White-Tailed Deer Monitoring
White-tailed deer are an important component of ecosystems on National Park Service Lands. However, lack of natural predators on most NPS lands make deer vulnerable to over population and related disease problems. As long as food is available and mortality low deer populations can increase rapidly. High deer populations contribute to over-browsing of vegetation, which can lead to plant mortality, decreased plant reproduction and an increase potential for invasion by exotic species. This shift in species assemblages can reduce plant diversity on a local level and cause changes in the functioning of a plant community. Adequate information regarding population status of deer enable land managers to conduct appropriate controls to ensure that vegetation within a Heartland Network unit is not negatively impacted and the continuation of native plant communities ensured. Health concerns over deer dispersing ticks carrying human transmittable disease and deer-vehicle collisions can only be properly mitigate once deer numbers and population trends are known.
Reports
Monitoring Questions and Approach
- What is the annual status and long-term trends in white-tailed deer numbers within each Heartland Network park monitored?
- White-tailed deer populations are monitored annually, using nighttime spotlight counts. Sampling is limited to the winter populations of deer within areas observable from survey routes. This provides an annual index of the deer that will be impacting herd size and park resources through the next year. All-weather roads are used to survey deer. All survey routes are sampled for three consecutive nights, weather permitting. An index of relative density is obtained by counting the number of deer observed along the survey route and dividing this by the observable area along the route. The observable area is defined by taking perpendicular measurements every 0.16th k along the sample route, out to a distance beyond which deer are not visible. For mapping purposes, deer positions are recorded as distance and azimuth from the observation vehicle and later converted to UTM coordinates using GIS. Decadal trends in deer numbers will be investigated.
Protocol
- Peitz, D. G., J. T. Cribbs, J. L. Haack, G. A. Rowell, L. W. Morrison, and M. D. DeBacker. 2007. White-tailed Deer Monitoring Protocol for the Heartland Network Inventory and Monitoring Program. Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR–2007/014. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. (PDF)
Reports
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Go to the Reports page
References
Presentations
Links
Contact Information
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David Peitz
Wildlife Ecologist (417-732-6438 ext. 276)