Effects of ungulate herbivory on aspen, cottonwood, and willow development under forest fuels treatment regimes

Published source details Endress B.A., Wisdom M.J., Vavra M., Parks C.G., Dick B.L., Naylor B.J. & Boyd J.M. (2012) Effects of ungulate herbivory on aspen, cottonwood, and willow development under forest fuels treatment regimes. Forest Ecology and Management, 276, 33-40.
Share Tweet Email

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use thinning followed by prescribed fire Action Link
	Use wire fencing to exclude large native herbivores Action Link

Use thinning followed by prescribed fire

A replicated, controlled study in 2000-2007 in temperate conifer forest in Oregon USA (Endress et al. 2012) found that mechanical thinning followed by prescribed burning increased the density of deciduous tree species. The density of deciduous species (trees/ha) was higher in thinned and burned (84) than untreated plots (20). Two 1 ha plots were established in each of three thinned and burned sites (mechanical thinning followed by prescribed burning between 2000 and 2003) and three untreated sites. Data were collected from 2005 to 2007.
Use wire fencing to exclude large native herbivores

A replicated, controlled study in 2000-2007 in temperate conifer forest in Oregon, USA (Endress et al. 2012) found that excluding grazing herbivores increased the density of tree species. The combined density of Populus spp. and willows Salix spp. was higher in herbivore exclusion (212 trees/ha) than in unfenced plots (66). The density of the most common species, cottonwood P. trichocarpa was 122 trees/ha in herbivore exclusion and 24 trees/ha in unfenced plots. Two 1 ha plots, one in an area with grazing by cattle Bos taurus, elk Cervus elaphus, and mule deer Odocoileus hemionus and one fenced herbivore -exclusion area were established in each of six sites. Data were collected from 2005 to 2007.