Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Brown Bears (Ursus Arctos) In Nutrient Transport Into Forests Near A Salmon Stream In Coastal British Columbia, Canada, Arthur Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nutrients from spawned salmon contribute to the fertility of rivers and riparian areas. Adjacent forests, even far from rivers, could receive substantial amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients from salmon. Since brown bears feed heavily on spawning salmon, bears probably influence the movement of nutrients from salmon into surrounding forests. Because salmon-derived nitrogen is high in ¹⁵N, increased isotopic enrichment is expected in forest soils and vegetation if this transport is occurring. Based on relative ¹⁵N enrichment of spawning areas, a quantitative estimate of marine-derived nitrogen (MDN) can be obtained using a linear two-source mixing model. To evaluate …