Effects of migratory geese on nitrogen availability and primary productivity in subarctic barley fields

Abstract

Migratory geese affect agricultural production by removing biomass and by depositing fecal nutrients. This study used 15N as a tracer to examine the quantitative effects of goose fecal N contributions on agricultural production. Barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Datal) was grown for the production of 15N-labeled grain and straw. Two Canada geese (Branta canadensis Taverners) were fed the grain after harvest to obtain 15N-labeled and unlabeled feces. Net N mineralization and micro-plot studies both indicated that in comparison to barley grain and straw, goose feces provided the greatest amount of available N to the soil and to the subsequent crop, and consequently higher barley yields (59% and 62% increase, respectively). However, C mineralization was greater from grain, with 56% evolved compared to 49% and 26% for feces and straw, respectively. Goose feces also provided the greatest addition of N for the barley plants, with fertilizer N recovery efficiency (FNRE) of 16%, compared to FNRE of 10% from the grain amendment, and 1.2% from the straw amendment. The amount of N available in fecal material from leftover grain consumed by grazing geese is small in comparison to total crop needs, but is a potential source of mineral N during the critical early growth of crops grown in cold, high-latitude soils.