Goose exclosures were used to determine the effects of spring grazing by migratory spring greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) on June hay harvests in agricultural fields, along the St. Lawrence River near Montmagny, Quebec. A network of 51 sampling stations was established during the first week of April within the 213 ha productive area. At each station two sets of paired plots (‘A’ and ‘B’) were established with one plot of each pairing grazed and one ungrazed. Vegetation sampling was conducted on ‘A’ plots on May 19 after goose departure and ‘B’ plots on June 28. Dropping counts occurred ten times, once every 4 days, from April 13 to May 18). Grass stem height and total harvestable biomass were measured upon goose departure on ‘A’ plots. The same measurements were made on ‘B’ plots just prior to hay harvest.
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