The recruitment of seedlings from seeds is the key demographic transition for rain forest trees. Though tropical forest mammals are known to consume many seeds, their effects on tree community structure remain little known. To evaluate their effects, we monitored 8,000 seeds of 24 tree species using exclosure cages that were selectively permeable to three size classes of mammals for up to 4.4 y...

BIOTIC INTERACTIONS INFLUENCING SHRUB ESTABLISHMENT ON AN ATLANTIC COAST BARRIER ISLAND. Elucidating mechanisms influencing the establishment of woody species is essential for understanding community dynamics and successional processes on barrier islands. The relative intensity of facilitation and inhibition of grasses on seedling establishment of two woody species common to Atlantic Coast barr...

The forest canopy offers a vertical gradient across which variation in predation pressure implies variation in refuge quality for arthropods. Direct and indirect experimental approaches were combined to assess whether canopy strata differ in ability to offer refuge to various arthropod groups. Vertical heterogeneity in impact of avian predators was quantified using exclosure cages in the unders...

We conducted experiments with behavioral conditioning of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using verb 3-wire, electrified fencing modified with either an attractant or a repellent in order to test the idea that an attractant or repellent coupled with an electric shock, would be a more effective deterrent than a random shock or no shock at all. Exclosures measuring 6 x 6 m with 3 wires ...

Land degradation due to forest loss is the most challenging problem in sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia. The coverage of country has been declined at an alarming rate. Currently, exclosure practice part community mass mobilization soil and water conservation program as a means reverse land problem. involvement either intervention methods (passive or active) could enhance plant regenerat...