Impact of growth form and carbohydrate reserves on tolerance to simulated deer herbivory and subsequent recovery in Liliaceae.

Premise Of The Study: Over-browsing of the understory vegetation by white-tailed deer has been a cause of decline in many plant populations. Liliaceae are particularly sensitive, yet individual species differ in their tolerance to deer herbivory. In this paper, we examine whether differences in clonal habit, carbon allocation patterns, and phenology influence the capacity of a species to tolerate and recover from repeated herbivory.