With the average white-tailed deer eating 2000 pounds of vegetation each year, we re talking about a 3 billion pound impact. Trees have complex relationships with the rest of the forest community. A study by Bern Sweeny of the Stroud Water Research Center examined the interaction of the forests in riparian areas with the stream community. So the impact of losing and changing the forest composition is much greater than we know and has ramifications for the rest of the ecosystem. We re concerned with the loss of sugar maple and conifers.
Crossbills are finches that are specially adapted to opening conifer seeds.
Pennsylvania s conifers were an important element for those birds during an emergency time. If we lose our conifer balance, those birds will not have that resource for times when food gets scarce in the north. Naturalists appreciate deer. The deer issue is one of some conflict for naturalists, who love to see them just like anyone else. But I would say that the perspective of deer outside of their natural environment brings mixed feelings.