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Cited by 334Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEcology and biodiversity studiesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Effects of Moose Browsing on Vegetation and Litter of the Boreal Forest, Isle Royale, Michigan, USA

McInnes, Pamela F., Naiman, Robert J., Pastor, John, Cohen, Yosef·1992·Ecology
DOI 10.2307/1941455
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Abstract

Large mammalian herbivores can influence the dynamics and structure of ecosystems by selectively removing tissues of specific plant species. The plant community composition can be altered as animals feed on some species but not others, changing the biomass, production, and nutrient cycling of an entire ecosystem. We used four paired moose (Alces alces) exclosures and browsed plots (built between 1948 and 1950) on Isle Royale, Michigan, to examine the influence of moose on aboveground biomass, production, and annual litterfall of boreal vegetation in 1987. Tree biomass was significantly greater (X = 230 vs. 150 Mg/ha, df = 3, P < .05), shrub biomass was significantly less (X = 1.9 vs. 3.1 Mg/ha, P < .05), and herb biomass was significantly less (X = 0.2 vs. 0.8 Mg/ha, P < .05) in exclosures than in browsed plots. Tree production was greater in exclosures than in browsed plots (X = 7.9 vs. 5.0 Mg.ha—1.yr, P = .05), but there was no difference in the production per unit biomass between exclosures and browsed plots. Shrub production in exclosures was similar to that of browsed plots (X = 3.5 vs. 2.3 Mg.ha—1.yr—1, P < .05), despite total vegetation biomass differences between paired plots. There was significantly greater herb litter produced in the browsed plots than in the exclosures (X = 0.7 vs. 0.1 Mg.ha—1.yr—1, P < .05). Moose browsing prevented saplings of preferred species from growing into the tree canopy, resulting in a forest with fewer canopy trees and a well—developed u…

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Crossref · 10.2307/1941455

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  • Moose browsing causes a decline in net primary productivity (NPP) from 0.7 to 1.5 × 10^8 g·km−2·yr−1 per moose.

    “moose brow sing causes a decline in NPP from 0.7 to 1.5 × 10 8 g•km -2 •yr -1 per moose (mcInnes et al. 1992).”

    From Effects of gray wolf‐induced trophic cascades on ecosystem carbon cycling (2016) · cites this paper as mcInnes et al. 1992

  • Net primary productivity of trees inside moose exclosures averages 8 × 10^8 g·km−2·yr−1.

    “Net primary productivity of trees inside moose exclosures averages 8 × 10 8 g•km -2 •yr -1 .”

    From Effects of gray wolf‐induced trophic cascades on ecosystem carbon cycling (2016) · cites this paper as mcInnes et al. 1992

  • Soil respiration estimates are 3.25 and 3.875 × 10^4 g C·km−2·yr−1 with and without wolves, respectively.

    “We linearly interpolated the reported soil respiration rates assuming moose densities that ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 moose/km 2 (mcInnes et al. 1992, Schmitz et al. 2014) to yield the estimates of soil respiration of 3.25 and 3.875 × 10 4 g C•km -2 •yr -1 with and without wolves, respectively.”

    From Effects of gray wolf‐induced trophic cascades on ecosystem carbon cycling (2016) · cites this paper as mcInnes et al. 1992

  • Large herbivores can cause enduring changes in the structure and function of ecosystems.

    “Large herbivores can cause enduring changes in the structure and function of ecosystems”

    From WATER TABLES CONSTRAIN HEIGHT RECOVERY OF WILLOW ON YELLOWSTONE'S NORTHERN RANGE (2008) · cites this paper as McInnes et al. 1992

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Authors
McInnes, P. F., Naiman, R. J., Pastor, J., & Cohen, Y.
Affiliations
University of Minnesota (US)
ORCID
Cohen, Yosef
Venue
Ecology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
1992-12
Volume
73
Issue
6
Pages
2059-2075
ISSN
  • 0012-9658 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-9170
DOI
10.2307/1941455
OpenAlex
W2060527545
Cited by
334
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 10
FWCI
6.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
Ecology (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Ecology and biodiversity studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Keywords
moose browsing, moose, herbivory, boreal forest, aboveground biomass, net primary productivity, litterfall, exclosures, Picea glauca, balsam fir, forest structure, understory shrubs, Isle Royale

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