Zacheis et al. determined that litter accumulation was the major factor affecting nitrogen cycling in the goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens and Branta canadensis)-grazed Susitna Flats of Alaska. Litter accumulated in exclosures, whereas, goose trampling reduced litter accumulation in grazed plots. At grazed sites, the integration of litter into the soil increased N pools and decreased soil C:N ratio, establishing an environment where N mineralization was enhanced. Bacterial N fixation and fecal deposition were greater on grazed plots and may have also altered N cycling. However, the effects of these factors appeared to be minimal compared to the effects of trampling in this environment.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.