Research Article

Browsing Patterns of White-Tailed Deer Following Increased Timber Harvest and a Decline in Population Density

Table 1

Mean (SE) availability and use of woody browse species in clearcut interior, clearcut edge, and mature forest plots on the MeadWestvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest, Randolph County, West Virginia during summer 2007.

Clearcut interioraClearcut edgeaMature foresta
AvailablebUsecAvailablebUsecAvailablebUsec
Species(twigs/0.5 m2)(PATB)(twigs/0.5 m2)(PATB)(twigs/0.5 m2)(PATB)

Blackberry (Rubus spp.) 22.04 (2.24) A 4.18 a 12.56 (1.51) B6.80 b0.11(0.07) C 0.00 ab
Birch (Betula spp.)6.81 (1.04) A 4.57 a 5.20 (0.91) A8.33 b0.44 (0.13) B 10.00 b
Black cherry (Prunus serotina)4.12 (0.81) A 3.51 a 1.69 (0.45) B4.93 a0.25 (0.10) B 0.00 b
Greenbrier (Smilax spp.)3.77 (0.85) A 0.89 a 5.74 (0.75) A 1.45 ab5.53 (0.96) A 1.65 b
Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)2.77 (0.43) A 0.40 a 0.76 (0.17) B0.00 a0.28 (0.11) B 0.00 a
Pin cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica)2.33 (0.56) A 6.90 a 1.66 (0.53) A7.72 a0.09 (0.06) B 0.00 b
Otherd1.87 (0.46) A 0.59 a 0.59 (0.14) B 4.67 ab 1.34 (0.44) AB 5.39 b
Oak (Quercus spp.)1.75 (0.45) A 4.13 a 0.48 (0.26) B0.00 a0.17 (0.08) B 12.90 b
Striped maple (Acer pennsylvanicum)1.43 (0.37) A 3.10 a1.06 (0.52) A1.58 b2.84 (1.10) B 0.05 c
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)0.87 (0.25) A14.01 a 0.51 (0.28) AB4.40 b0.08 (0.06) B 28.57 a
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)0.77 (0.30) AB 0.00 a 0.11 (0.06) A5.00 b1.34 (0.40) B 10.74 b
Red maple (Acer rubrum)0.63 (0.11)A13.23 a 0.68 (0.16)A6.56 b3.26 (0.59)B 3.24 c
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)0.56 (0.12)A12.87 a 0.51 (0.15)A6.52 b2.73 (0.48)B 3.26 c
Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)0.27 (0.15) A 4.17 a 0.05 (0.03) A22.22 ab0.08 (0.04) A 21.43 b
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)0.16 (0.11) A 0.00 a 0.35 (0.21) A7.94 a0.16 (0.16) A0.00 a
All species 50.16 (2.51) A 3.99 a31.95 (1.81) B5.55 b 18.93 (1.44) C3.32 a

= 180 plots in each type.
means in the same row followed by the same upper case letter were statistically similar ( ).
percentages (PATB) in the same row followed by the same lower case letter were statistically similar ( )
cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata), American basswood (Tilia americana), mountain magnolia (Magnolia fraseri), witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), red spruce (Picea rubens), and wild grape (Vitis spp.)