Study Area Working in tandem with Emily Sekelsky, our research will be carried out at UMBS and the John Arthur Woollam Preserve (JAWP) in Cedarville, MI. Deer exclosures have been established in these locations for more than ten years. The three deer exclosures at UMBS measure 0.4ha each, the two exclosures at JAWP are each 1ha. The exclosures at UMBS are in a dry-mesic northern forest, while the exclosures at JAWP are within a boreal forest (Cohen et. al., 2020). Study Design We will establish transects inside and outside of the deer exclosures. One or two transects (depending on the size of the exclosure) measuring 200 meters in length will be run in the primary cardinal directions away from the exterior of the existing deer exclosures. 100m² circular plots will be established every 20 meters, beginning 10 meters from the edge of the exclosures. Within each plot I will be recording environmental variables such as: light availability or canopy cover, leaf litter, ground cover, and plot level stem density. Soil moisture will also be measured at the John Arthur Woollam Preserve due to variability in microhabitats. Quantifying Deer Browse Within each plot I will be quantifying deer browse on Acer sp by using the twig-age deer browse method to establish a baseline for differences in deer browse within and outside of the exclosures (Waller et. al. 2017). The twig-age method involves the measurement of sapling height and estimates time since the last browsing event using terminal bud scale scars. Terminal twig tears on saplings will indicate deer browsing. I will also be applying the twig-age deer browse methods to fruiting woody shrubs to determine if the technique can be used on non-Acer woody plant species. Quantifying Shrub Morphology and Fruit Production I will assess the morphology and reproductive output of fruiting woody shrubs to determine if there are statistically significant differences in shrub growth and reproduction in response to deer browsing pressure. Anticipated shrub species at JAWP include: Shepherdia canadensis, Arctostaphylus uvi-ursi, Cornus sericea, Cornus rugosa, Diervilla lonicera. At UMBS we expect to study Gaylussacia baccata, and Vaccinium angustifolium. Other prevalent fruiting shrub species may be included if they are present in the research area. Shrub reproductive output will be measured by the production of berries. Fruit will be individually counted up to 500 fruits per shrub; shrubs with more than 500 fruits will be divided into four quadrants where one quarter of the plant’s fruit is counted and then multiplied by four. Only shrubs taller than 20cm will be included in this study (Endress and Averett, 2020). Shrub morphology will be quantified by measuring height and biomass. Biomass will be measured using the crown area double sampling technique to cause minimal disturbance to the shrubs (Habitat Assessment – Biomass Estimation). This technique involves a singular clipping of new growth from each plant species, which will be weighed to account for the biomass estimate of each type of shrub. Then, the largest dimension of each shrub will be measured, along with the dimension perpendicular, to calculate the crown area. Combining crown area and the mass of the clipping will allow for an estimate of each shrub’s overall biomass. Data analysis will be carried out using ANOVA.