Responses of arctic sedges to release from grazing: Leaf demography of Carex x flavicans
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Authors: P. M. Kotanen, and R. L. Jefferies
Date: 1989
Journal: Canadian Journal of Botany
Volume: 67
Number: 5
Pages: 1408-1413
Summary of Methods: The effects or grazing onCarex leaf production and longevity was measured in freshwater marshes along La Pérouse Bay in Manitoba, Canada (58° 04' N, 94° 03 'W). Carex x flavicans shoots and leaves were monitored in paired plots which were either ungrazed or open to grazing. Ungrazed plots were covered with wire mesh during the growing season of 1985, while grazed plots were open to geese and then excluded for a week at which time marked leaves were measured for growth of new leaves as well as whether the leaf was green, yellow, or dead. This process occurred eight times during the summer of 1985 and once following snowmelt in June 1986.
Article Summary / Main Points: Carex in ungrazed plots had leaves that lived longer; however, they produced fewer leaves than Carex in grazed plots. Geese herbivory caused Carex plants to produce more leaves. Grazed leaves were rarely completely removed and very few did not survive grazing.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: Not Applicable
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: chen caerulescens caerulescens, lesser snow goose, carex x flavicans, leaf demography, herbivory, saltmarsh
Annotation: This study follows other investigations on plant responses to herbivory; however, it could be fairly specific for these Carex species due to the unique climatic conditions of the arctic. Additional results from this study can be found in Kotanen and Jefferies 1989 (Can J. of Bot:1414-1419) and Kotanen and Jefferies 1997 (Ecosci: 179-182) also available in the RSIS database.
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