Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Demarais, Stephen

Committee Member

Strickland, Bronson K.

Committee Member

Lashley, Marcus A.

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

Prescribed fire is commonly used to manage white-tailed deer habitat. However, nutrition is still limited during the summer for deer in the Southeast and prescribed fire is commonly restricted to the dormant season. Knowledge of fire phenology effects on summer nutrient availability is relatively unknown. Stump sprouts may also affect available nutrition, which could be important when managing for summer nutrition. To address this summer nutritional stress period, I examined impacts prescribed fire phenology and mechanical stump sprouting had on summer nutritional carrying capacity for deer. Results indicated implementing prescribed fire in both dormant and growing-seasons led to increased summer nutrient availability on the landscape level by increasing forage quality and quantity. Mechanically creating stump sprouts from woody plants led to increased available nutrition on a localized level. Combining these management actions to target summer nutritional stress periods can better help deer meet nutritional demands and reach their full potential.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/17900

Sponsorship

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act; Mississippi State University - Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture; Private Landowners - Dr. Walt Starr, Larry Clark, John W. Starr WMA

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