Exact growth and increased nitrogen compensation by the arctic sedge Carex aquatilis var. stans after simulated grazing
-
-
Authors: M. C. Raillard, and J. Svoboda
Date: 1999
Journal: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
Volume: 31
Number: 1
Pages: 21-26
Summary of Methods: Raillard and Svoboda investigated the clipping on a natural stand of Carex aquatilis var. stans in Sverdrup Pass, Ellesmere Island, in the province of Nunavut, Canada. The authors subjected plots of Carex aquatilis var. stans to a range of clipping regimes varying in frequency and season, from 1-4 times per year, early and late clippings. All plants were clipped to 1.5 cm to simulate grazing by muskoxen. After four seasons of clipping, biomass production was exactly compensated when compared to controls. Cumulative nitrogen production increased in frequently clipped plots. The concentration of nitrogen in the rhizomes was similar between treatments, suggesting that nitrogen was coming from sources other than storage organs.
Article Summary / Main Points: There were no differences among treatments in seasonal net primary production except one year when two clippings per season had lower production than other plots. Seasonal net nitrogen accumulation in biomass increased with increasing frequency of clipping. During the first year this effect was more distinct when the plots clipped 4 times contained more than twice the as that of the plots clipped only once. These differences were less pronounced as the study progressed. Cumulative nitrogen production was higher in frequently clipped plots. Nitrogen concentration in rhizomes was similar among treatments, suggesting that foliage nitrogen was coming from sources other than storage organs.
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: carbon, nitrogen, c/n ratio, net primary production, biomass production, simulated grazing
Annotation: The specific results from this replicated study only applicable to grazed arctic or subarctic marshlands and wetlands. As with all grazing research results apply most directly to similar landscapes, seasons, livestock types and weather conditions. The underlying principles that explain these results are widely applicable to all grazing situations for example forage quality increases after grazing has occurred.
-
Get article
Cite article with DOI
-