Cultural Control Practices
Maintaining white-tailed deer populations at levels appropriate for available habitat helps maintain healthy and diverse understory vegetation. Harvestig antlerless deer through legalized hunting is the most effective means of accomplishing this.
The following is a list of cultural control practices used in forests to suppress and/or prevent interfering plant establishment.
- Implement proper timber harvesting practices.
- Utilize regeneration methods that create light conditions appropriate for chosen species.
- Thin overstocked stands, favoring desirable tree species with large healthy crowns.
- Use specific preventative measures during planting projects.
- Select and plant only native species adapted to the site conditions.
- When seeding roads and landing locations insist on certified weed-free seeds.
- If bringing in top soil, nursery plant soil, and mulches check the source for weed seeds and root stock.
- Prevent over-browsing by reducing and maintaining white-tailed deer populations at levels appropriate for available habitat.
- Clean all logging equipment and other vehicles of soil and vegetative material before entering property.
- Keep land disturbance activities to a minimum.
- Revegetate bare soil areas as soon as possible.
- Monitor property frequently and eradicate small infestations before they become major problems.
- Communicate with neighbors, educating them about the importance of learning how to identify and control interfering plants.
