| May 19, 2007 - Annual Meeting and Pat Sesto discusses Proliferating Deer Herds Threaten the Total Ecology of the Community Back to News Index |
Whispers in the Forest
Newtown Forest Association
Connecticut's Oldest Private Land Trust
Connecticut's Oldest Private Land Trust
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Author: Martha Wright, President.
Have you noticed you seldom hear ruffed grouse or see trillium in the forest anymore? These are just two more casualties of Connecticut ’s
increasing deer population.
Patricia Sesto, Wilton Director of Environment Affairs, said Connecticut residents generally are aware of a correlation between deer herd
size and the incidence of Lyme disease. Most are aware of the dangers of vehicle collisions with the animals. Dead deer they may see along
the sides of roads and highways are a reminder of this. But beyond those immediate and obvious dangers, she asked how many people
recognize the extent of the long-term threat an over abundance of deer is having on the total ecology of the community.
Ms Sesto was the featured speaker at the Newtown Forest Association’s recent Annual Meeting at Newtown ’s CH Booth Library. The
Newtown Forest Association is the state’s oldest private land trust, dedicated to preserving open space. It manages over a thousand acres
of open space land. Its annual spring meeting is open to the public. Each year a speaker is selected with a focus on environmental topics.
Ms Sesto asked if people are noticing the disappearing forest groundcover. With each deer consuming approximately 10 pounds of
vegetation each day, the forest cannot regenerate its vegetation fast enough to support populations of over 60 deer per square mile in
many areas. Trillium, lady’s slipper orchids, hepatica, and Canada lily, once commonplace ground plants are increasingly less common.
Grouse and other ground nesting birds are loosing the cover necessary for habitat.
Greenwich Conservation Director, Denise Savageau, was quoted as saying the biodiversity of both plants and animals is being lost, the
stability of natural areas are threatened.
Ms Sesto reported unmanaged deer herds can double in size every two years. Occasionally there is talk of attempting deer birth control
projects. She said this is a fallacy. There is no birth control for free-ranging deer. She said local towns have up to 60 to 100 deer per
square mile, in woodlands that can support only 10 to 15 deer per square mile without suffering damage. The worst damage occurs in the
winter. Deer have over-browsed the lower layers of woodlands, leaving a park-like setting of mature trees with little or nothing below them.
This provides opportunity for non-native invasive shrubs, such as Japanese barberry to take hold.
In a healthy forest there are three layers: a non-woody vegetation or groundcover; a middle layer or understory comprised of shrubs and
saplings; and overhead a canopy comprised of mature trees. Patricia Sesto observed, “Clearly, our forests are no longer healthy given the
absence of the understory and ground cover. Selective browsing is reducing the species diversity of the woodlands." "The understory
supports several bird species by providing nesting and food resources. When the understory is gone, so are the bird species. It is estimated
that 5-7 songbird species are no longer found in our area due to deer browse impacts. All of this has contributed to a reduction in the
biodiversity of our forests.”
Ken Dartley, Chairman of Wilton’s Deer Management Committee, was quoted as saying, “If the deer were just eating our gardens and
landscape plants, I don’t think the town would seek to manage the herd. The fact that there is a real threat to health of our natural areas,
town-owner or otherwise, has in part motivated a [ Wilton ] community response.”
As for control, hunting is the most controversial but also the most viable means of controlling the proliferation of deer. Some towns engage
trained hunters for the fall hunting seasons. The NFA currently does not permit hunting on its properties; primarily due to deed restrictions
placed by the donors and the NFA wish that the properties serve as wildlife preserves or sanctuaries.
State and federal sources report Fairfield County has the highest number of new cases of Lyme per year in Connecticut , and Connecticut
has the highest rate of Lyme disease in the United States. According to Harvard School of Public Health, deer reduction could dramatically
reduce Lyme disease within 5 years. At less than 8 deer per square mile Lyme ticks have difficulty breeding and virtually disappear.
