POV

The Fed Up Forest- North Harford H.S

                                                                                                                            10/27/2010

Our group is called the fed up forest, we are tired of deer eating all the new trees and

killing beautiful plants. We are important because forests produce oxygen, provide shade,

slow erosion, clean our water ways, provide homes for animals, and make people smile

because they are so beautiful. It takes us many years to get large enough for deer not to

be able to eat us. We provide deer with food, water, and shelter which makes us a good

habitat for deer, but our health is threatened in the process. The issue of deep

overpopulation affects our group because the deer are eating all of the new sprouting

trees which makes forest regeneration almost impossible. The forests are dying due to this

issue. Our group wants to bring predators to the forest so that the deer will die naturally

instead of overpopulating. Bringing in predators would make farmers have to watch out for

other animals and crops that they farm. This will affect the hunters by having less deer to

hunt but having more trophy deer for the wall. The insurance agency will be affected

because there are less deer. This means less people will get in accidents relating to deer,

which means that they will get less money and they can�t raise peoples insurance.

 

 Trees are living things, we deserve to not be eaten and be able to prosper to old age. We

do not want deer to die completely so our solution is perfect for naturally eliminating some

deer. The deer overpopulation will be able to be controlled.

 

 

 

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the lonely forest- North Harford H.S

                                                                                                                            10/27/2010

The Lonely Forest

 

I am the forest and according to Neil Gillies  “Forests are the most beneficial land use for

maintaining and ensuring clean water.  Healthy forests store, clean and release most of the

 water that recharges groundwater levels and maintains stream flow.”  But see the problem

is with over populated dear the bottom layer of forest is being eaten away. Neil Gillies

defines this part of the forest as � forest floor is covered by a rich layer of decaying

leaves and wood, populated by plants (such as grasses, herbs, mosses, vines, tree seedlings)

 and animals (microorganisms, worms, insects, bacteria, mammals)�. With this part of the

forest missing there is no new trees to re grow the forest, in the long run this will effect

The understory is the layer of smaller trees and shrubs below the canopy because the deer

 will eat this too! Last there will be The canopy intercepts and slows rain, and provides

habitat, protection, and shade for the animals and plants that live in the forest. This will be

here till the trees die.

The way to stop this is threw putting up  deer exclusion fences witch are going up at a rate

 of about 5-6,000 acres per year. Inside these fences they have ample tree seedlings and

wildflowers that have apparently popped up from dormant seed lying latent in the soil.

Outside of the protected areas there are still some scattered oaks and other tree

seedlings and occasionally a few wildflowers.

 

 

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Tree Huggers- North Harford H.S

                                                                                                                            10/28/2010

There tree huggers are important because they provide shelter for animals, they provide food

for small animals. They also provide Shade to keep it cool outside. This overpopulation of deer

effects our group because the deer our eating our forrest floors and destroying our habbitats

for the animals that live inside. We would like this situation to be solved by putting up alot

more fences to keep the forrests clear of deer and as far as the fences go since some have

been put up the forrest floor actually has plants growing continuously because the deer can not

get into the forrest to eat the growing plants so the tree huggers persuade others to put alot

more fences around or in forrests to protect the forrest life. other stakeholder groups our

effected byu this because the forrest is usually the number one place that deer go to recieve

food but with the fences blocking off the land the deer will have to find other resources to get

food including homeowners,and Farmers.

 

 

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PLANT PLAINTIFF- Horizons 4H

                                                                                                                            10/29/2010

We are furious flora.   We are angered because the hunters and farmers have killed off the

predators, leading to an increase in the deer population and a decrease in the number of new

seedlings and baby trees. We would like for predators to be released back into the forest. We

tell the farmers that they should just get a llama or two to keep the predators away, the hunters

that they should stop shooting the predators because the farmers tell you to, and to just admire

the deer heads you already have on your wall.  If you bring back the predators, it will cut down

on the number of deer in the road and destroying farmland. The fewer deer in the road, the

fewer car accidents. That would allow the insurance companies to keep more of the insurance

money. Fewer deer will also decrease erosion from deer going from one side of the road to the

other up or down hills. It would also make the farmers richer because the deer would not bother

 the harvest and the llamas would protect the farm animals from predators. The forest also

helps prevent erosion, creates oxygen, cleans the watersheds, and protects and shelters

animals. We were here first; leave us the way we were and just watch your kids, pets, and

surroundings instead of rushing about and not paying attention.

