IMPACT OF GROWTH AND RECOVERY IN LILIACEAE FROM DEER HERBIVORY

Summary by: Madison Muir

The over consumption of vegetation by white tailed deer is drastically affecting many
plant population all over the world. Especially the Liliaceae, which is an extremely sensitive
plant. The defoliation that occurs when the white tailed deer consume these plants negatively
affects the plants by making it difficult if not impossible for them to recover and grow back.
Scientists are interested in this study, to examine how the differences in; clonal habit, carbon
allocation patterns and phenology may influence the capacity of a species to tolerate and
recover from repeated herbevory, by Animalia such as the white tailed deer. Scientists predict
that the liliaceae clonal species are more resilient than the liliaceae non-clonal species.
The scientists used flowering ramets of Clintonia borealis, Maianthemum canadense,
and Thrillium erectum to be subjected to total defoliation for one or two springs. To see how
deflowering, such that a white tailed deer would do, would affect these species.
Survival seemed to be the highest in nonclonal species such as Thrillium erectum. These
results are most likely due to the large carbohydrate reserves that this species in particular
seems to have. Those with high nutrient reserves were less effected by defoliation by the
scientists, confirming the importance of plant carbohydrate reserves. The plant that expressed
a much faster recovery following episodes of defoliation, was observed in Mainthemum
canadense which had much smaller carbohydrate reserves but lower shoot ratio than other
clonal species like Clintonia borealis. All plants tested and observed were defoliated for 2 full
years and each plant; Thrillium erectum, Maianthemum canadense and Clintonia borealis were
IMPACT OF GROWTH AND RECOVERY IN LILIACEAE FROM DEER HERBIVORY
Summary by: Madison Muir
only able to partially recover in terms of their leaf area, biomass, and carbohydrate and
nutrient reserves. All of this information confirms overall sensitivity of these species.
Liliaceae are an extremely sensitive plant species and they cannot fully restore
themselves after being defoliated no matter the length of time. So when the white tailed deer
in the area come through to consume any variation of the Liliaceae plants, it has proved to have
quite devastating results. The scientists conducting these experiments were correct in their
prediction; due to the fact that clonal species have the highest carbohydrate reserves (though
this also means that they consequently have the lowest shoot to root ratio) the clonal species
have proven themselves to be much more resilient than their brethren, the non-clonal species
of the area. The clonal species of Liliaceae are in fact, much more likely to recover over a period
of time, this recovery is in no way immediate, in fact it may take a year for the species to even
begin to look the way it once did.
The scientist conducting the experiments briefly discussed a situation they came up
with. A scenario that would be beneficial to the Liliaceae, one in which, without fail the
Liliaceae would be able to recover much faster and more efficiently from the repetitive
defoliation of the white tailed deer. If the Liliaceae were to be rooted in slightly higher light
conditions in nature, then even in the areas that are frequently subjected to the white tailed
deer species, it would be much easier for the Liliaceae to survive.