Progress 07/01/96 to 06/30/04
Outputs
Agricultural and silvicultural land use changes, combined with game management, have improved and expanded habitat for white-tailed deer across much of the eastern US. Resultant white-tailed deer overpopulation may impact forests by affecting forest regeneration, growth, and composition. To address the need for long-term monitoring of plant community responses to high deer densities, we constructed 3 deer exclosures in each of 3 physiographic regions in Mississippi: Delta, Lower Coastal Plain, and Upper Coastal Plain. These exclosures will be monitored with 5-year sampling intervals for up to 20 years. To date, only small mammals were sampled with avifauna, herpetiles, and plants being sampled this summer and fall. We sampled small mammal communities during February and March. We placed 25 Sherman live traps on a 5 x 5 grid with 20 meter spacing in all exclosures and controls. Only 4 small mammal species were captured across all sites: hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon
hispidus), house mouse (Mus musculus), golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli), and white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). No differences were found between exclosures and controls in each of the 3 physiographic regions. In the Delta physiographic region, average captures/exclosure/day was 3.4 individuals (23 total individuals), and average captures/control/day was 3.5 individuals (25 total individuals). In the Lower Coastal Plain physiographic region, average captures/exclosure/day was 5.2 individuals (35 total individuals), and average captures/control/day was 5.1 individuals (39 total individuals). In the Upper Coastal Plain physiographic region, average captures/exclosure/day was 0.9 individuals (9 total individuals), and average captures/control/day was 0.6 individuals (7 total individuals).
Impacts
Deer are impacting forest systems extensively. This is a 25 year study that will continue to monitor and determine further effects of excessive deer herd sizes on ecosystems.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
A research project examining reproduction and survival of Wild Turkeys was initiated in 2003 at Malmaison Wildlife Management Area located in west-central Mississippi. Twenty-three hens and 17 juvenile male turkeys were captured and fitted with radio transmitters in late winter. Marked turkeys were monitored daily after release to collect survival information and to locate hens on nests. A total of 12 nest attempts took place; habitat information was collected from eight of 11 nest sites (three nests could not be found). Only one successful nesting attempt was documented. Weekly monitoring continued after completion of nesting to collect additional survival data.
Impacts
Turkey survival and reproduction within bottomland systems is critical, but greatly understudied. Thus, this project will provide critical information to the state agency regarding limiting factors of wild turkey in these systems.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
All field work has been completed and the data is being compiled and analyzed by the graduate student. We expect completion by December 31, 2003.
Impacts
This project is a long-term project that will demonstrate the impact of excessive deer herds in 3 major physiographic regions of Mississippi. It will provide educational value through tours of the exclosures and adjacent area as well as comparative data as they will be sampled every 5 years for 20 years.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Nine exclosures were sampled for plant species, avian, and small mammal abundances for a second season. Exclosures are in 3 regions: the Delta region (in Delta National Forest/Sunflower WMA), the Upper Coastal Plain (in Tombigbee National Forest/Choctaw WMA), and in the Lower Coastal Plain (in DeSoto National Forest/Leaf River WMA). Exclosures range in size from 5.7 - 7.4 acres. Individuals of key tree species for each region have been permanently marked to allow long-term assessment of growth and survival. Both years of data for plant species, avian species and small mammal species abudances are being analyzed. A thesis will be completed by December, 2002.
Impacts
This long-term (20 year) project will provide state and federal agencies with opportunities for education (demonstrating to conservation and wildlife management agencies) concerning changes in plant species over time, short- and long-term impacts of herbivory on flora and fauna, and assessment of potential for regeneration of key overstory species for the respective regions. It also may enable biologists to assess T&E species responses to "protection" from actions of large herbivores (deer and wild swine).
