Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) Disturbance to Vegetation and Potential Net Nitrogen Mineralization and Nitrification Rates in a Freshwater Tidal Marsh

Connors, Lisa; Kiviat, Erik; Groffman, Peter M.; Ostfeld, Richard S.

doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2000)143[0053:mozdtv]2.0.co;2

Cited by 49 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Moreover, direct effects of larger vertebrates on microbiological processes have, to our knowledge, only been reported in two studies. In one case muskrats stimulated nitrification through bioturbation (Connors et al 2000) and in another N fixation was stimulated in a tidal saltmarsh as the consequence of grazing activities by geese (Bazely and Jefferies 1989). The observed bi-trophic and multitrophic relationships in our study may have direct effects on an important ecosystem function, namely the emission of the greenhouse gas CH 4 to the atmosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

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Animal–plant–microbe interactions: direct and indirect effects of swan foraging behaviour modulate methane cycling in temperate shallow wetlands

et al. 2006

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Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems on Earth both in terms of productivity and biodiversity, but also as a source of the greenhouse gas CH(4). Microbial processes catalyzing nutrient recycling and CH(4) production are controlled by sediment physico-chemistry, which is in turn affected by plant activity and the foraging behaviour of herbivores. We performed field and laboratory experiments to evaluate the direct effect of herbivores on soil microbial activity and their indirect effects as the consequence of reduced macrophyte density, using migratory Bewick's swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii Yarrell) feeding on fennel pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.) tubers as a model system. A controlled foraging experiment using field enclosures indicated that swan bioturbation decreases CH(4) production, through a decrease in the activity of methanogenic Archaea and an increased rate of CH(4) oxidation in the bioturbated sediment. We also found a positive correlation between tuber density (a surrogate of plant density during the previous growth season) and CH(4) production activity. A laboratory experiment showed that sediment sterilization enhances pondweed growth, probably due to elimination of the negative effects of microbial activity on plant growth. In summary, the bioturbation caused by swan grazing modulates CH(4) cycling by means of both direct and indirect (i.e. plant-mediated) effects with potential consequences for CH(4) emission from wetland systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…N) via faeces of waterfowl. These kinds of multi-trophic interactions have only rarely been investigated in aquatic systems (Connors et al 2000;Walker et al 2003). Moreover, direct effects of larger vertebrates on microbiological processes have, to our knowledge, only been reported in two studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal–plant–microbe interactions: direct and indirect effects of swan foraging behaviour modulate methane cycling in temperate shallow wetlands

et al. 2006

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“…Long-term grazing of areas may change vegetation composition and thereby methane cycling microbial processes. Different species of aquatic herbivores have been documented to consume emergent macrophytes, including waterfowl (feral geese, Mute Swan, and Common Coot), mammals (muskrat, coypu), and fish (grass carp) (Boorman and Fuller 1981, Ostendorp 1989, Lodge 1991, Connors et al 2000. The quantitative effects of these herbivores on methane emission depend strongly on whether grazing occurs below or above the water surface, as discussed earlier for reeds.…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

Aquatic herbivores facilitate the emission of methane from wetlands

Dingemans¹,

Bakker²,

Bodelier³

2011

Ecology

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Abstract. Wetlands are significant sources of atmospheric methane. Methane produced by microbes enters roots and escapes to the atmosphere through the shoots of emergent wetland plants. Herbivorous birds graze on helophytes, but their effect on methane emission remains unknown. We hypothesized that grazing on shoots of wetland plants can modulate methane emission from wetlands. Diffusive methane emission was monitored inside and outside bird exclosures, using static flux chambers placed over whole vegetation and over single shoots. Both methods showed significantly higher methane release from grazed vegetation. Surface-based diffusive methane emission from grazed plots was up to five times higher compared to exclosures. The absence of an effect on methane-cycling microbial processes indicated that this modulating effect acts on the gas transport by the plants. Modulation of methane emission by animal-plant-microbe interactions deserves further attention considering the increasing bird populations and changes in wetland vegetation as a consequence of changing land use and climate change.

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“…In the long term, however, a monospecifi c Salix shrub community developed, illustrating the fact that disturbances may have very different effects depending on the studied time scale. Similarly, muskrat activity in a Typha angustifolia marsh on the Hudson River, New York, increased species richness near the lodges only when the lodge was inhabited (Connors et al 2000).…”

Section: Wetland Herbivory Species Interactions and Successionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thirdly, although fragmentation and digestion certainly affect the degradability of the material as a whole, the complex carbon molecules with low decomposition rates are relatively unaffected during the short digestive period (Buchsbaum et al 1986;Sedinger et al 1989). Apart from affecting the quality and quantity of litter, herbivores also infl uence nutrient cycling due to physical disturbance of the soil by trampling or grubbing for rhizomes (Wilson and Jefferies 1996;Connors et al 2000;Zacheis et al 2001).…”

Section: Effects On Nutrient Cycling In Wetland Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Dynamics II: The Influences of Vertebrate Herbivory on Ecological Dynamics in Wetland Ecosystems

Wyngaert

Bobbink

2009

The Wetlands Handbook

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Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) Disturbance to Vegetation and Potential Net Nitrogen Mineralization and Nitrification Rates in a Freshwater Tidal Marsh

Cited by 49 publications

References 20 publications

Animal–plant–microbe interactions: direct and indirect effects of swan foraging behaviour modulate methane cycling in temperate shallow wetlands

Animal–plant–microbe interactions: direct and indirect effects of swan foraging behaviour modulate methane cycling in temperate shallow wetlands

Aquatic herbivores facilitate the emission of methane from wetlands

Ecological Dynamics II: The Influences of Vertebrate Herbivory on Ecological Dynamics in Wetland Ecosystems

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