Introduction to the Special Issue: Ungulates and invasive species: quantifying impacts and understanding interactions.

Bernd Blossey,David L Gorchov

doi:10.1093/aobpla/plx063

Abstract

White-tailed deer are emblematic ungulates that, due to anthropogenic modification of landscapes, currently occur at elevated densities. Elevated deer densities often co-occur with non-native plants, but it is not known if plant invasions are a consequence of deer impacts or occur independent of deer impacts on ecosystems, or whether these two stressors are synergistic. A colloquium on 'Interactions of white-tailed deer and invasive plants in forests of eastern North America' explored these topics at the 2016 annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America. Nine of those presentations are published in this special issue of AoB PLANTS.

Highlights

Introduction to the Special IssueUngulates and invasive species: quantifying impacts and understanding interactionsBernd Blossey1 and David L
Populations of other native ungulate species have greatly increased due to human landscape transformations and predator elimination and trophic downgrading of ecosystems (Estes et al 2011) in Europe, Australia, Japan and North America (Côté et al 2004)
This study shows how physiological responses mediate the facilitation of A. petiolata invasion by high deer populations

Summary

Introduction

Ungulates make up the vast majority of large herbivores, and of the ~257 recognized species (http://www.ultimateungulate.com/ungulates.html) many are well-known charismatic or economically important species including horses, cattle, deer, pigs, giraffes, rhinoceros, goats and camels. While certain invasive plant species were facilitated by deer, other invasives that are consumed by deer, including Rosa multiflora and Lonicera spp., respond rapidly to reduction in deer browse with an increase in cover These three studies reveal that recovery or enhancement of populations of native plant species will not occur automatically by deer exclusion and removal of certain introduced species may be warranted where they co-occur. Most of the experiments reported in the studies in this special issue were designed and conducted in areas where invasive plant species and deer co-occur to assess their interactions In these areas, deer exclusion alone will result in population declines of species that are avoided by deer and benefit from exotic earthworms, such as A. petiolata and M. vimineum which in turn are facilitated by deer (Dávalos et al 2015c). Over much of eastern and Midwestern North America deer reduction may need to be followed by control of invasive plants, at least those eaten by deer, to avoid recruitment problems for native species

Conclusions

Literature Cited