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Nine exclosures where constructed during Spring 2000, 3 at each selected physiographic region in Mississippi. The regions are the Delta region (in Delta National Forest/Sunflower WMA), the Upper Coastal Plain (in Tombigbee National Forest/Choctaw WMA), and in the Lower Coastal Plain (in DeSoto National Forest/Leaf River WMA). Exclosures range in size from 5.7 - 7.4 acres. Plant communities were assessed within each exclosure and adjacent control site from May-September 1999. Tombigbee National Forest had a total of 133 species of plants with Lespedeza (5 species), Liquidambar styraciflua, Morus rubra, and Rhus copallina being the more dominant species in the understory. Desoto National Forest had 113 species with the dominant understory vegetation being Andropogon (2 species), Ilex (5 species), Pinus (3 species), and Vaccinium (4 species). Delta National Forest had a total of 118 species with Campsis radicans, Liquidambar styraciflua, Rhus radicans, and Vitis (4
species) predominating in the understory. Bird point counts were conducted on each National Forest in June 2000. Species richness was the greatest for Delta National Forest with 34 species of birds. Bird species at Tombigbee National Forest and Desoto National Forest were 29 and 23, respectively. Small mammals were trapped during Spring 2000. Tombigbee National Forest had 4 small mammal species and the Delta and Desoto National Forests each had two.
Impacts
These exclosures will provide significant ecological and educational benefits over the next 20 years. Long-term monitoring of foraging impacts from white-tailed deer will allow forest managers to more effectively manage forest regeneration. Educational benefits will accrue as the general public learns to appreciate the impact this "keystone species" has on forest regeneration.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/99 to 12/31/99
Outputs
Pre-exclosure faunal and floral data have been collected within and adjacent to each exclosure prior to their construction within 3 bottomland sites. Construction of the exclosures has been completed, with each exclosure being between 8-10 acres in size. Concerning the hardwood survival subproject, we individually marked 564 hardwood seedlings [240 Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii), 240 common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), 84 bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)] immediately after planting during May 1995 and estimated survival and cause-specific mortality to August 1998. Overall survival was 0.78, 0.90, and 0.81 for Nuttall oak,persimmon, and cypress, respectively. For bald cypress, annual survival rates were 0.92, 0.95, 0.93, and 1.00 from 1995-1998, respectively. Annual survival of Nuttall oak was 0.99, 0.93, 0.89, and 0.94 from 1995-1998, whereas annual survival of persimmon was 0.99, 0.97, 0.98, and 0.96 from 1995-1998. Survival of persimmon seedlings did not
differ across years (P = 0.076), whereas survival of bald cypress and Nuttall oak differed significantly (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Water stress and unknown factors accounted for most seedling deaths, whereas deaths due to damage by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginiana) and feral hogs (Sus scrofa), rodents, and lagomorphs (Sylvilagus spp.) was low. Short-term flood pulses may promote seedling survival by reducing vegetative competition. However, long-term flood pulses, particularly during the growing season, may reduce seedling growth and increase mortality. Lastly, concerning the black bear subproject, black bear models incorporating social and habitat values have been completed and plans to select suitable sites for reintroduction are now underway.
Impacts
It is too early concerning the exclosure study to make definitive statements about its impact given that the exclosures were just recently constructed. The hardwood seedling study demonstrated that flooding inundation and frequency plays an important role in hardwood seedling survival. Under proper conditions, small mammals may have little impact on seedling survival. A Task Force has been formed to examine black bear reintroduction and this research provided the impetus to begin such planning activities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/98 to 12/31/98
Outputs
This study is progressing as planned with 3 of the proposal components underway including a deer exclosure study, a hardwood survival study, and a black bear study. Exclosures are being constructed in 3 bottomland sites to examine long-term impacts of deer herbivory on plant and animal communities. Each exclosure will be 8-10 acres in size. Construction will be completed by April, 1999. For the hardwood survival study, over 300 hardwood seedlings (3 species) have been tagged and are being monitored biannually for cause-specific mortality. Lastly, regarding the black bear project, a model to predict Louisiana black bear habitat is being developed with over 1200 plots sampled during summers of 1997 and 1998 on public and private lands.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/97 to 12/31/97
Outputs
Proposals are still being submitted and reviewed to secure full funding for this project. However, the exclosure component of the project has been funded and will start in July 1, 1998.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/96 to 12/30/96
Outputs
This project was approved later in the FY96 year. Research will begin in the FY97 year.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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