Over-browsing by deer can decrease some herbs in the understory. This photo shows the repeated browsing on green brier (Smilax spp.), a herbaceous species in the understory of a mature oak-hickory forest. The forest stand was found within a state park, Brown County State Park, IN, which at the time was closed to hunting. Outside the park (Yellowwood State Forest), where hunting was allowed, over-browsing by deer was not observed. Estimates of deer population indicated approximately 70 deer/mi2 within the park. The estimated carrying capacity for the Central Hardwood Region is 10-20 deer/mi^2.

Photo by S.E. Brown, MTU

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