Can we eat enough white-tailed deer to restore forest ecosystems?

Is it possible to eat enough white-tailed deer to keep their populations low enough to restore ecosystems? We posed this question to Bernd Blossey, professor at Cornell University who specializes in the management of invasive species and the restoration of disrupted ecological relationships.

In this episode, we look at the history of white-tailed deer in the eastern forests of the United States, how many we would need to harvest to keep the population in check, and whether the concept of ecosystem balance is scientific or a fantasy.

This is the third and final part of our series exploring whether we can eat our way out of the problems we’ve created. Let us know what you think by sending us an email or a voice memo to [email protected].

For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode58

Guests

• Bernd Blossey, Professor at Cornell University

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.