Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Strickland, Bronson K.
Committee Member
Lashley, Marcus A.
Committee Member
Alexander, Heather D.
Date of Degree
8-7-2020
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Degree Name
Master of Science
College
College of Forest Resources
Department
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Abstract
Declining oak (Quercus spp.) dominance across the eastern U.S. is often attributed to fire exclusion and abundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Fire restoration can negatively affect acorn germination and survival directly but also indirectly through impacts on seed predation. Similarly, masting events could influence oak regeneration success by altering deer behavior. To date, virtually no information exists assessing indirect effects of acorn consumers on oak regeneration. I developed two experiments to address this knowledge gap. In the first experiment, I determined if burning acorns affects predator removal rates. In the second experiment, I assessed the indirect effects of mast seeding on plant communities mediated by deer. Burning acorns decreased acorn removal rates. This could increase survival to spring for acorns that survived exposure to fire. Mast seeding increased local deer use, decreased the competitive advantage of local oak seedlings, but increased beta diversity in the understory.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/17897
Recommended Citation
Boggess, Charles Moriah, "Effects of fire on acorn removal and deer mediated community level indirect effects of mast seeding" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 1744.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/1744