Geese and grazing lawns: responses of the grass Festuca rubra to defoliation in a subarctic coastal marsh

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Botany
• Main Authors: O, P. C., Kotanen, P. M., Abraham, K. F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2006
• Subjects: Plant Science; Akimiski Island; Canada; Hudson; Hudson Bay; Akimiski island; Branta canadensis; Subarctic; James Bay
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b06-124; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/b06-124; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b06-124

In coastal marshes on James Bay and southern Hudson Bay, Canada, the grass Festuca rubra L. is heavily used for forage by both Snow (Chen caerulescens caerulescens (Linnaeus)) and Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis (Linnaeus)). On Akimiski Island, James Bay, this grass occurs in a mosaic of short, hea...