Deer Browse Impact on Vegetation Regeneration: Exclosures

In 2017, Mohonk Preserve's Conservation Science team implemented a deer browse monitoring program to evaluate the impacts of overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on forest tree regeneration. 8 permanent 10x10m plots were established in flat, upland, oak forests, and unfenced/fenced plots were paired together in 4 discrete locations. Each of the 8 plots contains 5 microplots, each 1x1m. At an interval of 5 years, seedlings and saplings within the plots are assessed for height and presence/absence of deer browse, while tree species are assessed for height, DBH, deer impacts, and canopy dieback. Starting in 2023, deer indicator species within the plots are assessed each year for height, count, and reproductive status. Data collection occurs during summer months, June through August. This project is a collaborative effort with the Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance (EMMA; https://www.emmahv.org/).