Goose grazing influences the fine-scale structure of a bryophyte community in arctic wetlands

摘要: Herbivores can shape plant communities, especially in the Arctic. We tested role of geese for structuring bryophyte communities at fine spatial scales arctic tundra by excluding them from 4 × m areas. surveyed presence and absence species quadrats (10 10 cm) divided into 25 cells outside inside these exclosures, after 5 11 years treatment. Species richness per cell (4 cm2) was higher geese, treatment, while had little effect on larger (i.e. quadrat whole exclosure). The slope species–area relationship within consequently shallower exclosures. Our results further suggest that community exclosures more variable space time than conclude goose foraging activity promotes coexistence centimetre scale.