Effects of Invasive Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) and White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Survival of Sugar Maple Seedlings in a Southwestern Ohio Forest

Abstract

Invasion by Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) and browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in eastern deciduous forests negatively affect diversity and abundance of herbaceous vegetation and tree seedlings. We used a 3 x 2 factorial design (L. maackii present/absent/removed and O. virginianus present/excluded) to assess individual and interactive effects of these species on survival of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings in a deciduous forest in southwestern Ohio. Survival of seedlings was negatively affected by presence of honeysuckle and browsing by deer, but there was no significant deer x honeysuckle interaction. Negative effects on survival and, hence abundance, of sugar maple seedlings could affect the relative dominance of species of canopy trees in these forests. Because there was no honeysuckle x deer interaction, control measures that target Amur honeysuckle and white-tailed deer separately could be employed without producing unintended effects on sugar maple seedlings.