Two researchers studied a forest park in the North Island using six decades’ worth of data alongside 20 years of monitoring to see how different sika deer management methods impacted new mountain beech forest growth. Their own monitoring found that browsing by sika deer has disrupted forest regeneration by reducing the survival and growth of seedlings and saplings in the forest park. However, they found this trend could be reversed once deer were excluded by fencing.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2023/12/07/sport-hunting-deer-doesnt-help-restore-forest-regeneration-expert-reaction/