Vegetation characteristics of a brackish marsh on Gotland and foraging choices of migrating and brood rearing geese

Arctic breeding barnacle geese use brackish marshes along the coastline of the Baltic Sea intensively in spring, during short stopovers on their migration to breeding sites in northern Russia. We mapped the vegetation of one important spring staging and brood rearing site on the Swedish island of Go...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: van der Graaf, Alexandra J., Stahl, Julia, Veeneklaas, Roos M., Bakker, Jan P.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
barnacle geese
Branta leucopsis
brood rearing
foraging choices
habitat description
spring staging
salt marsh
BRANTA-LEUCOPSIS
BREEDING WADERS
BRENT GEESE
SALT-MARSH
GRASSLANDS
SEA
SUCCESSION
HERBIVORY
GRADIENT
Arctic
brent geese
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11370/67eabccf-858b-4c0b-b59e-fb7021a9f1b2
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/67eabccf-858b-4c0b-b59e-fb7021a9f1b2
https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/6705409/2007AnnBotFennicivdGraaf.pdf
Description
Summary:Arctic breeding barnacle geese use brackish marshes along the coastline of the Baltic Sea intensively in spring, during short stopovers on their migration to breeding sites in northern Russia. We mapped the vegetation of one important spring staging and brood rearing site on the Swedish island of Gotland and investigated the habitat use of barnacle geese. The geese mainly use plant communities with a high cover of edible species and a low canopy height. These vegetation characteristics are best maintained through livestock grazing and the maintenance of current grazing practices will be responsible for future site use by small herbivores.

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