LITTERFALL - AN OVERLOOKED FOOD SOURCE FOR WINTERING WHITE-TAILED DEER

Litterfall in mature forest stands may be a significant food resource for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) wintering in northern r egions, but has received little study. To determine forage production, we measured biomass of litterfall in unharvested stands of 3 winterin g areas, and biomass of browse from deciduous trees and shrubs in unha rvested stands and harvested patches of the same wintering areas durin g January-March 1994. Mean biomass of northern white-cedar (Thuja occi dentalis), eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), arboreal lichens (Usnea a spp. and Evernia spp.), and hardwood leaves in unharvested stands w as 18.4 kg/ha (SE = 4.80). At mean digestible energy (DE) level of 1.5 and 1.7 kcal/g dry matter (DM), biomass of hardwood browse and litter biomass did not differ (P > 0.15) between harvested patches and unhar vested stands. At greater mean levels of digestible energy (1.9 and 2. 1 kcal/g DM), biomass was greater (P < 0.05) in unharvested stands tha n harvested patches because of the relatively high DE content of litte rfall. We concluded that litterfall in unharvested stands was high rel ative to the availability of more commonly measured browses (e.g., und erstory trees and shrubs), and may be more palatable and of greater nu tritional value. However, availability of hardwood browse during winte r may be more predictable than litterfall.