Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery

Abstract Arctic‐nesting geese are specialist herbivores of grasses and sedges (collectively, graminoids). Under moderate grazing pressure, these migratory herbivores can create and maintain arctic grazing lawns with high nutritional content and low aboveground biomass. Nutrient and energy subsidies...

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Published in:Ecosphere
Main Authors: Dana K. Kellett, Ray T. Alisauskas
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275
https://doaj.org/article/1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a 2023-05-15T14:48:21+02:00 Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery Dana K. Kellett Ray T. Alisauskas 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275 https://doaj.org/article/1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.4275 https://doaj.org/article/1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a Ecosphere, Vol 13, Iss 11, Pp n/a-n/a (2022) aboveground biomass arctic belowground biomass graminoids grazing lawn herbivory Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275 2023-01-29T01:30:45Z Abstract Arctic‐nesting geese are specialist herbivores of grasses and sedges (collectively, graminoids). Under moderate grazing pressure, these migratory herbivores can create and maintain arctic grazing lawns with high nutritional content and low aboveground biomass. Nutrient and energy subsidies from southern agricultural landscapes during winter have improved survival among populations of Ross's (Anser rossii) and lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens), leading to marked population growth. Resulting goose hyperabundance has raised conservation concern for resilience of arctic ecosystems to withstand cumulative and intense pressures of herbivory and nest construction. We used both design‐based (experimental herbivore exclosures) and model‐based methods to investigate changes to plant community structure in direct response to foraging and nesting by these species within the Queen Maud Gulf (Ahiak) Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut, Canada. Annual nest construction and foraging by up to ~1.3 million geese at a large colony at Karrak Lake markedly reduced aboveground biomass of forage (graminoids) and non‐forage (foliose and fruticose lichens) vegetation, with spatial variation in reduction associated with intensity of use by geese. Within vast brood‐rearing regions, foraging reduced above‐ and belowground plant biomass of lowland plant communities by 61% and 29%, respectively, between 1994 (when herbivore exclosures were established) and 2017. In addition to landscape diversity associated with abiotic properties created by geomorphic processes, long‐term herbivory by geese further increased spatial heterogeneity in vegetation at the landscape scale. Although foraging geese nearly completely depleted aboveground plant biomass in some parts of their brood‐rearing areas, belowground biomass was largely conserved, and thus, plant communities had strong potential for aboveground regeneration. We propose that the effects of high‐density nesting and foraging by Ross's and lesser snow geese in the central ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Nunavut Queen Maud Gulf Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Canada Karrak Lake ENVELOPE(-100.250,-100.250,67.250,67.250) Nunavut Queen Maud Gulf ENVELOPE(-102.002,-102.002,68.334,68.334) Ecosphere 13 11
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic aboveground biomass
arctic
belowground biomass
graminoids
grazing lawn
herbivory
Ecology
QH540-549.5
spellingShingle aboveground biomass
arctic
belowground biomass
graminoids
grazing lawn
herbivory
Ecology
QH540-549.5
Dana K. Kellett
Ray T. Alisauskas
Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
topic_facet aboveground biomass
arctic
belowground biomass
graminoids
grazing lawn
herbivory
Ecology
QH540-549.5
description Abstract Arctic‐nesting geese are specialist herbivores of grasses and sedges (collectively, graminoids). Under moderate grazing pressure, these migratory herbivores can create and maintain arctic grazing lawns with high nutritional content and low aboveground biomass. Nutrient and energy subsidies from southern agricultural landscapes during winter have improved survival among populations of Ross's (Anser rossii) and lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens), leading to marked population growth. Resulting goose hyperabundance has raised conservation concern for resilience of arctic ecosystems to withstand cumulative and intense pressures of herbivory and nest construction. We used both design‐based (experimental herbivore exclosures) and model‐based methods to investigate changes to plant community structure in direct response to foraging and nesting by these species within the Queen Maud Gulf (Ahiak) Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut, Canada. Annual nest construction and foraging by up to ~1.3 million geese at a large colony at Karrak Lake markedly reduced aboveground biomass of forage (graminoids) and non‐forage (foliose and fruticose lichens) vegetation, with spatial variation in reduction associated with intensity of use by geese. Within vast brood‐rearing regions, foraging reduced above‐ and belowground plant biomass of lowland plant communities by 61% and 29%, respectively, between 1994 (when herbivore exclosures were established) and 2017. In addition to landscape diversity associated with abiotic properties created by geomorphic processes, long‐term herbivory by geese further increased spatial heterogeneity in vegetation at the landscape scale. Although foraging geese nearly completely depleted aboveground plant biomass in some parts of their brood‐rearing areas, belowground biomass was largely conserved, and thus, plant communities had strong potential for aboveground regeneration. We propose that the effects of high‐density nesting and foraging by Ross's and lesser snow geese in the central ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Dana K. Kellett
Ray T. Alisauskas
author_facet Dana K. Kellett
Ray T. Alisauskas
author_sort Dana K. Kellett
title Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
title_short Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
title_full Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
title_fullStr Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
title_full_unstemmed Reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
title_sort reduction in biomass of freshwater arctic vegetation by foraging and nesting hyperabundant herbivores shows recovery
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2022
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275
https://doaj.org/article/1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a
long_lat ENVELOPE(-100.250,-100.250,67.250,67.250)
ENVELOPE(-102.002,-102.002,68.334,68.334)
geographic Arctic
Canada
Karrak Lake
Nunavut
Queen Maud Gulf
geographic_facet Arctic
Canada
Karrak Lake
Nunavut
Queen Maud Gulf
genre Arctic
Nunavut
Queen Maud Gulf
genre_facet Arctic
Nunavut
Queen Maud Gulf
op_source Ecosphere, Vol 13, Iss 11, Pp n/a-n/a (2022)
op_relation https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275
https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925
2150-8925
doi:10.1002/ecs2.4275
https://doaj.org/article/1f0ce32c6dae45f3b60ee5706adc814a
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4275
container_title Ecosphere
container_volume 13
container_issue 11
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