Deer Browse Impact on Vegetation Regeneration: AVID

In 2017, Mohonk Preserve's Conservation Science team implemented a project to assess the browsing impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). 13 discrete sites were chosen for sampling based on specific criteria (<70% slope, <65% covered in exposed rock, <60% canopy and understory cover, and at least 30 stems of preferred browse species) and at each site, between 1-6 sampling plots were selected. Each plot was measured with a 6 ft. radius, and the center, along with the 4 cardinal directions, was marked using PVC pipe or rebar, dividing the plot into 4 quadrants for easier sampling. At least 30 woody seedlings were tagged at each site and are measured once per year. Plot descriptions are updated when significant changes are noted, or after 4 years. Plot description includes canopy, subcanopy, ground/shrub layer percent coverage, and a list of the most abundant species.

The protocol used was AVID (Assessing Vegetation for Impacts from Deer), a collaboration between authors Kristi L. Sullivan, Peter J. Smallidge, and Paul D. Curtis from the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University, as well as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry. (AVID; https://aviddeer.com/about).