| Abstract: | Lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens caerulescens from the western Canadian Arctic feed on underground parts of tall cotton-grass Eriophorum angustifolium during autumn staging on the coastal plain of the Beaufort Sea in Canada and Alaska. We studied revegetation of sites where cotton-grass had been removed either by human-imprinted snow geese or by hand to simulate snow goose feeding. Aerial cover of cotton-grass at sites (n = 4) exploited by human-imprinted snow geese averaged 60 and 39% lower than in undisturbed control plots during the first and second year after feeding, respectively. Underground biomass of cotton-grass stembases and rhizomes in hand-treated plots was 80 and 62% less than in control plots 2 and 4 yr after removal, respectively (n = 10 yr-1). Aerial cover and biomass of common non-forage species such as Carex aquatilis did not increase on treated areas. Removal of cotton-grass by geese likely reduces forage availability at exploited sites for at least 2-4 yr after feeding but probably does not affect long-term community composition. Temporal heterogeneity in forage abundance likely contributes to the large spatial requirement of snow geese during staging. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70022642 |
| Citation Author: | Hupp, J. W.; Robertson, D. G.; Schmutz, J. A. |
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| Citation End Page: | 373 |
| Citation Issue: | 3 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Ecography |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 7 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Recovery of tall cotton-grass following real and simulated feeding by snow geese; 2000; Article; Journal; Ecography; Hupp, J. W.; Robertson, D. G.; Schmutz, J. A. |
| Citation Start Page: | 367 |
| Citation Volume: | 23 |
| Citation Year: | 2000 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Recovery of tall cotton-grass following real and simulated feeding by snow geese; 2000; Article; Journal; Ecography; Hupp, J. W.; Robertson, D. G.; Schmutz, J. A. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00 -0600 |
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