Effects of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Browsing and Prescribed Burns on Seedlings and Saplings in Itasca State Park, Minnesota

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine if white-tailed deer browsing or prescribed burning had an effect on seedlings and saplings in Itasca State Park. There were four study sites located in the park: Mary Lake Unburned Exclosure, Wildness Drive Burned Exclosure, Wildness Drive Burned Area and Wildness Drive Unburned Area. It was hypothesized that the highest abundance of seedlings and saplings would be at the Wilderness Drive Burned Exclosure and the lowest abundance at Wilderness Drive Unburned Area. The data showed no correlation between abundance of deer scat and abundance of seedlings but there is a positive correlation between deer scat and abundance of saplings. This could be due in part to the fact that the deer exclosures did not completely exclude deer. The data showed no correlation between seedlings and saplings between burned sites and between unburned sites. Pine regeneration was not significant in the study transects but it was noted that there were white pine seedlings present at each site.