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Regenerating native forests to fight climate change - New Jersey Conservation Foundation But future generations of giant canopy trees must be able to reproduce. As individual trees are lost to storms, drought, or disease, new generations of saplings and seedlings must be waiting in the understory to fill in gaps that open in the canopy. Recent studies show that resilient, mature forests will continue to sequester more carbon than newly planted or recently logged forests well into the future. In New Jersey and many other states, deciduous forests are being ravaged by an over-abundant white-tailed deer population, and one consequence is a severe lack of regeneration and new saplings Over a century ago, deer had virtually disappeared from New Jersey as a result of over hunting. A state program to restore deer succeeded, but by about 1980 the deer population exploded and this state were in’s native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers began to decline. Dr. Jay Kelly, a biology and environmental science professor at Raritan Valley Community College, has been researching deer impacts on forests since 2014. He found that about 50 years ago, in the 1970s, central and northern New Jersey averaged about 10 deer per square mile. Today, there are 10 times that number, an estimated 112 deer per square mile. Hungry deer have gobbled up the forest understory – the layer made up of native herbaceous plants, shrubs and young trees – leaving only the large canopy trees. 8/7/24, 9:37 PM Categories  Archive  Most Recent  Get The Latest News From The Garden State In the News READ MORE (HTTPS://WWW.NJCONSERVATI “If these trends hold out, we’re concerned that there won’t be enough new young trees to replace the older trees that are dying,” explained Dr. Kelly. Outside the Pine Barrens, most New Jersey forests now lack native tree seedlings and saplings, so when sunny forest openings occur, these openings are rapidly taken over by invasive weeds and vines. These invasive, non-native plants do not support native insects, birds and wildlife. NEWSLETT (HTTPS://WWW.NJCONSERVATI You don’t need to be a researcher or scientist to see the impacts of deer. Drive past any deciduous forest in central or northern New Jersey and you will see large trees with masses of invasive plants in the understory. The deer are taking a severe toll on our forests. The encouraging news is that recent

t in central or northern New Jersey and you will see large trees with masses of invasive plants in the understory. The deer are taking a severe toll on our forests. The encouraging news is that recent research shows that the problem can be reversed. By aggressively reducing deer populations, it’s possible for forests to regenerate and increase their ability to sequester carbon. “Managing Deer to Restore Forests and Sequester Carbon” was the topic of a recent webinar sponsored by Duke Farms and New Jersey Conservation Foundation. The webinar drew over 100 participants, including landowners, conservation groups, ecologists and forest restoration experts. Tom Gilbert, New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s campaign manager for energy, climate and natural resources, noted that New Jersey’s target under the Global Warming Response Act is to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent (from 2006 levels) by 2050. https://www.njconservation.org/regenerating-native-forests-to-fight-climate-change/ Page 2 of 4