ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS OF SUBURBAN WHITE-TAILED DEER: A CASE STUDY IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA

Many natural resource agencies are managing white-tailed deer (<italic>Odocoileus virginianus</italic>) populations in suburban areas and require information about deer populations, deer impacts on vegetation, and human preferences toward deer and deer management to support decision making. My study based in the Chicago Metropolitan Area during 2007-2011, utilized a multi-faceted approach to investigate common obstacles in suburban deer management. In my findings, I discuss the need for managers to examine suburban deer populations and management issues at a broader scale (i.e., countywide versus single community) and the promotion of proactive deer management in lieu of the conventional paradigm of beginning management only when deer populations have become overabundant. Discussion topics include practicality and costs of deer density estimation and herbivory monitoring techniques over multiple plant communities and numerous study sites. In addition, I illustrate how a comprehensive human dimensions survey can identify determinants that contribute to the public's perceptions of deer density and assess the acceptability, conflict, and beliefs regarding deer management methods. Lastly, I describe the relationship between landscape characteristics and deer density; this information can be utilized to determine suburban lands that may be prone to high deer densities and inform land management practices. My work provides suburban natural resource managers with techniques to identify management practices supported by their public constituents and information useful for managing deer populations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Campus Only Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Zoology

Year

2012

Author dc:creator

• Urbanek, Rachael Elizabeth

Contributors dc:contributor

• Nielsen, Clayton

• density
• distance sampling
• human dimensions
• suburban
• vegetation
• white-tailed deer

Repository record dc:identifier

https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/509

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opensiuc.lib.siu.edu:dissertations-1509