Different facets of tree sapling diversity influence browsing intensity by deer dependent on spatial scale.

ABSTRACT: Browsing of tree saplings by deer hampers forest regeneration in mixed forests across Europe and North America. It is well known that tree species are differentially affected by deer browsing, but little is known about how different facets of diversity, such as species richness, identity, and composition, affect browsing intensity at different spatial scales. Using forest inventory data from the Hainich National Park, a mixed deciduous forest in central Germany, we applied a hierarchical approach to model the browsing probability of patches (regional scale) as well as the species-specific proportion of saplings browsed within patches (patch scale). We found that, at the regional scale, the probability that a patch was browsed increased with certain species composition, namely with low abun

SUBMITTER: Ohse B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5587474 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature