[MAIPC] Choosy deer choose.....natives

[Muth, Norris (MUTH)]

Might be a bit out there...but I wonder if ground vegetation is perceived by deer as more likely to contain parasites.

NZ Muth
Associate Professor of Biology
Juniata College



On May 2, 2016, at 3:34 PM, Ossi, Damien (DOEE) <damien.ossi at dc.gov<mailto:damien.ossi at dc.gov>> wrote:

Here in DC I have noticed that deer will never browse on English ivy on the ground, but will browse on arborescent English ivy.  There’s usually a distinct browse line on trees that have English ivy vines growing up them, and they will browse the ivy on fallen trees.  I wonder if the leaves become palatable when they change from the trefoil shape to the spade shape on arborescent, reproductive ivy?

Of course, our deer—at a population density of 80/mile^2—may be pretty desperate for food items, but they ignore the English ivy (and periwinkle and wintercreeper and pachysandra and lesser celandine and honeysuckle) that carpets the ground in some of our natural areas.

Damien

Damien P. Ossi
Wildlife Biologist
Fisheries and Wildlife Division
Department of Energy & Environment
Government of the District of Columbia
1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Desk: (202) 741-0840
Web: doee.dc.gov<http://www.doee.dc.gov/>



From: MAIPC [mailto:maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org] On Behalf Of Steve Young
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2016 8:55 AM
To: MAIPSC listserv
Cc: Antonio DiTommaso; Kristine M Averill; Carrie Jean Brown-Lima; Dave Mortensen
Subject: [MAIPC] Choosy deer choose.....natives

Taste test? Deer preferences seem to be helping non-native invasive plants spread<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/invasive_species/~3/4yw3dx6RKdc/160428122502.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email>
Steve

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