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Ecology Center Publications

Herbivory

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Nutrient Availability Controls The Impact Of Mammalian Herbivores On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Pools In Grasslands, Judith Sitters, E. R. Jasper Wubs, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Thomas W. Crowther, Peter B. Adler, Sumanta Bagchi, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lori Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Elsa E. Cleland, Nico Eisenhauer, Jennifer Firn, Laureano Gherardi, Nicole Hagenah, Yann Hautier, Et Al. Feb 2020

Nutrient Availability Controls The Impact Of Mammalian Herbivores On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Pools In Grasslands, Judith Sitters, E. R. Jasper Wubs, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Thomas W. Crowther, Peter B. Adler, Sumanta Bagchi, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lori Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Elsa E. Cleland, Nico Eisenhauer, Jennifer Firn, Laureano Gherardi, Nicole Hagenah, Yann Hautier, Et Al.

Ecology Center Publications

Grasslands are subject to considerable alteration due to human activities globally, including widespread changes in populations and composition of large mammalian herbivores and elevated supply of nutrients. Grassland soils remain important reservoirs of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Herbivores may affect both C and N pools and these changes likely interact with increases in soil nutrient availability. Given the scale of grassland soil fluxes, such changes can have striking consequences for atmospheric C concentrations and the climate. Here, we use the Nutrient Network experiment to examine the responses of soil C and N pools to mammalian herbivore exclusion across 22 …


Past Management Spurs Differential Plant Communities Within A Giant Single-Clone Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Jan ŠEbesta Dec 2019

Past Management Spurs Differential Plant Communities Within A Giant Single-Clone Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Jan ŠEbesta

Ecology Center Publications

Sustainable aspen ecosystems hold great promise for global biodiversity conservation. These forests harbor relatively high species diversity, yet are threatened by fire suppression, land development, timber-focused management, extended droughts, and chronic herbivory. “Pando” is a high-profile quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forest in Utah, USA which is putatively the ‘largest living organism on earth.’ Pando comprises an estimated 47,000 genetically identical stems, but is threatened by human impacts. Our interest in the present study is whether changes to the giant organism were affecting understorey vegetation and whether discrete zones are displaying divergent community compositions. For instance, recent research has demonstrated strong …


Migratory Goose Arrival Time Plays A Larger Role In Influencing Forage Quality Than Advancing Springs In An Arctic Coastal Wetland, Karen H. Beard, Ryan T. Choi, A. Joshua Leffler, Lindsay G. Carlson, Katharine C. Kelsey, Joel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey M. Welker Mar 2019

Migratory Goose Arrival Time Plays A Larger Role In Influencing Forage Quality Than Advancing Springs In An Arctic Coastal Wetland, Karen H. Beard, Ryan T. Choi, A. Joshua Leffler, Lindsay G. Carlson, Katharine C. Kelsey, Joel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey M. Welker

Ecology Center Publications

With warmer springs, herbivores migrating to Arctic breeding grounds may experience phenological mismatches between their energy demands and the availability of high quality forage. Yet, how the timing of the start of the season and herbivore arrival influences forage quality is often unknown. In coastal western Alaska, approximately one million migratory geese arrive each spring to breed, where foliar %N and C:N ratios are linked to gosling survival and population growth. We conducted a three-year experiment where we manipulated the start of the growing season using warming chambers and grazing times using captive Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) to …


Mule Deer Impede Pando’S Recovery: Implications For Aspen Resilience From A Single-Genotype Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy Oct 2018

Mule Deer Impede Pando’S Recovery: Implications For Aspen Resilience From A Single-Genotype Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy

Ecology Center Publications

Aspen ecosystems (upland Populus-dominated forests) support diverse species assemblages in many parts of the northern hemisphere, yet are imperiled by common stressors. Extended drought, fire suppression, human development, and chronic herbivory serve to limit the sustainability of this keystone species. Here we assess conditions at a renowned quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove—purportedly the largest living organism on earth—with ramifications for aspen biogeography globally. The “Pando” clone is 43 ha and estimated to contain 47,000 genetically identical aspen ramets. This iconic forest is threatened in particular by herbivory, and current management activities aim to reverse the potential for …