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Growth responses of arctic graminoids following grazing by captive lesser snow geese

    • Authors: I. D. Zellmer, M. J. Clauss, D. S. Hik, and R. L. Jefferies

      Date: 1993

      Journal: Oecologia

      Volume: 93

      Number: 4

      Pages: 487-492

      Summary of Methods: Growth response of arctic graminoids following grazing by captive lesser snow geese was measured at La Pérouse Bay (58° 45' N, 93° 30' W), Manitoba. Captive goose grazing occurred once, at one of 7 different defoliation periods (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes). Biomass production was measured, before and after the grazing, and at various intervals up to 65 days after grazing. Standing crop, net above-ground primary production (NAPP) and forage quality were measured.

      Article Summary / Main Points: : Puccinellia and Carex NAPP was higher on grazed sites due to the increase in nitrogen levels from the addition goose feces. NAPP of Calamagrostis and Festuca declined as length of defoliation periods increased; nitrogen content for both species was lower, even though the amount of feces was the similar between sites. The lower growth response of Calamagrostis and Festuca spp. are leading to a decline in the quantity and quality of the grazing area as geese expand their grazing areas into this community.

      Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands

      MLRA Ecoregions: Not Applicable

      Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Grazing Wildlife

      Article Review Type: Refereed

      Article Type: Experimental Research

      Keywords: lesser snow geese, arctic coastal graminoids, herbivory, growth of forage species

      Annotation: This replicated, two year study and its associate results are applicable to arctic coastal grasslands. As is true for all grazing research, the results are most directly applicable to areas with similar landscapes, goose, weather conditions and season of use. The grazing periods were analyzed only for one spring season therefore examination of various levels of goose grazing intensities and seasons on graminoids in different sites is needed for better interpretation of the data. In Alaska, Zacheis et al. (2002, EcoScience, 9:320-331; 2002, Oecol, 130:600-608) found that addition of goose fecal material increased the potential N mineralization of the soil but it had minimal influence on biomass and forage quality. Both of these studies as well as other goose grazing are available within the RSIS database.

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