• Baird, John Charles
  University of Maine Graduate School
  

The relationship between white-tailed deep and vegetation is expressed not only through the reproductive rate and physical condition of the animal, but also in the character and regeneration of the vegetation. In order to better understand the influence of deer in suppressing plant growth and retarding natural regeneration, it is necessary to know the number of deer utilizing an area with a particular quantity and quality of vegetation.

This project is the initial step in the study of Isle au Haut, Maine, an area of distinctly heaving utilization by an apparently high density of deer. This study is part of an overall research program on deer and their influence on forest vegetation. The objectives were to determine the number of deer on Isle au Haut, to evaluate the existing habitat conditions, and to measure the influence of the deer upon the vegetation. Most of the field work was conducted during the summer of 1965; however, the entire study extended from August, 1964 to December, 1965.