Influences of Reindeer Grazing on Above- and Belowground Biomass and Soil Carbon Dynamics

Köster, Kajar; Berninger, Frank; Köster, Egle; Pumpanen, Jukka

doi:10.1657/aaar0014-062

Cited by 23 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The area is characterized by the subcontinental climate. Snow cover persists for 200–225 days year −1 , and the average snow depth is approximately 0.7 m (K. Köster, Berninger, et al, ). The annual growing season varies between 105 and 120 days (K. Köster, Berninger, et al, ; K. Köster, Berninger, Lindén, Köster, & Pumpanen, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Snow cover persists for 200–225 days year −1 , and the average snow depth is approximately 0.7 m (K. Köster, Berninger, et al, ). The annual growing season varies between 105 and 120 days (K. Köster, Berninger, et al, ; K. Köster, Berninger, Lindén, Köster, & Pumpanen, ). The soils belong to haplic podzol (FAO, ) with no permafrost, and the pH of the soil is 4.4 (K. Köster et al, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stand characteristics and ground vegetation and root biomass measurements were conducted in 2013, and the description of the methods used is published in K. Köster, Berninger, et al () and in Methods S1. The ground vegetation biomass measurements were repeated according to the same protocols in 2014 at the same time as GHG measurements.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over half of the subarctic area is covered by forest, but the number of studies addressing the interactions between grazing and field layer GHG fluxes in northern boreal forests is low (E. Köster et al, ; K. Köster, Berninger, Köster, & Pumpanen, ; Olofsson, Moen, & Östlund, ). Previous studies on reindeer grazing have mostly focused on tundra areas and grazing effect on CO 2 efflux, whereas the effects on other GHGs (CH 4 and N 2 O) have not been studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Köster

Berninger

et al. 2018

Land Degrad Dev

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Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) is considered to be an important mammalian herbivore, strongly influencing Arctic lichen‐dominated ecosystems. There is no wide knowledge about the effect of reindeer on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in northern boreal forests. Ground vegetation plays an important role in absorbing nitrogen (N) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Lately, it has also been found to be a significant source of nitrous oxide (N2O) and a small source of methane (CH4). We investigated the influence of reindeer grazing on field layer GHG (CO2, CH4, and N2O) fluxes, ground vegetation coverage and biomass, and soil physical properties (temperature and moisture) in a northern boreal forest. At our study site, the reindeer‐induced replacement of lichen by mosses had contrasting effects on the GHG fluxes originating from the field layer. Field layer CO2 efflux was significantly higher in grazed areas. The field layer was a CH4 sink in all areas, but grazed areas absorbed more CH4 compared to non‐grazed areas. Although total N2O fluxes remained around 0 in grazed areas, a small N2O sink occurred in non‐grazed areas with lower moss biomass. Our results indicated that grazing by reindeer in northern boreal forests affects GHG fluxes from the forest field layer both positively and negatively, and these emissions largely depend on grazing‐induced changes in vegetation composition.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Köster

Berninger

et al. 2018

Land Degrad Dev

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“…Herbivores often act by grazing or browsing on vegetation biomass, thereby affecting net primary production and plant species composition, influencing nutrient cycling with their faeces, and ultimately affecting soil microbial biomass (Köster et al. , Bakker et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beavers affect carbon biogeochemistry: both short‐term and long‐term processes are involved

et al. 2018

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With the recent population increase in beavers (Castor spp.), a considerable amount of new riparian habitat has been created in the Holarctic. We evaluated how beaver‐induced floods affect carbon (C) dynamics in the beaver ponds and in the water‐atmosphere and riparian zone interfaces. Beaver disturbance affects soil organic C storage by decreasing or increasing it, resulting in a redistribution of C. Upon flooding, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increases in the water. This C can be released into the atmosphere, it can settle down to the bottom sediments, it can be sequestered by vegetation, or it can be transported downstream. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions vary between 0.14 and 11.2 g CO2 m−2 day−1, averaging 4.9 CO2 g m−2 day−1. The methane (CH4) emissions vary too, from 27 mg m−2 day−1 to 919 mg m−2 day−1, averaging 222 mg CH4 m−2 day−1. Globally, C emission from beaver ponds in the form of CH4 and CO2 may be 3.33–4.62 Tg (teragram, 1012 g) year−1. The yearly short‐term sedimentation rates in beaver ponds vary between 0.4 and 47 cm year−1, and individual ponds contain 9–6355 m3 of sediment. The approximate global estimate for yearly C sedimentation is 3.8 Tg C; beaver ponds globally contain 380 Tg sedimented C. After being formed, beaver pond deposits can remain for millennia. Both C sequestration and CO2 and CH4 emissions in ponds of various ages should be taken into account when considering the net effect of beavers on the C dynamics. With present estimates, beaver ponds globally range from a sink (−0.47 Tg year−1) to a source (0.82 Tg year−1) of C. More research is needed with continuous flux measurements and from ponds of different ages. Likewise, there is a need for more studies in Eurasia to understand the effect of beaver on C biogeochemistry.

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Herbivore grazing—or trampling? Trampling effects by a large ungulate in cold high‐latitude ecosystems

Heggenes

Odland

Chevalier³

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Mammalian herbivores have important top‐down effects on ecological processes and landscapes by generating vegetation changes through grazing and trampling. For free‐ranging herbivores on large landscapes, trampling is an important ecological factor. However, whereas grazing is widely studied, low‐intensity trampling is rarely studied and quantified. The cold‐adapted northern tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) is a wide‐ranging keystone herbivore in large open alpine and Arctic ecosystems. Reindeer may largely subsist on different species of slow‐growing ground lichens, particularly in winter. Lichen grows in dry, snow‐poor habitats with frost. Their varying elasticity makes them suitable for studying trampling. In replicated factorial experiments, high‐resolution 3D laser scanning was used to quantify lichen volume loss from trampling by a reindeer hoof. Losses were substantial, that is, about 0.3 dm3 per imprint in dry thick lichen, but depended on type of lichen mat and humidity. Immediate trampling volume loss was about twice as high in dry, compared to humid thin (2–3 cm), lichen mats and about three times as high in dry vs. humid thick (6–8 cm) lichen mats, There was no significant difference in volume loss between 100% and 50% wetted lichen. Regained volume with time was insignificant for dry lichen, whereas 50% humid lichen regained substantial volumes, and 100% humid lichen regained almost all lost volume, and mostly within 10–20 min. Reindeer trampling may have from near none to devastating effects on exposed lichen forage. During a normal week of foraging, daily moving 5 km across dry 6‐ to 8‐cm‐thick continuous lichen mats, one adult reindeer may trample a lichen volume corresponding to about a year's supply of lichen. However, the lichen humidity appears to be an important factor for trampling loss, in addition to the extent of reindeer movement.

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Influences of Reindeer Grazing on Above- and Belowground Biomass and Soil Carbon Dynamics

Cited by 23 publications

References 41 publications

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Beavers affect carbon biogeochemistry: both short‐term and long‐term processes are involved

Herbivore grazing—or trampling? Trampling effects by a large ungulate in cold high‐latitude ecosystems

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Influences of Reindeer Grazing on Above- and Belowground Biomass and Soil Carbon Dynamics

Cited by 23 publications

References 41 publications

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Beavers affect carbon biogeochemistry: both short‐term and long‐term processes are involved

Herbivore grazing—or trampling? Trampling effects by a large ungulate in cold high‐latitude ecosystems

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About

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor

Contrasting effects of reindeer grazing on CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O fluxes originating from the northern boreal forest floor