Summary
Published in Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 11(2): 63-64
This study evaluates the potential usefulness and toxicity of applying quadrivalent selenium (selenite ion) to the soil to discourage white-tailed deer from browsing conifer seedlings. After absorption by the root system and internal transport, organoselenium compounds are volatilized by the foliage, and the characteristic garlic odor is hypothesized to protect coniferous tree seedlings from browsing damage. Results indicate that either 5, 17, or 24 months after treatment, selenized white spruce seedlings did not show significantly different deer-browsing damage from control seedlings when deer numbers were high. Five and seventeen months after treatment, selenium had not leached but had accumulated in the top soil. Large-scale application of selenium may represent a potential environmental risk, hence we do not recommend use of selenite ion to prevent damage from deer-browsing of white spruce seedlings.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Ecosystems and Environment, Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
JOBIDON, Robert and Marcel PRÉVOST
Year of publication :
1994
Format :
Paper
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
selenium, white-tailed deer, conifer, Anticosti Island, silvicultural regime, browsed seedling, white spruce, ecosystems and environment, Picea glauca, écosystèmes et environnement, écologie écosystèmes et environnement, épinette blanche, sélénium, cerf de Virginie, conifère, Île d'Anticosti, régime sylvicole, semis brouté
