Raillard and Svoboda investigated the clipping on a natural stand of Carex aquatilis var. stans in Sverdrup Pass, Ellesmere Island, in the province of Nunavut, Canada. The authors subjected plots of Carex aquatilis var. stans to a range of clipping regimes varying in frequency and season, from 1-4 times per year, early and late clippings. All plants were clipped to 1.5 cm to simulate grazing by muskoxen. After four seasons of clipping, biomass production was exactly compensated when compared to controls. Cumulative nitrogen production increased in frequently clipped plots. The concentration of nitrogen in the rhizomes was similar between treatments, suggesting that nitrogen was coming from sources other than storage organs.
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