 

 

 

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The Violated Forest- Turner Ashby H.S.

                                                                                                                              11/4/2010

     “Ahhhh that hurts deer, stop please it hurts sooo bad!” 

     That’s what I was crying yesterday, when one of the deer started rubbing his antlers against

 me. Deer are very bad for my health they rub up against me and chew me up and eat my

seedling and I’m always in danger of becoming a stunted tree farm of pastureland. Deer are not

 a new parasite but a familiar antlered animal.

     I hear people talking and they say that larger deer population may lead to me being shorter

and have fewer species, even in areas without cutting. My brother in the northeastern states

says the deer overpopulation has been around for more the 80 years.

     Deer change the make up of forests with there appetites. They prefer certain saplings such

as the sugar maple, pin cherry, and black and yellow birch leaving other species largely

untouched. In open areas, deer grazing can allow ferns to spread, stealing valuable sunlight

from some trees.

     Thank goodness im not one of them unlucky saplings, but please try to help out my brethren

trees by doing more research in the overpopulation of deer.  There is still time to stop the deer,

 all that needs to be done is smarter animal population management and we might be able to stop

this problem

 

 

 

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The Tree Enforcers- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

                                                                                                                              11/8/2010

POV from the Environmentalist

     We are the Tree Enforcers and we are here to speak our minds about the effects of deer

overpopulation on the environment. The American ginseng is used for medicine and plants

provide oxygen that all living organism need to thrive. Without these essential resources the

ecosystem will most likely deteriorate.

     This problem of overpopulation destroys many trees and other plant life. The problem of

overpopulation has almost decimated the ginseng population and many other plant species. Our

preferred solution is to relocate the deer to an area where they are living but the population is

dwindling. If relocating is not an option then we might have to resort to expanding the hunting

season on white-tailed does (female deer). This would be a last resort because we do not

validate the harming of living organisms.

     The cost of relocating the deer would approximately be around $10,000. Hunting will cost

almost nothing; in fact we will obtain money. The solutions will provide assistance in promoting

the plant population. If the deer population is not reduced then the ginseng and other species

of plants could become impaired, resulting in the loss of jobs.  Then if the ginseng population is

 impaired then ginseng will cost more and people may not be able to afford medicine made by

the ginseng.

     So overall, the deer population needs to be reduced or many species will become impaired or

 even extinct. The more plant species that die out the more jobs will be lost. Also medicine using

 these plants will not exist meaning a higher human death rate.

 

 

 

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The Tree Huggers- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

                                                                                                                              11/8/2010

     The White tailed deer species are the smallest members of the North American deer family.

 They are also a keystone species.  They are found from southern Canada to South America. 

Deer eat food such as nuts and berries. Deer feeding has long and short term effects.  For

years many people have been giving deer human food with the thought in mind that it won’t

affect the ecosystem. They are wrong. When humans feed the deer the deer could become sick

because eating that type of food can be very harmful to them.  People might not know it but

they are threatening the deer’s life processes.  The deer’s population size has had a high human

 impact.

     Deer feeding in our state, Virginia, is illegal. But it is allowed in some other states.  Deer

feeding should only be allowed in “deer-friendly” environments, if at all.  A deer’s digestive

system is extremely sensitive to sudden changes in diet.  Deer that are artificially fed lose

their natural wildness and become use to human habitats, meaning the deer would not be

hesitant to approach a hunter.

     When deer get access to human food they start to not want their own food. This results in

the deer becoming a nuisance and destroying gardens.  You can buy white tailed deer food at

some stores.  But you are not supposed to feed it to them because it has corn in it that the deer

cannot digest.  Feeding deer disrupts natural systems by changing deer behavior, population,

and dispersal.

      These are places where there are minimal threats to deer (ex. hunters, lots of cars, etc.).

Even in these types of environments, deer feeding should be taken to a small amount. When

deer feeding occurs, it may lead to the deer becoming dependent on people for food. Also,

when people cannot supply food for human-dependent deer, the deer may starve and their

population will decrease. This species’ survival will have a hard time reproducing since all the

deer are competing for food, shelter, and water.  Although deer feeding may give white-tailed

deer a positive relationship with people, the risks for both deer and humans are just too great.

 

 

 

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