The role of lesser snow geese as nitrogen processors in a sub-arctic salt marsh
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Authors: R. W. Ruess, D. S. Hik, and R. L. Jefferies
Date: 1989
Journal: Oecologia
Volume: 79
Number: 1
Pages: 23-29
Summary of Methods: Nitrogen losses and cycling due to goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) grazing and fecal deposition were measured by Ruess et al, on the La Perouse Bay, where large flocks of geese graze each year from June until August. Nitrogen consumed by geese is cycled back into the system as goose feces or transported from the system as volatilized ammonia or goose biomass. Seasonal nitrogen losses from volatilization estimated in this study were very low compared to the amount of nitrogen incorporated into goose biomass. The results of this study suggest that geese foraging in the La Perouse Bay consume and deposit nitrogen in a cycle that is efficient for plant growth and goose development during the months when geese are present in this area.
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: ammonia volatilization, nutrient cycling, forage quality, lesser snow goose, chen caerulescens caerulescens, nitrogen
Annotation: None
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