Exclusion of brown lemmings reduces vascular plant cover and biomass in Arctic coastal tundra
Resampling of a 50 + year herbivore exclosure experiment near Barrow, Alaska
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15548824 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David R Johnson (0000-0003-1094-1341, The University of Texas at El Paso, corresponding author), Mark J Lara (0000-0002-4670-7031, The University of Texas at El Paso), G R Shaver (Marine Biological Laboratory), George O Batzli (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Justine D Shaw (0000-0002-9603-2271, Australian Antarctic Division), C E Tweedie (0000-0002-3409-8881, The University of Texas at El Paso) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 045507-045507 |
| Publication date | 2011-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Research Letters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326 |
| Publisher | IOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045507 |
| OpenAlex | W2017280283 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 34 |
To determine the role lemmings play in structuring plant communities and their contribution to the 'greening of the Arctic', we measured plant cover and biomass in 50 + year old lemming exclosures and control plots in the coastal tundra near Barrow, Alaska. The response of plant functional types to herbivore exclusion varied among land cover types. In general, the abundance of lichens and bryophytes increased with the exclusion of lemmings, whereas graminoids decreased, although the magnitude of these responses varied among land cover types. These results suggest that sustained lemming activity promotes a higher biomass of vascular plant functional types than would be expected without their presence and highlights the importance of considering herbivory when interpreting patterns of greening in the Arctic. In light of the rapid environmental change ongoing in the Arctic and the potential regional to global implications of this change, further exploration regarding the long-term influence of arvicoline rodents on ecosystem function (e.g. carbon and energy balance) should be considered a research priority
Arctic · Arctic vegetation · Biology · Biomass (ecology · Canopy · Ecological succession · Ecosystem · Exclosure · Forb · Generalist and specialist species · Habitat · Herbivore · Plant community · Plant cover · Species richness · Tundra · Vascular plant · Climate change and permafrost · Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies · Environmental Science · Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology · Ecology
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Recent dynamics of arctic and sub-arctic vegetation
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Tundra vegetation change near Barrow, Alaska (1972–2010)
Multi-year data-model evaluation reveals the importance of nutrient availability over climate in arctic ecosystem C dynamics
Estimated change in tundra ecosystem function near Barrow, Alaska between 1972 and 2010
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The 1953 Lemming Emigration at Point Barrow, Alaska
Multi-decadal Changes in Tundra Environments and Ecosystems
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Multi-Decadal Changes in Tundra Environments and Ecosystems
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,57 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2023 (12) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |