A University of Hawaiʻi study finds invasive axis deer are reducing available forage at the majority of Maui and Hawaiʻi Island ranch sites surveyed. Roughly 47,000 deer roam across a third of Maui, and overgrazed land is slower to recover after wildfire.
- The first scientific study to measure wild ungulate grazing impact found forage losses at 66% of the 35 ranch sites surveyed across Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.
- Sites with heavy axis deer presence produced about 24% less forage on average than ungulate-free areas, with feral goats showing similar impacts.
- Approximately 47,000 axis deer are estimated to range across a third of Maui, detected at 95% of surveyed sites.
- Several Maui study sites were in areas burned by the August 2023 wildfires; overgrazed land recovers more slowly and remains vulnerable to fire-prone weeds.
- Ranchers report having to reduce herd sizes due to grass loss, underscoring the economic pressure on Maui’s cattle ranching industry.
Source: Hawaii
Share this article
