Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese
Abstract Seagrasses provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are prioritized in conservation planning. Management of this dynamic community requires describing seagrass responses to repeated grazing by dependent herbivores. Using two experimental randomized block designs in Humboldt Bay, Calif...
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crwiley:10.1002/ecs2.3690 2024-06-02T08:04:31+00:00 Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese Shaughnessy, Frank J. Ferson, Susannah L. Frimodig, Adam J. Barton, Daniel C. Hurst, Mathew Black, Jeffrey M. 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.3690 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Ecosphere volume 12, issue 8 ISSN 2150-8925 2150-8925 journal-article 2021 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3690 2024-05-03T11:47:34Z Abstract Seagrasses provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are prioritized in conservation planning. Management of this dynamic community requires describing seagrass responses to repeated grazing by dependent herbivores. Using two experimental randomized block designs in Humboldt Bay, California, we tested responses of eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) to separate and combined effects of simulated Brant Goose ( Branta bernicla ) grazing (clipping to a uniform height) and fecal pellet addition, and then to medium (MED) and severe (SEV) intensities of simulated Brant flock visitation. In Experiment 1, clipping with fecal addition (FC) stimulated more clonal addition of shoots than controls or clipping and fecal addition alone (standardized β = 0.26 relative to control). The FC treatment also had the largest positive, delayed effect (β = 0.135) on density of flowering shoots. In Experiment 2, the MED intensity treatment had positive effects on shoot density (β = 0.149), rates of leaf extension (β = 0.16), and leaf productivity (β = 0.20). These MED treatment responses resulted in the highest measures of above‐ground (β = 0.099) and below‐ground (β = 0.32) biomass. Whole shoot (β MED = 0.33, β SEV = −0.36) and landscape (β MED = 0.34, β SEV = −0.23) levels of productivity for the MED treatment reflected the parabolic shape predicted by the compensatory regrowth hypothesis, likely because light and nutrient resources were available to the eelgrass and meristems that were not damaged. Meristem injury in the SEV treatment likely explained why productivity was low, but the high SEV resource levels allowed these plants to recover to control levels in approximately eight to 10 weeks after the last treatment applications. The MED level of shoot and landscape productivity would optimize low intertidal accessibility for Brant to the most nutritiously valuable leaves. Brant grazing and detrital pathways of carbon flow are likely linked with Brant‐induced productivity contributing to the detrital pathway when Brant are ... Article in Journal/Newspaper brant goose Branta bernicla Wiley Online Library Ecosphere 12 8 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
Abstract Seagrasses provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are prioritized in conservation planning. Management of this dynamic community requires describing seagrass responses to repeated grazing by dependent herbivores. Using two experimental randomized block designs in Humboldt Bay, California, we tested responses of eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) to separate and combined effects of simulated Brant Goose ( Branta bernicla ) grazing (clipping to a uniform height) and fecal pellet addition, and then to medium (MED) and severe (SEV) intensities of simulated Brant flock visitation. In Experiment 1, clipping with fecal addition (FC) stimulated more clonal addition of shoots than controls or clipping and fecal addition alone (standardized β = 0.26 relative to control). The FC treatment also had the largest positive, delayed effect (β = 0.135) on density of flowering shoots. In Experiment 2, the MED intensity treatment had positive effects on shoot density (β = 0.149), rates of leaf extension (β = 0.16), and leaf productivity (β = 0.20). These MED treatment responses resulted in the highest measures of above‐ground (β = 0.099) and below‐ground (β = 0.32) biomass. Whole shoot (β MED = 0.33, β SEV = −0.36) and landscape (β MED = 0.34, β SEV = −0.23) levels of productivity for the MED treatment reflected the parabolic shape predicted by the compensatory regrowth hypothesis, likely because light and nutrient resources were available to the eelgrass and meristems that were not damaged. Meristem injury in the SEV treatment likely explained why productivity was low, but the high SEV resource levels allowed these plants to recover to control levels in approximately eight to 10 weeks after the last treatment applications. The MED level of shoot and landscape productivity would optimize low intertidal accessibility for Brant to the most nutritiously valuable leaves. Brant grazing and detrital pathways of carbon flow are likely linked with Brant‐induced productivity contributing to the detrital pathway when Brant are ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Shaughnessy, Frank J. Ferson, Susannah L. Frimodig, Adam J. Barton, Daniel C. Hurst, Mathew Black, Jeffrey M. |
spellingShingle |
Shaughnessy, Frank J. Ferson, Susannah L. Frimodig, Adam J. Barton, Daniel C. Hurst, Mathew Black, Jeffrey M. Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
author_facet |
Shaughnessy, Frank J. Ferson, Susannah L. Frimodig, Adam J. Barton, Daniel C. Hurst, Mathew Black, Jeffrey M. |
author_sort |
Shaughnessy, Frank J. |
title |
Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
title_short |
Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
title_full |
Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
title_fullStr |
Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
title_full_unstemmed |
Growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by Brant Geese |
title_sort |
growth and flowering responses of eelgrass to simulated grazing and fecal addition by brant geese |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ecs2.3690 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.3690 |
genre |
brant goose Branta bernicla |
genre_facet |
brant goose Branta bernicla |
op_source |
Ecosphere volume 12, issue 8 ISSN 2150-8925 2150-8925 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3690 |
container_title |
Ecosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
8 |
_version_ |
1800749151970918400 |