In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Extension has developed the Deer Impact Toolbox, a comprehensive set of resources designed to help landowners and managers understand, monitor and effectively mitigate the impact of deer on Indiana’s forest ecosystems. Comprised of four publications and two how-to videos, the toolbox offers insights into deer monitoring techniques and proven strategies for minimizing their impacts.
“Deer impact the forest in a variety of ways, through the plants they eat and browse,” said Jarred Brooke, extension wildlife specialist. “When deer become overabundant — there are more deer than there is food on the landscape — this can have a negative impact on different aspects of the forest, such as the plant or wildlife diversity, tree regeneration and growth, the number of invasive plants and the structure of our forests.”
Now accessible to the public through Purdue FNR Extension’s website and the Purdue Education Store, the Deer Impact Toolbox equips landowners and managers with the knowledge needed to take control of their land management practices and make well-informed decisions.
The first publication, “Introduction to White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands,” delves into the significance of deer impact and its various effects on the forest ecosystems, provides insight into differentiating deer browsing from other animal browsing and showcases a visual graphic of the impact levels, ranging from low to very high. Additionally, the publication outlines a five-step approach to effective deer impact management: understand, identify, monitor, manage and evaluate.
Click here to read more purdue.edu
Photo Credit: gettyimages-paul-hartley
Categories: Indiana, General