Impacts Of White-Tailed Deer On The Vegetation Of Cades Cove. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The impact of a concentrated (.52 deer / hal herd of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the vegetation in Cades Cove is discussed. Utilization by cattle and horses had a greater impact on the woodlots in the cove than utilization by deer. Livestock reduced the number of vascular plant species and woody stem counts in all strata sampled. Deer utilization reduced the total plant species number and favored conifers in the 3 cm dbh and smaller stem size classes. Species such as dogwood (Comus .florida), white oak (Quercus alba), and redbud (Cercis canadensis), which were common on...
