Public Education – Information and Precedents: Effects of Deer Overabundance on Plant Communities

Final project for PLSC480: Urban Ecology, Management of Urban Forest Edges (Spring 2016). Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park.White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are present in overwhelming numbers in urban and suburban areas. Forest fragmentation supports populations of the species, which thrives in wooded edges, and those populations drive significant changes to the local plant communities. While researchers and managers know a great deal about these interactions, the general public is not always aware of the nature and severity of the effects of deer on plants. Public desire drives how money for management is applied, so poor communication of research results can reduce the effectiveness of management efforts. Communicating the negative impacts of deer on the environment is necessary to encourage public support for management.Howard Count

Rodent Predation Patterns in Restored Ecosystems Depend on Habitat Size

Mentor: Tiffany Knight From the Washington University Undergraduate Research Digest: WUURD, Volume 8, Issue 1, Fall 2012. Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research, Joy Zalis Kiefer Director of Undergraduate Research and Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences