The effects of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) grazing on three plant species, Carex aquatilis, Carex membranacea and Eriophorum angustifolium, within a plant community were measured using exclosures in this study. Exclosure sites contained seedlings and older plants that had greater flower stalk heights and were capable of sexual reproduction, while grazed plots did not contain any seedlings or sexually reproductive plants. Carex membranacea and E. angustifolium tiller biomass and density were unaffected or negatively affected by grazing, whereas tiller biomass and density of C. aquatilis were enhanced by grazing. The author concludes that muskox grazing may alter plant community dynamics among the three species tested in this study and hypothesizes that muskox site selection and selective herbivory, within plant communities, may be influenced by the effects of grazing on plant morphology.
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