Moose herbivory and carbon turnover of early successional stands in interior Alaska
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Authors: K. Kielland, J. P. Bryant, and R. W. Ruess
Date: 1997
Journal: Oikos
Volume: 80
Number: 1
Pages: 25-30
Summary of Methods: Kielland et al. examined the effect of winter browsing by moose (Alces alces) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) on primary succession of willow (Salix sp.) and alder (Alnus tenuifolia) communities in interior Alaska. In contrast to earlier studies, which have concluded that herbivory decreases organic matter turnover and element cycling in late successional evergreen forest, the authors show that herbivory increases these factors in the early successional forest, in which most browsing occurs. The short-term respiration rate of leaf litter from browsed plants was significantly greater than that of unbrowsed plants, and almost 30% more mineralizable carbon was available in browsed than unbrowsed litter. The authors conclude that herbivory facilitates vegetation change and associated nutrient cycling in young forest (< 50 years) in a manner that contributes to conifer dominance and soil nutrient conservation in more mature forest stands (50-100 years or more).
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: alaska, winter browsing, moose, alces alces, snowshoe hare, lepus americanus, respiration, soil carbon, herbivory
Annotation: 9 exclosures were constructed to prevent browsing by moose and hare. At each exclosure the site was divided into treatment (exclosure) and control. Grazing is defined as "unbrowsed" and "browsed", but no direct measurement of intensity is given.
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