Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests
The mammalian herbivores of the taiga forests include members of the largest (moose) and smallest (microtines) vertebrates that inhabit North American terrestrial biomes. Their abundance in a particular area fluctuates dramatically due to seasonal use of particular habitats (moose) and external fact...
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/oso/9780195154313.003.0019 2023-05-15T18:31:00+02:00 Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests Bryant, John P. Ruess, Roger W. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195154313.003.0019 unknown Oxford University Press Alaska's Changing Boreal Forest book-chapter 2006 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195154313.003.0019 2022-08-05T10:31:27Z The mammalian herbivores of the taiga forests include members of the largest (moose) and smallest (microtines) vertebrates that inhabit North American terrestrial biomes. Their abundance in a particular area fluctuates dramatically due to seasonal use of particular habitats (moose) and external factors that influence demographic processes (microtines). The low visibility of herbivores to the casual observer might suggest that these animals have minimal influence on the structure and the function of boreal forests. On the contrary, seedling herbivory by voles, leaf stripping by moose, or wholesale logging of mature trees by beaver can profoundly change forest structure and functioning. These plant-herbivore interactions have cascading effects on the physical, chemical, and biological components of the boreal ecosystem that shape the magnitude and direction of many physicochemical and biological processes. These processes, in turn, control the vertical and horizontal interactions of the biological community at large. Herbivores act as ecosystem engineers (Jones et al. 1994) in that they reshape the physical characteristics of the habitat, modify the resource array and population ecology of sympatric species, and influence the flux of energy and nutrients through soils and vegetation. Additionally, many herbivores are central to a variety of human activities. Both consumptive and nonconsumptive use of wildlife represents a pervasive aspect of life in the North. In this chapter, we examine the interactions of mammalian herbivores with their environment, with an emphasis on moose, and attempt to delineate the biotic and abiotic conditions under which herbivores influence the phenotypic expression of vegetation. We also examine the role of herbivores, and of wildlife in general, in the context of human perceptions and interactions with their environment. Human-environment interactions are both direct and indirect and pertain to a variety of social expressions. The relationship between humans and wildlife has economic, ... Book Part taiga Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
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Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
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description |
The mammalian herbivores of the taiga forests include members of the largest (moose) and smallest (microtines) vertebrates that inhabit North American terrestrial biomes. Their abundance in a particular area fluctuates dramatically due to seasonal use of particular habitats (moose) and external factors that influence demographic processes (microtines). The low visibility of herbivores to the casual observer might suggest that these animals have minimal influence on the structure and the function of boreal forests. On the contrary, seedling herbivory by voles, leaf stripping by moose, or wholesale logging of mature trees by beaver can profoundly change forest structure and functioning. These plant-herbivore interactions have cascading effects on the physical, chemical, and biological components of the boreal ecosystem that shape the magnitude and direction of many physicochemical and biological processes. These processes, in turn, control the vertical and horizontal interactions of the biological community at large. Herbivores act as ecosystem engineers (Jones et al. 1994) in that they reshape the physical characteristics of the habitat, modify the resource array and population ecology of sympatric species, and influence the flux of energy and nutrients through soils and vegetation. Additionally, many herbivores are central to a variety of human activities. Both consumptive and nonconsumptive use of wildlife represents a pervasive aspect of life in the North. In this chapter, we examine the interactions of mammalian herbivores with their environment, with an emphasis on moose, and attempt to delineate the biotic and abiotic conditions under which herbivores influence the phenotypic expression of vegetation. We also examine the role of herbivores, and of wildlife in general, in the context of human perceptions and interactions with their environment. Human-environment interactions are both direct and indirect and pertain to a variety of social expressions. The relationship between humans and wildlife has economic, ... |
format |
Book Part |
author |
Bryant, John P. Ruess, Roger W. |
spellingShingle |
Bryant, John P. Ruess, Roger W. Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
author_facet |
Bryant, John P. Ruess, Roger W. |
author_sort |
Bryant, John P. |
title |
Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
title_short |
Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
title_full |
Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
title_fullStr |
Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests |
title_sort |
mammalian herbivory, ecosystem engineering, and ecological cascades in alaskan boreal forests |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195154313.003.0019 |
genre |
taiga |
genre_facet |
taiga |
op_source |
Alaska's Changing Boreal Forest |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195154313.003.0019 |
_version_ |
1766214630663782400 |