The White Tailed Deer - an All Pervasive Ecological Force January 13, 2010

There are 30 million deer in the United States today. Their large and rising numbers have severe and often irreversible impacts on natural areas. Simply by feeding, deer affect the growth and survival of many herb, shrub, and tree species. These cascading effects extend through vegetation, ultimately shaping animal communities. High deer densities create management conflicts in many parks and throughout a diversity of natural areas.Professor Rooney will discuss the causes, consequences and management strategies of our large deer populations. Tom Rooney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wright State University. Prior to joining the Wright State University faculty in 2006, he was a research scientist with the Department of Botany at the University of Wisconsin. Tom is an ecologist by training and is interested in how plant communities change through time and the extent to which those changes can be directly or indirectly attributed to human activities. This was the subject of his 2008 book, The Vanishing Present.Location: Reinberger ClassroomInstructor: Tom Rooney, Ph.D.

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