Understory Composition and Structure Influences Deer and Turkey Habitat in Southern Pine Stands

IF 0.6 4区环境科学与生态学 Q4 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Southeastern Naturalist Pub Date : 2024-06-04 DOI:10.1656/058.023.0204

Mark A. Turner, Craig A. Harper

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

-Pinus spp. (pine) forests are common throughout the southeastern US, and many of these forests are managed to improve habitat for Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) and Meleagris gallopavo (Wild Turkey). Previous studies have investigated the influ - ence of forest management on deer and turkey habitat, but several aspects of understory vegetation response to management are not well understood. We measured understory composition and structure, overstory basal area, and deer-forage availability at 8 sites in summer 2020. Previous history of dormant-season fire increased grass and decreased vine coverage, but forb and understory tree coverage were not influenced. Vegetation providing visual obstruction for turkey nesting and deer fawning was correlated with increased coverage of semiwoody and woody plants. Forb coverage averaged 14% and was positively correlated with deer nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) using a 14% protein constraint. Conversely, NCC with a 6% protein constraint correlated with shrub and vine coverage. Sunlight available to the understory was most strongly influenced by hardwood overstory and midstory trees. Our results indicate that understory composition strongly influences forage and cover and that pine stands that are not intensively managed generally provided limited resources for deer and turkeys.

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南方松林中影响鹿和火鸡栖息地的林下组成和结构

-松树林在美国东南部很常见，其中许多森林受到管理，以改善白尾鹿和野火鸡的栖息地。以前的研究已经调查了森林管理对鹿和火鸡栖息地的影响，但对林下植被对管理的反应的几个方面还不甚了解。2020 年夏季，我们在 8 个地点测量了林下植被的组成和结构、上层基部面积以及鹿的贮藏量。以前休眠季火灾的历史增加了草的覆盖率，减少了藤本植物的覆盖率，但没有影响禁止植物和林下树木的覆盖率。为火鸡筑巢和鹿产仔提供视觉障碍的植被与半木本和木本植物覆盖率的增加相关。草本植物的平均覆盖率为 14%，在蛋白质含量为 14% 的限制条件下，草本植物的覆盖率与鹿的营养承载能力（NCC）呈正相关。相反，蛋白质含量为 6% 的营养承载能力与灌木和藤本植物的覆盖率相关。硬木上层树和中层树对林下植物的日照影响最大。我们的研究结果表明，林下成分对饲料和覆盖物有很大影响，未进行集中管理的松林通常为鹿和火鸡提供的资源有限。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Southeastern Naturalist 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

1.20

自引率

16.70%

发文量

审稿时长

18-36 weeks

期刊介绍： The Southeastern Naturalist covers all aspects of the natural history sciences of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms and the environments of the southeastern portion of North America, roughly bounded from North Carolina south to Florida, west to Texas, north to Oklahoma, and east back to North Carolina. Manuscripts based on field studies outside of this region that provide information on species within this region may be considered at the Editor’s discretion.