Long term effects of deer browsing and trampling on the vegetation of peatlands

Overabundance of wild ungulates, especially exotic species, is a major threat to several ecosystems worldwide. While the response of forest vegetation to high density of herbivores has been well studied, far less is known about peatland vegetation. In this paper, we assessed the long term impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on plant communities of ombrotrophic (bog) and minerotrophic (fen) peatlands in eastern North America. Vegetation of five peatlands that have experienced high deer densities for at least 75 years was compared with that of five peatlands situated at proximity but on deer-free islands. We investigated deer impacts on plant species composition and cover, shrub height and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) fruit/flower production and morphology. In bogs, white-tailed deer had no long term impact on plant species assemblages, but reduced lichen cover and increased sedges and grasses cover as well as the surface area of bare peat. On the other hand, the floristic composition of fens differed significantly between sites where deer were present or absent. Plant diversity was greater in undisturbed fens than in disturbed fens, especially for shrubs, sedges and liverworts. No detrimental effects of browsing on shrub height were observed. Conversely, deer browsing seemed to have deleterious impacts on cloudberry fruit/flower production as well as on the number of leaves per individual. overall, our results suggest that white-tailed deer had some important impacts on the vegetation of peatlands that could be harmful for the long term conservation of peatland plant diversity. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.