Walker et al. constructed a parameterized simulation model to study nitrogen flow in a patch of grazed lawn, within an intertidal marsh ecosystem. The model is based upon two alternative stable states: intertidal lawns, grazed or ungrazed, and exposed sediments, that support little or no vegetation. Values for the state variables obtained from the model were consistent with field data and led the authors to conclude that nitrogen dynamics are crucial in determining salt marsh - goose system stability. Walker et al. suggest that the determining factor is the loss of input of nitrogen from fixation when lawn area is reduced due to a rate of goose grubbing that exceeds the rate of plant re-establishment.
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