Prior to Ms Sesto’s talk, the Forest Association held a short business meeting. Martha Wright was reelected president. Edward Kelleher was
chosen vice-president, Robert Eckenrode , secretary, and Guy Peterson , treasurer.
Have you noticed you seldom hear ruffed grouse or see trillium in the forest anymore? These are just two more casualties of Connecticut ’s
increasing deer population.
Patricia Sesto, Wilton Director of Environment Affairs, said Connecticut residents generally are aware of a correlation between deer herd
size and the incidence of Lyme disease. Most are aware of the dangers of vehicle collisions with the animals. Dead deer they may see along
the sides of roads and highways are a reminder of this. But beyond those immediate and obvious dangers, she asked how many people
recognize the extent of the long-term threat an over abundance of deer is having on the total ecology of the community.
Ms Sesto was the featured speaker at the Newtown Forest Association’s recent Annual Meeting at Newtown ’s CH Booth Library. The
Newtown Forest Association is the state’s oldest private land trust, dedicated to preserving open space. It manages over a thousand acres
of open space land. Its annual spring meeting is open to the public. Each year a speaker is selected with a focus on environmental topics.
Ms Sesto asked if people are noticing the disappearing forest groundcover. With each deer consuming approximately 10 pounds of
vegetation each day, the forest cannot regenerate its vegetation fast enough to support populations of over 60 deer per square mile in
many areas. Trillium, lady’s slipper orchids, hepatica, and Canada lily, once commonplace ground plants are increasingly less common.
Grouse and other ground nesting birds are loosing the cover necessary for habitat.
Greenwich Conservation Director, Denise Savageau, was quoted as saying the biodiversity of both plants and animals is being lost, the
stability of natural areas are threatened.
Ms Sesto reported unmanaged deer herds can double in size every two years. Occasionally there is talk of attempting deer birth control
projects. She said this is a fallacy. There is no birth control for free-ranging deer. She said local towns have up to 60 to 100 deer per
square mile, in woodlands that can support only 10 to 15 deer per square mile without suffering damage. The worst damage occurs in the
winter. Deer have over-browsed the lower layers of woodlands, leaving a park-like setting of mature trees with little or nothing below them.
This provides opportunity for non-native invasive shrubs, such as Japanese barberry to take hold.
In a healthy forest there are three layers: a non-woody vegetation or groundcover; a middle layer or understory comprised of shrubs and
saplings; and overhead a canopy comprised of mature trees. Patricia Sesto observed, “Clearly, our forests are no longer healthy given the
absence of the understory and ground cover. Selective browsing is reducing the species diversity of the woodlands." "The understory
supports several bird species by providing nesting and food resources. When the understory is gone, so are the bird species. It is estimated
that 5-7 songbird species are no longer found in our area due to deer browse impacts. All of this has contributed to a reduction in the
biodiversity of our forests.”
Ken Dartley, Chairman of Wilton’s Deer Management Committee, was quoted as saying, “If the deer were just eating our gardens and
landscape plants, I don’t think the town would seek to manage the herd. The fact that there is a real threat to health of our natural areas,
town-owner or otherwise, has in part motivated a [ Wilton ] community response.”
As for control, hunting is the most controversial but also the most viable means of controlling the proliferation of deer. Some towns engage
trained hunters for the fall hunting seasons. The NFA currently does not permit hunting on its properties; primarily due to deed restrictions
placed by the donors and the NFA wish that the properties serve as wildlife preserves or sanctuaries.
State and federal sources report Fairfield County has the highest number of new cases of Lyme per year in Connecticut , and Connecticut
has the highest rate of Lyme disease in the United States. According to Harvard School of Public Health, deer reduction could dramatically
reduce Lyme disease within 5 years. At less than 8 deer per square mile Lyme ticks have difficulty breeding and virtually disappear.
Prior to Ms Sesto’s talk, the Forest Association held a short business meeting. Martha Wright was reelected president. Edward Kelleher was
chosen vice-president, Robert Eckenrode , secretary, and Guy Peterson , treasurer.