The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density
The widespread expansion of shrubs into arctic and alpine regions has frequently been linked to climatic warming, but herbivory can play a role in addition to, or in interaction with, climate. Willow (Salix spp.) shrubs are important constituents of alpine ecosystems, influencing community structure...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
2013
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2467671 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 |
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ftntnutrondheimi:oai:ntnuopen.ntnu.no:11250/2467671 2023-05-15T14:14:02+02:00 The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density Speed, James David Mervyn Austrheim, Gunnar Hester, Alison J. Mysterud, Atle 2013 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2467671 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 eng eng University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Norges forskningsråd: 179569 Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine research. 2013, 45 (4), 584-593. urn:issn:1523-0430 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2467671 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 cristin:1069435 584-593 45 Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine research 4 Journal article Peer reviewed 2013 ftntnutrondheimi https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 2019-09-17T06:52:34Z The widespread expansion of shrubs into arctic and alpine regions has frequently been linked to climatic warming, but herbivory can play a role in addition to, or in interaction with, climate. Willow (Salix spp.) shrubs are important constituents of alpine ecosystems, influencing community structure and providing habitat and forage for many species. We investigate the impact of browsing by domestic sheep (Ovis aries), the dominant herbivore in Norwegian mountains, on Salix stem density, height, and radial growth. We used a field experiment, replicated along an elevational gradient, with manipulated densities of sheep (no sheep, low density, and high density at 0, 25, and 80 sheep km-2). We found that Salix shoot density and radial growth were greatest at high sheep density but only at low elevations, indicating that competition from field-layer vegetation at lower sheep densities reduced Salix performance. At higher elevations Salix shoot density and radial growth were lower at high sheep density than at low sheep density and in the absence of sheep. Thus at high elevations sheep browsing is likely to slow the expansion of Salix shrubs, whilst the removal of browsing is likely to constrain Salix expansion at lower elevations. publishedVersion © 2013 Regents of the University of Colorado Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic NTNU Open Archive (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Arctic Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 45 4 584 593 |
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Open Polar |
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NTNU Open Archive (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) |
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ftntnutrondheimi |
language |
English |
description |
The widespread expansion of shrubs into arctic and alpine regions has frequently been linked to climatic warming, but herbivory can play a role in addition to, or in interaction with, climate. Willow (Salix spp.) shrubs are important constituents of alpine ecosystems, influencing community structure and providing habitat and forage for many species. We investigate the impact of browsing by domestic sheep (Ovis aries), the dominant herbivore in Norwegian mountains, on Salix stem density, height, and radial growth. We used a field experiment, replicated along an elevational gradient, with manipulated densities of sheep (no sheep, low density, and high density at 0, 25, and 80 sheep km-2). We found that Salix shoot density and radial growth were greatest at high sheep density but only at low elevations, indicating that competition from field-layer vegetation at lower sheep densities reduced Salix performance. At higher elevations Salix shoot density and radial growth were lower at high sheep density than at low sheep density and in the absence of sheep. Thus at high elevations sheep browsing is likely to slow the expansion of Salix shrubs, whilst the removal of browsing is likely to constrain Salix expansion at lower elevations. publishedVersion © 2013 Regents of the University of Colorado |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Speed, James David Mervyn Austrheim, Gunnar Hester, Alison J. Mysterud, Atle |
spellingShingle |
Speed, James David Mervyn Austrheim, Gunnar Hester, Alison J. Mysterud, Atle The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
author_facet |
Speed, James David Mervyn Austrheim, Gunnar Hester, Alison J. Mysterud, Atle |
author_sort |
Speed, James David Mervyn |
title |
The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
title_short |
The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
title_full |
The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
title_fullStr |
The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Response of Alpine Salix Shrubs to Long-Term Browsing Varies with Elevation and Herbivore Density |
title_sort |
response of alpine salix shrubs to long-term browsing varies with elevation and herbivore density |
publisher |
University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2467671 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic |
op_source |
584-593 45 Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine research 4 |
op_relation |
Norges forskningsråd: 179569 Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine research. 2013, 45 (4), 584-593. urn:issn:1523-0430 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2467671 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 cristin:1069435 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.584 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
45 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
584 |
op_container_end_page |
593 |
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1766286540253691904 |