The impact of recreational hunting of white-tailed deer on native and non-native plant abundance in northern pennsylvania

Abstract

The introduction and spread of non-native plant species is a large area of concern for land managers and ecologists, because these species are often capable of outcompeting native species, altering vegetative community dynamics by reducing species richness and ecosystem function. Low species diversity and disturbances in community structure are factors that may be associated with facilitating the success of non-native species. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a large herbivorous animal that can alter plant communities through a variety of mechanisms, including trampling and grazing. At high population densities, white-tailed deer can reduce plant species richness and alter plant community interactions, potentially facilitating an increase in the abundance and richness of non-native plants. Hunting is an effective tool for controlling high deer populations. In this study, I examined the impact of the presence or absence of recreational hunting on native and non-native plant species in habitats that were known to contain deer in north central Pennsylvania. I sampled native and non-native plant species richness and percent cover within 1m2 quadrats placed at 10 random locations along five transects. Two transects were in non-hunted, privately owned land and three transects were in public game lands. Each transect was sampled on five different dates, except for one transect in the private land, which was sampled four times. These transects represented a variety of habitat types. Plant species richness and percentage cover in hunted and non-hunted plots were analyzed with linear and generalized linear models using R statistical software. I found that native species richness was greater and non-native species abundance was higher at the public game lands compared to the site where hunting was prohibited. The greater native species richness in hunted sites suggests that controlling deer populations densities with hunting may play a role in maintaining the health of vegetative communities. Future studies should look at vegetative data in additional habitat types and survey sites across hunted and non-hunted lands to improve the certainty of these findings.