DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7dn
title: Data for: The long-term impacts of deer herbivory in determining temperate forest stand and canopy structural complexity

description: 1. Ungulates place immense consumptive pressure on forest vegetation
 globally, leaving legacies of reduced biodiversity and simplified
 vegetative structure. However, what remains unresolved is whether
 browse-induced changes occurring early in succession ultimately manifest
 themselves in the developed forest canopy. Understanding the development
 and persistence of these legacies is critical as canopy structure is an
 important determinant of forest ecosystem functions like carbon
 sequestration and wildlife habitat. 2. We measured how white-tailed deer
 (Odocoileus virginianus) browse during stand initiation affected canopy
 structure, tree species richness, diversity, stem density, and basal area
 on Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Plateau using a portable canopy LiDAR system.
 We capitalized on an historic deer enclosure experiment where forests were
 subjected to four deer densities (4, 8, 15, and 25 deer/km2) for ten years
 following stand initiation. 3. Deer browsing impacts on the forest canopy
 are apparent nearly four decades since stand initiation. The highest deer
 density treatment experienced a significant reduction in tree species
 diversity, density, and basal area with stands becoming dominated by black
 cherry (Prunus serotina). Reductions in overstory diversity and tree
 density resulted in a more open canopy with low leaf area and high
 horizontal leaf variability. Canopies were tallest at the lowest and
 highest deer densities. 4. Synthesis and Applications: Using a portable
 canopy LiDAR system and a former deer enclosure experiment, we show that
 high deer browsing pressure during stand initiation can have a
 decades-long impact on stand and canopy structure. High deer densities led
 to stands with lower species diversity and tree density, which resulted in
 canopies that were taller and less dense. Managers should consider the
 lasting legacy of ungulate herbivory on canopy structure, as canopy
 structure influences several important management goals, such as forest
 carbon sequestration, maintenance of diverse understory communities, and
 creation of wildlife habitat.
description: All data was collected in 2016 within the formerly clearcut
 locations of a replicated deer enclosure experiment. Deer populations were
 maintained from 1979 to 1990 at four distant sites, each of which
 was partitioned by deer densities of 4, 8, 15, and 25
 deer/km<sup>2</sup>, in Elk County (710 m elevation; 41°34’22”
 N, 78°28’30” W), Warren County (550 m elevation; 41°38’48” N, 79°08’11”
 W), Forest County (550 m elevation; 41°34’40” N, 79°06’19” W), and McKean
 County (670 m elevation; 41°38’21” N, 78°19’33” W). More information
 regarding experimental design can be found in the corresponding paper
 (Reed et al. 2022). We placed three parallel 30 x 5 m
 belt transects in each clearcut treatment, all separated by a minimum of
 30 m from one another. All trees &gt;5 cm diameter at breast height
 (DBH) were identified to species and measured for DBH. Canopy structural
 complexity was measured along each transect using a portable canopy LiDAR
 system. Canopy structural data were processed using the
 "FORESTR" R package (Atkins et al. 2018b). 
 We have uploaded all raw species and DBH values collected, along
 with basal area and predicted live biomass calculated from Chojnacky et
 al. (2014). Further, we have uploaded the full suite of canopy structural
 data as generated by FORESTR. Although our paper only uses a few
 well-established canopy structural metrics calculated from the package,
 other metrics we have included in this dataset may prove ecologically
 valuable as more canopy research is published.
description: A) One treatment (15 deer/km<sup>2</sup>) at State
 Game Land 30 was harvested prior to our study, reducing our sample size to
 15 treatment areas. B) All statistical methods are
 included in the manuscript (Reed et al. 2022) C) All
 naming conventions and metadata included in README file