Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy
Abstract Coastal resilience is threatened as storm‐induced disturbances become more frequent and intense with anticipated changes in regional climate. After severe storms, rapid recovery of vegetation, especially that of dune‐stabilizing plants, is a fundamental property of coastal resilience. Herbi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5674 |
| _version_ | 1818939815274479616 |
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| author | Chellby R. Kilheffer H. Brian Underwood Jordan Raphael Lindsay Ries Shannon Farrell Donald J. Leopold |
| author_facet | Chellby R. Kilheffer H. Brian Underwood Jordan Raphael Lindsay Ries Shannon Farrell Donald J. Leopold |
| author_sort | Chellby R. Kilheffer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Coastal resilience is threatened as storm‐induced disturbances become more frequent and intense with anticipated changes in regional climate. After severe storms, rapid recovery of vegetation, especially that of dune‐stabilizing plants, is a fundamental property of coastal resilience. Herbivores may affect resilience by foraging and trampling in disturbed areas. Consequently, assessing the impacts of herbivores on recovering vegetation is important for coastal land management. We combined imagery classification, wildlife monitoring, and trend analysis to investigate effects of white‐tailed deer on recovery rates of vegetation four years poststorm in nine overwashed areas. We estimated local deer density with trail cameras, how it relates to an index of primary productivity, and assessed the relationship between deer density and rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans. Prestorm vegetation cover consisted of shrubs and sporadic patches of beach grass. Poststorm cover was dominated by beach grass. At current rates, vegetation coverage will return to prestorm conditions within the decade, though community transition from grasses to shrubs will take much longer and will vary by site with dune formation. The effect of deer on rates of vegetation recovery was negative, but not statistically significant nor biologically compelling. Although effects of deer trampling on beach grass are evident in classified imagery, deer foraging on beach grass had little effect on its rate of spread throughout overwash fans. While the rate of spread of the primary dune‐building grass was not deleteriously affected by deer, locally high deer densities will likely affect the future establishment and development of herbs and shrubs, which are generally more palatable to deer than beach grass. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:29:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be85bb2d63ce4ca9801335eb3ba314be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:29:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-be85bb2d63ce4ca9801335eb3ba314be2022-12-21T19:50:11ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-10-01920117421175110.1002/ece3.5674Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane SandyChellby R. Kilheffer0H. Brian Underwood1Jordan Raphael2Lindsay Ries3Shannon Farrell4Donald J. Leopold5College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New YorkUS Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New YorkNational Park Service Fire Island National Seashore Patchogue New YorkNational Park Service Fire Island National Seashore Patchogue New YorkCollege of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New YorkCollege of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New YorkAbstract Coastal resilience is threatened as storm‐induced disturbances become more frequent and intense with anticipated changes in regional climate. After severe storms, rapid recovery of vegetation, especially that of dune‐stabilizing plants, is a fundamental property of coastal resilience. Herbivores may affect resilience by foraging and trampling in disturbed areas. Consequently, assessing the impacts of herbivores on recovering vegetation is important for coastal land management. We combined imagery classification, wildlife monitoring, and trend analysis to investigate effects of white‐tailed deer on recovery rates of vegetation four years poststorm in nine overwashed areas. We estimated local deer density with trail cameras, how it relates to an index of primary productivity, and assessed the relationship between deer density and rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans. Prestorm vegetation cover consisted of shrubs and sporadic patches of beach grass. Poststorm cover was dominated by beach grass. At current rates, vegetation coverage will return to prestorm conditions within the decade, though community transition from grasses to shrubs will take much longer and will vary by site with dune formation. The effect of deer on rates of vegetation recovery was negative, but not statistically significant nor biologically compelling. Although effects of deer trampling on beach grass are evident in classified imagery, deer foraging on beach grass had little effect on its rate of spread throughout overwash fans. While the rate of spread of the primary dune‐building grass was not deleteriously affected by deer, locally high deer densities will likely affect the future establishment and development of herbs and shrubs, which are generally more palatable to deer than beach grass.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5674Ammophila breviligulatabarrier islandimagery classificationrandom forest classificationresiliencewhite‐tailed deer |
| spellingShingle | Chellby R. Kilheffer H. Brian Underwood Jordan Raphael Lindsay Ries Shannon Farrell Donald J. Leopold Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy Ecology and Evolution Ammophila breviligulata barrier island imagery classification random forest classification resilience white‐tailed deer |
| title | Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy |
| title_full | Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy |
| title_fullStr | Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy |
| title_short | Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy |
| title_sort | deer do not affect short term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on fire island after hurricane sandy |
| topic | Ammophila breviligulata barrier island imagery classification random forest classification resilience white‐tailed deer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5674 |
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