Despite widespread interest in white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the southeastern United States, historical deer populations and densities have not been compiled into one accessible source. We digitized maps from 1950, 1970, 1982, and 2003 and reviewed literature to quantify population sizes and densities in the Southeast, although previous estimates may not be accurate. Deer population sizes declined to a minimum of <215,000 during the early 1900s. Population sizes and mean deer densities were 304,000 and 0.22 deer/km² by 1940, 476,000 and 0.35 deer/km² by 1950, 2.9 million to 4.1 million and 2.2 to 3.1 deer/km² by approximately 1970, 6.2 million and 4.6 deer/km² by 1982, and 10.8 million to 12 million and 8 to 9 deer/km² by about 2003. Although our estimates are likely not completely accurate in space and time, due to difficulty of counting animals, they provide the best available information and a range and trend in values, with general corroboration among sources. The current population size may be greater than during pre‐Euro‐American settlement, when based on minimum historical deer densities, or, conversely, the current population may be within the bounds of mid to high historical deer densities. Large deer densities trigger a research need to evaluate deer effects on vegetation, but threshold densities when deer are damaging to herbaceous plants may need to be reconsidered. Instead, we conjecture that deer may be considered a natural disturbance helpful in controlling increased tree densities during the past century, albeit placing a secondary stress upon declining herbaceous plants, which are losing ground to trees. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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回顾美国东南部鹿的种群和密度史

尽管在美国东南部对白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）有广泛的兴趣，但历史鹿的种群和密度尚未被汇编成一种可获取的资源。我们对1950年，1970年，1982年和2003年的地图进行了数字化处理，并回顾了文献以量化东南部的人口规模和密度，尽管先前的估计可能并不准确。1900年代初期，鹿的种群数量下降到至少215,000。人口规模和平均鹿密度分别为304,000和0.22鹿/公里²到1940年，47.6万人0.35鹿/公里²到1950年，290万至410万和2.2至3.1鹿/公里²大约1970年，620万和4.6鹿/ ²公里到1982年，和1080万到1200万和8至9鹿/千米²到2003年左右。尽管我们的估计值在时空上可能并不完全准确，但由于难以对动物进行计数，它们提供了最佳的可用信息以及价值的范围和趋势，并在来源之间得到了普遍的证实。当基于最小历史鹿密度时，当前人口规模可能大于欧美前定居时期，或者相反，当前人口数量可能处于中高历史鹿密度范围之内。大的鹿密度引发了需要评估鹿对植被影响的研究，但是当鹿对草本植物造成损害时，可能需要重新考虑阈值密度。相反，我们推测鹿可能被认为是自然干扰，有助于控制过去一个世纪中树木的密度，尽管对正在衰退的草本植物造成了二次压力，但这种草本植物已逐渐被树木取代。©2020野生动物协会。