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. Deer in an unnatural environment and in unnatural numbers are not necessarily pleasing to every naturalist. Some 40,000 deer are killed on PA s highways each year, something no one likes to see. Deer and the White-footed Mice are the vectors for the tick that carry Lyme disease.