Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation
ABSTRACT. We observed a steep gradient of nitrogen concentration in plants growing around carcasses of four adult muskoxen that had been lying for five or more years on the tundra in the Canadian Arctic. The gradient reached an asymptote at 2 m distance from the carcasses. The carbon-to-nitrogen rat...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.528.2907 2023-05-15T14:19:33+02:00 Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation Kjell Danell Dominique Berteaux Kari Anne Bråthen The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2002 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.528.2907 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.528.2907 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf text 2002 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T10:27:10Z ABSTRACT. We observed a steep gradient of nitrogen concentration in plants growing around carcasses of four adult muskoxen that had been lying for five or more years on the tundra in the Canadian Arctic. The gradient reached an asymptote at 2 m distance from the carcasses. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio increased significantly from 1 to 3 m and then stabilized. These results suggest that the effects of carcasses last for several years on the tundra and create nitrogen-rich plant growth in their immediate surroundings. The lush growth around the carcasses in otherwise grazed areas indicated a low level of grazing on the fertilized plants. Key words: nitrogen, carcass, muskox, Ovibos moschatus, vascular plants, mosses, tundra, Canada RÉSUMÉ. Nous avons observé un fort gradient de concentration en azote dans les plantes poussant autour de 4 carcasses de bœufs musqués gisant depuis 5 ans ou plus dans la toundra de l’Arctique canadien. Le gradient atteignait une asymptote à 2 m des carcasses. Le rapport carbone/azote augmentait de façon significative de 1 à 3 m, puis se stabilisait. Nos résultats suggèrent que les carcasses créent dans la toundra des micro-communautés de plantes riches en azote dans leur environnement immédiat et que cet effet dure plusieurs années. L’abondance de végétation autour des carcasses, dans des endroits autrement broutés, révélait que les herbivores utilisaient peu les communautés végétales fertilisées. Text Arctic Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus toundra Tundra Unknown Arctic Canada |
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ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT. We observed a steep gradient of nitrogen concentration in plants growing around carcasses of four adult muskoxen that had been lying for five or more years on the tundra in the Canadian Arctic. The gradient reached an asymptote at 2 m distance from the carcasses. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio increased significantly from 1 to 3 m and then stabilized. These results suggest that the effects of carcasses last for several years on the tundra and create nitrogen-rich plant growth in their immediate surroundings. The lush growth around the carcasses in otherwise grazed areas indicated a low level of grazing on the fertilized plants. Key words: nitrogen, carcass, muskox, Ovibos moschatus, vascular plants, mosses, tundra, Canada RÉSUMÉ. Nous avons observé un fort gradient de concentration en azote dans les plantes poussant autour de 4 carcasses de bœufs musqués gisant depuis 5 ans ou plus dans la toundra de l’Arctique canadien. Le gradient atteignait une asymptote à 2 m des carcasses. Le rapport carbone/azote augmentait de façon significative de 1 à 3 m, puis se stabilisait. Nos résultats suggèrent que les carcasses créent dans la toundra des micro-communautés de plantes riches en azote dans leur environnement immédiat et que cet effet dure plusieurs années. L’abondance de végétation autour des carcasses, dans des endroits autrement broutés, révélait que les herbivores utilisaient peu les communautés végétales fertilisées. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Kjell Danell Dominique Berteaux Kari Anne Bråthen |
spellingShingle |
Kjell Danell Dominique Berteaux Kari Anne Bråthen Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
author_facet |
Kjell Danell Dominique Berteaux Kari Anne Bråthen |
author_sort |
Kjell Danell |
title |
Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
title_short |
Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
title_full |
Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
title_fullStr |
Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
title_sort |
effect of muskox carcasses on nitrogen concentration in tundra vegetation |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.528.2907 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Canada |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada |
genre |
Arctic Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus toundra Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus toundra Tundra |
op_source |
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.528.2907 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic55-4-389.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766291362399911936 |