Abstract
Spruce budworm defoliation, clearcutting for salvage, and prescribed burning of clearcut areas on deep and shallow soils influenced deer and moose foraging in eastern Maine spruce-fir forests from 1980 to 1984. Plant standing crop biomass, seasonal plant selection by tractable moose and white-tailed deer, and digestible energy for deer and moose were determined for each treatment. Increase in biomass after defoliation was substantial. Deer and moose ate many of the same species, but in different proportions. Seasonal production of available energy by treatment was significantly different for moose year round and for deer during spring and fall: clearcut and burn > clearcut > defoliated > undefoliated (control).
Citation
Crawford, Hewlette S.; Lautenschlager, R. A.; Stokes, Martin R.; Stone, Timothy L. 1993. Effects of forest disturbance and soil depth on digestible energy for moose and white-tailed deer. Res. Pap. NE-682. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 13 p.
