Abstract
Abstract We conducted an experiment to study the effect of gosling density on food abundance and feeding behavior of Black Brant (Branta bernicla) goslings in two habitat types important to Black Brant on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska: (1) Carex subspathacea grazing lawns and (2) slough levees that contain Triglochin palustris. Within each habitat, we manipulated grazing pressure by allowing goslings to graze specific plots every 6, 9, or 12 days. We randomly assigned six goslings to one of six treatment groups (three grazing frequencies × two habitats). Biomass of C. subspathacea was higher in lightly grazed plots (grazed every 12 days) than in the heavily grazed plots (grazed every 6 days). Offtake in C. subspathacea was also greater in the lightly grazed plots. Within C. subspathacea stands, proportion of time spent feeding varied among grazing intensities. Goslings within heavily grazed plots spent more time feeding than goslings in lightly grazed plots. Within slough levee habitat, there were no ...
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