Deer browsing and population viability of a forest understory plant

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 307; no. 5711; pp. 920 - 922
• Main Authors: McGraw, J.B, Furedi, M.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 11.02.2005; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: American ginseng; Analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Browsing; Computer Simulation; Conservation of Natural Resources; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Crop harvesting; Deer; Depopulation; Ecosystem; Endangered species; Extinction (Biology); Feeding Behavior; Flowers & plants; Folk medicine; forest ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Ginseng; Harvest; Land Use; Mathematics; Mitral valve prolapse; Odocoileus virginianus; Panax - growth & development; Panax quinquefolius; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Plants; Population Density; Population Distribution; Population Dynamics; population ecology; Population Growth; Population size; Seasons; Statistical Distributions; Toxins; Trees; understory; Viability; West Virginia; West Virginia; United States; North America; America; USA, West Virginia; Forests; Population management; Herbivorous; Browsing; Population number; Plant conservation; Medicinal plant; Animal effect; Vertebrata; Plant; Mammalia; Understory; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Hardwood forest tree; Artiodactyla; Araliaceae; Ungulata; Panax quinquefolius; Environmental protection; Odocoileus virginianus
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1107036

American ginseng is the premier medicinal plant harvested from the wild in the United States. In this study, seven populations of ginseng plants were censused every 3 weeks during the growing season over 5 years to monitor deer browse and harvest and to project population growth and viability. The minimum viable population size was 800 plants, a value greater than that of all populations currently being monitored. When simulated deer browsing rates were reduced 50% or more, population viability rose sharply. Without more effective deer population control, ginseng and many other valuable understory herbs are likely to become extinct in the coming century.