Escaping herbivory: Refuge effects on the morphology and shoot demography of the clonal forest herb Maianthemum canadense
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Authors: T. P. Rooney
Date: 1997
Journal: Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society
Volume: 124
Number: 4
Pages: 280-285
Summary of Methods: Authors compared the morphology and shoot demography of Maianthemum canadense plants growing on low boulders and high boulders, to determine the impacts of white-tailed deer herbivory on this species. Plants growing on low boulders were exposed to grazing and had shorter basal leaves, fewer shoots and fewer flowering shoots than plants growing in the protected, ungrazed areas on high boulders. Plants growing on high boulders lost less carbon to herbivory and potentially gained more carbon via their greater photosynthetic area than plants exposed to deer browsing. Based on the results of the study the author concludes that the differences in aboveground plant growth and reproduction are caused by changes in the carbon budget of M. canadense plants caused by deer herbivory. Assuming that the socio-political pressure to maintain high deer populations does not subside in the near future, natural refugia such as boulders and steep slopes may become increasingly important for browse-sensitive species in coming years.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: deer browsing, forest herbs, plant morphology, shoot demography, maianthemum canadense, oxalis acetosella, refugia
Annotation: Grazing intensity is not specified.
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