Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brendan R. Quirion, Bernd Blossey
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility and reliability of AVID, Ten-Tallest, and Twig-Age protocols for measuring deer browse intensity, and investigated the suitability of the Sentinel protocol for assessing the expansion of herbaceous species. The results showed limitations in the AVID, Ten-Tallest, and Twig-Age protocols, while the Sentinel protocol performed well in standardized assessment and capturing annual changes in browse intensity. Further validation and selection of sentinel species are necessary to comprehensively evaluate deer browse intensity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Janet L. Deardorff, David L. Gorchov
Summary: The study found that North American beavers have low preference for the riparian invasive plant Amur honeysuckle, and may impede the invasion of another non-native shrub, Autumn olive.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John O. Stireman III, Sarah T. Workman
Summary: Nonnative plant invasion is a severe threat to terrestrial ecosystems. Nonnative plants may contribute to invasion but have little contribution to supporting diverse food webs. The caterpillar fauna of an important invasive shrub in the Midwest US, Amur Honeysuckle, is surprisingly diverse. Its impact on insect herbivore communities and local food webs needs further investigation.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Erin Kesel, Andre O. Hudson, Michael V. Osier
Summary: This study presents a high-quality short-read whole-genome sequence of Lonicera maackii, demonstrating the successful application of inexpensive and rapid short-read technologies in invasive species research. The genome length and completeness are similar to the previously published chromosome-level sequencing of L. japonica. The study also identified a duplication of the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase gene in both Lonicera species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vanessa L. Hale, Patricia M. Dennis, Dillon S. McBride, Jacqueline M. Nolting, Christopher Madden, Devra Huey, Margot Ehrlich, Jennifer Grieser, Jenessa Winston, Dusty Lombardi, Stormy Gibson, Linda Saif, Mary L. Killian, Kristina Lantz, Rachel M. Tell, Mia Torchetti, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Martha Nelson, Seth A. Faith, Andrew S. Bowman
Summary: Research shows that free-ranging white-tailed deer in northeast Ohio, USA are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, potentially enabling the virus to be transmitted in wildlife, opening up new pathways for evolution.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeffrey C. Chandler, Sarah N. Bevins, Jeremy W. Ellis, Timothy J. Linder, Rachel M. Tell, Melinda Jenkins-Moore, J. Jeffrey Root, Julianna B. Lenoch, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Thomas J. DeLiberto, Thomas Gidlewski, Mia Kim Torchetti, Susan A. Shriner
Summary: Research indicates that white-tailed deer in the United States have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, with 40% of samples testing positive for antibodies. This suggests that human infections of the novel coronavirus may have an impact on wildlife.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
James E. Garabedian, Kyle J. Cox, Mark Vukovich, John C. Kilgo
Summary: This study investigated the impact of invasive wild pigs on native white-tailed deer. The results showed that the density of wild pigs significantly influenced the deer's space use and coexistence. Deer reduced their space use in response to increasing wild pig density in high- and moderate-use areas, and there was a high overlap in the diel activity between the two species. The findings suggest that deer exhibit fine-scale behavioral adjustments to mitigate competition with wild pigs, even at relatively low wild pig densities.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eoin O'Hara, Allen Herbst, Arun Kommadath, Judd M. Aiken, Debbie McKenzie, Negin Goodarzi, Pamela Skinner, Paul Stothard
Summary: This study utilized RNA sequencing to compare the brain transcriptome of white-tailed deer affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD) to unaffected deer. The results identified significant gene expression changes related to immune activation, providing important insights into the pathogenesis of CWD and potential targets for therapeutic interventions. The study also ruled out an association between CWD and spiroplasma infection.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
James T. Johnson, Richard B. Chandler, L. Mike Conner, Michael J. Cherry, Charlie H. Killmaster, Kristina L. Johannsen, Karl Miller
Summary: Bait is often used to attract wildlife for various purposes, but it can alter animal behavior and distribution. Short-term baiting was found to affect white-tailed deer's space use within home ranges, potentially enhancing disease transmission and changing harvest susceptibility. This study highlights the importance of understanding how baiting impacts wildlife behavior and distribution for effective management and research.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dillon S. Mcbride, Sofya K. Garushyants, John Franks, Andrew F. Magee, Steven H. Overend, Devra Huey, Amanda M. Williams, Seth A. Faith, Ahmed Kandeil, Sanja Trifkovic, Lance Miller, Trushar Jeevan, Anami Patel, Jacqueline M. Nolting, Michael J. Tonkovich, J. Tyler Genders, Andrew J. Montoney, Kevin Kasnyik, Timothy J. Linder, Sarah N. Bevins, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Eugene V. Koonin, Marc A. Suchard, Philippe Lemey, Richard J. Webby, Martha I. Nelson, Andrew S. Bowman
Summary: Research reveals that SARS-CoV-2 has transmitted multiple times in white-tailed deer, with transmission persisting for 2-8 months and spreading across hundreds of kilometers. The virus evolves three times faster in white-tailed deer compared to humans, driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. Although no significant phenotypic changes were observed in animal models using white-tailed deer origin viruses, the accelerated evolutionary rate poses serious consequences for humans and livestock.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sheena J. Dorak, Csaba Varga, Mark G. Ruder, Peg Gronemeyer, Nelda A. Rivera, Douglas R. Dufford, Daniel J. Skinner, Alfred L. Roca, Jan Novakofski, Nohra E. Mateus-Pinilla
Summary: Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue (BT) are spreading northward in North America, causing high mortality in wild white-tailed deer. The study highlights the importance of capturing the geographic location, confirming viral causes, and expanding surveillance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexis L. Robison, Josey L. Berta, Cy L. Mott, Kurt J. Regester
Summary: Wetlands are vulnerable to invasive plants due to ecological conditions suitable for invasion created by movements of sediments, water, nutrients, and debris from adjacent habitats. Studies show that Lonicera maackii leaves negatively impact tadpoles and treefrog oviposition, affecting dissolved oxygen levels, algal biomass, invertebrate abundance, community structure, and duckweed cover in wetlands. The rapid decomposition of L. maackii leaves and associated phenolic compounds are predicted as the main mechanisms of observed ecological impacts.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
David L. Gorchov, Bernd Blossey, Kristine M. Averill, Andrea Davalos, J. Mason Heberling, Michael A. Jenkins, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Janet A. Morrison, Victoria Nuzzo, Christopher R. Webster, Donald M. Waller
Summary: Studies show that white-tailed deer have more frequent and consistently negative effects in eastern North American forests compared to invasive plants. Deer impacts are cumulative, especially hitting preferred plant species hard, while invasive plant effects are more localized and reversible.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Todd M. Kautz, Nicholas L. Fowler, Tyler R. Petroelje, Jared F. Duquette, Dean E. Beyer, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Neonatal mortality in white-tailed deer is influenced by landscape and physiological characteristics, with human development reducing predation risk but increasing anthropogenic mortality. Smaller birth mass increases the risk of non-predation natural mortality. The study highlights the interaction between landscape attributes, fawn characteristics, and mortality causes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Virology
Mitchell Palmer, Mathias Martins, Shollie Falkenberg, Alexandra Buckley, Leonardo C. Caserta, Patrick K. Mitchell, Eric D. Cassmann, Alicia Rollins, Nancy C. Zylich, Randall W. Renshaw, Cassandra Guarino, Bettina Wagner, Kelly Lager, Diego G. Diel
Summary: White-tailed deer are highly susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, shedding infectious virus and transmitting it to other deer upon intranasal inoculation, providing important insights into the potential animal hosts of the virus.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)