Supplementalreportwithaddons 2

benefits without having to concern ourselves with protecting and regenerating trees. However, our population growth and appetite for natural resources have forced us to develop and adopt sustainable land management practices (e.g., forestry). As human-driven global changes continue to unfold, trees are increasingly dependent on humans for survival and persistence. Some of the more insidious factors limiting trees include high deer densities and chronic over-browsing, expanding invasive species populations, altered disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic climate change and extreme weather. Nowhere are these threats more pronounced than in our urban, suburban, and exurban landscapes. Mid-Atlantic region acutely vulnerable Recent ecological investigations have signaled a reduced capacity of eastern US forests to sustain the recruitment and eventual overstory ascension of native tree species. In particular, the Mid-Atlantic region was highlighted as acutely vulnerable to tree and forest regeneration failure. Chronic over-browsing from deer and detrimental interactions with invasive species are widely cited as primary culprits. Furthermore, a let-be strategy of benign neglect and passive management has greatly exacerbated this issue. The loss of tree and forest cover are the logical consequences of insufficient canopy tree replacement. Here's the good news – a range of tools in the applied ecology toolbox can help trees overcome these limiting factors, including the need for periodic monitoring and evaluation to ensure interventions are effective and timely. Here are a few A planted willow oak emerging out of a 5-ft tree tube in a natural canopy opening in a Stockton University forest 12 ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 approaches to consider when trying to help our trees regenerate and persist near forest edges and within forest fragments. Protection from deer -- Juvenile trees may need to be protected until their terminal shoots grow above the reach of deer (up to two meters). Chemical deterrents can limit deer impact, but deer repellents require reapplication to maintain their effectiveness, sometimes as frequent as every four weeks. Physical barriers like fences and individual tree protectors (tubes and cages) can offer a longer window of protection, but the cost may be prohibitive, especially installing a high fence to enclose a large area. Individual tree

s and individual tree protectors (tubes and cages) can offer a longer window of protection, but the cost may be prohibitive, especially installing a high fence to enclose a large area. Individual tree protectors are often deployed to protect planted nursery-grown seedlings, affording an opportunity to establish desirable species and provenances (i.e., specific genetic sources procured within a species' range).