
habitat for deer, and human
landscapes provide high concentrations
of edible plants close to the
ground where the deer can get to them.
You can grow more deer in
suburbia than you can in a purely forested
landscape.
suburban landscapes do not take away
deer habitat – they create it. Deer are
adaptive animals. Suburban
development creates preferred edge
habitat for deer, and human
landscapes provide high concentrations
of edible plants close to the
ground where the deer can get to them.
You can grow more deer in
suburbia than you can in a purely forested
landscape.
The second major factor is that few people
hunt. Deer are a prey species
that requires predation to control their
populations. Without predation they
can double their numbers in as little as
one year. With almost no hunting
pressure in suburban areas and declining
hunting pressure in rural areas,
deer numbers have skyrocketed state-wide
. In many areas of the state,
deer population numbers are at more than
three to eight times the
densities that native plant communities can
sustain.
hunt. Deer are a prey species
that requires predation to control their
populations. Without predation they
can double their numbers in as little as
one year. With almost no hunting
pressure in suburban areas and declining
hunting pressure in rural areas,
deer numbers have skyrocketed state-wide
. In many areas of the state,
deer population numbers are at more than
three to eight times the
densities that native plant communities can
sustain.
The result is that our remaining forest
ecosystems are decimated
Deer eat everything native with few
exceptions. They eat almost all
of the non-woody plants in the forest as
well as all shrubs and trees
within their reach and the majority of the
acorns and hickory nuts.
They have now removed most vegetatio
n from many of our forests
below 5 feet.
ecosystems are decimated
Deer eat everything native with few
exceptions. They eat almost all
of the non-woody plants in the forest as
well as all shrubs and trees
within their reach and the majority of the
acorns and hickory nuts.
They have now removed most vegetatio
n from many of our forests
below 5 feet.
The results include the disappearance
of most of our forest bird
species in many areas due to loss of
the understory, the loss of
many of our woodland wildflowers, and
a change of our forest stand
composition to a few species such as
tulip tree, American beech
and red maple that have smaller seeds
and appear to be less
palatable to deer.
of most of our forest bird
species in many areas due to loss of
the understory, the loss of
many of our woodland wildflowers, and
a change of our forest stand
composition to a few species such as
tulip tree, American beech
and red maple that have smaller seeds
and appear to be less
palatable to deer.
As our forests are oversimplified we
lose native species, non-native
invasive plants explode and become
the dominant understory.
Once the existing trees die, there will
be little to replace them.
lose native species, non-native
invasive plants explode and become
the dominant understory.
Once the existing trees die, there will
be little to replace them.
In 2008 the USDA Forest Service
began to make dire predictions
about eastern forests due to the
over-browsing by white-tailed deer.
The problem is so severe that even
if we could reduce the number
of deer immediately to within
ecologically sustainable levels,
it would
take many decades if not centurie
s to recover our native plant
communities.
began to make dire predictions
about eastern forests due to the
over-browsing by white-tailed deer.
The problem is so severe that even
if we could reduce the number
of deer immediately to within
ecologically sustainable levels,
it would
take many decades if not centurie
s to recover our native plant
communities.
If we act soon we can retain enough
native plant stock and seed
that many species could recover
within remaining forests and
repopulate surrounding areas
over time.
native plant stock and seed
that many species could recover
within remaining forests and
repopulate surrounding areas
over time.
It is time for residents and local
governments in Northern Virginia
to join with USDA Forest Service,
the Virginia Natural Heritage
Program, large landowners and
managers elsewhere in Virginia,
the Maryland Native Plant Society
and others in supporting and
urging efforts to reduce and manage
the number of white-tailed
deer in order to protect our native
plant species, the communities
in which they live and the animal
species they support.
governments in Northern Virginia
to join with USDA Forest Service,
the Virginia Natural Heritage
Program, large landowners and
managers elsewhere in Virginia,
the Maryland Native Plant Society
and others in supporting and
urging efforts to reduce and manage
the number of white-tailed
deer in order to protect our native
plant species, the communities
in which they live and the animal
species they support.
Charles Smith is a member of the
Prince William Wildflower Society
and Prince William Conservation
Alliance, and the Natural Resource
Management and Protection Branch
Manager for Fairfax County
Park Authority.
Prince William Wildflower Society
and Prince William Conservation
Alliance, and the Natural Resource
Management and Protection Branch
Manager for Fairfax County
Park Authority.
diorama of the eastern forest in the 17th century
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