Responses of arctic sedges to release from grazing: leaf elongation in two species of Carex

We have used demographic methods to determine whether increased rates of leaf elongation occur in two sedges, Carex subspathacea Wormsk. and Carex × flavicans Nyl., when heavily grazed by Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens (L.)) at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba. Rates of elongation of leav...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Botany
Main Authors: Kotanen, P. M., Jefferies, R. L.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1989
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b89-187
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b89-187
Description
Summary:We have used demographic methods to determine whether increased rates of leaf elongation occur in two sedges, Carex subspathacea Wormsk. and Carex × flavicans Nyl., when heavily grazed by Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens (L.)) at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba. Rates of elongation of leaves declined as leaves aged. Most comparisons between grazed and ungrazed plots indicated that rates of elongation of leaves of grazed shoots were not significantly greater than corresponding rates for ungrazed shoots. No trends were evident. As reported elsewhere, increased production and turnover of leaves accounted for most of the regeneration of photosynthetic area following grazing in both species.