White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are known to have
profound effects on ecosystems, including those vertebrates
and plants that serve as indicators of major ecological changes.
Although deer ecology and management has been studied for decades,
studies of deer in developed landscapes remain relatively limited
in focus. Resource management agencies and urban planners require
information from larger-scale assessments of factors affecting
deer density and the impacts of deer herbivory at large scales
in urban areas. My study within the broader Chicago Metropolitan
Area will provide guidelines to assess deer impacts on vegetation,
factors affecting human preferences for deer, and predictions
of future deer densities to facilitate long-term decision making.
Anticipated benefits include management recommendations for
communities and forest preserve systems that consider all biota
affected by local deer populations.
