Response of cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii taverneri) to spatial and temporal variation in the production of crowberries on the Alaska Peninsula

Hupp, Jerry W.; Safine, David E.; Nielson, Ryan M.

doi:10.1007/s00300-013-1343-3

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…During this time, they resort to the safety of open water bodies to avoid predation, largely from Arctic fox, but may feed out on dwarfscrub heath where their diet may be predominantly the berries of E. nigrum and V. uliginosum, which frequently form the dominant vegetation cover in areas of deeper soil. Empetrum berries provide relatively little metabolizable biomass for geese, but may provide critical antioxidants and fatty acids, which may be important for completion of moult and for successful autumn migration (e.g., Hupp et al 2013). The larger flock size of nonbreeders enhances predator detection, enabling them to forage at greater distances from the water's edge than smaller groups of breeding pairs with their broods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant dispersal by Canada geese in Arctic Greenland

et al. 2018

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Despite the abundance of migratory geese as herbivores in the Arctic, and ongoing changes in their populations and distributions, little is known about their role in seed dispersal. Climate change requires Arctic plants to adjust their distributions, and avian vectors may have an important role to play. We present the first study of endozoochory (internal transport) of Arctic plants by Canada geese. In central west Greenland, we collected 50 faecal samples, from which we extracted 2943 intact seeds from six species and four families, all but one of which (a non-native species) are extremely common and widespread in this part of Greenland. The majority (95%) of seeds were from Empetrum nigrum, but Carex nardina (3%) and Vaccinium uliginosum (2%) were also abundant. One seed of the non-native Persicaria lapathifolia was recorded. These results suggest migratory geese are likely to be vital vectors of Arctic plants. Although the sample size was small, there were indications that nonbreeding geese may disperse more seeds than breeding geese, which stay closer to lakes to reduce the risk of predation, rarely accessing dwarf-scrub heath where non-breeders ingested seeds. Future research should address such possible links between reproductive status and seed dispersal in waterbirds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant dispersal by Canada geese in Arctic Greenland

et al. 2018

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“…The distributions of salmonberry and high-bush blueberry, the most important species in the maritime ecoregion, are restricted to the temperate and subalpine forests, and coastal communities of southern Alaska ( 24 , 30 ). In the maritime ecoregion, crowberry was also important to communities on the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands where this species is common ( 19 , 31 ). Low-bush blueberry, lingonberry and raspberry, the favoured species in the boreal ecoregion, are common bog and forest understory plants ( 32 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consumption of wild berries has been encouraged as a means to improve health in Alaska's rural communities ( 16 ). Berries also provide food to wildlife species that are important to subsistence harvest ( 17 – 19 ). Thus, wild berries are important to cultural heritage, food security and human health in rural Alaska.…”

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confidence: 99%

How are your berries? Perspectives of Alaska's environmental managers on trends in wild berry abundance

Hupp

Brubaker

Wilkinson

et al. 2015

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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Background. Wild berries are a valued traditional food in Alaska. Phytochemicals in wild berries may contribute to the prevention of vascular disease, cancer and cognitive decline, making berry consumption important to community health in rural areas. Little was known regarding which species of berries were important to Alaskan communities, the number of species typically picked in communities and whether recent environmental change has affected berry abundance or quality. Objective. To identify species of wild berries that were consumed by people in different ecological regions of Alaska and to determine if perceived berry abundance was changing for some species or in some regions. Design. We asked tribal environmental managers throughout Alaska for their views on which among 12 types of wild berries were important to their communities and whether berry harvests over the past decade were different than in previous years. We received responses from 96 individuals in 73 communities. Results. Berries that were considered very important to communities differed among ecological regions of Alaska. Low-bush blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum and V. caespitosum), cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) were most frequently identified as very important berries for communities in the boreal, polar and maritime ecoregions, respectively. For 7 of the 12 berries on the survey, a majority of respondents indicated that in the past decade abundance had either declined or become more variable. Conclusions. Our study is an example of how environmental managers and participants in local observer networks can report on the status of wild resources in rural Alaska. Their observations suggest that there have been changes in the productivity of some wild berries in the past decade, resulting in greater uncertainty among communities regarding the security of berry harvests. Monitoring and experimental studies are needed to determine how environmental change may affect berry abundance.

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“…Although drastic population management measures have been taken, they are still considered overabundant (Koons et al 2014). Migrating geese were found to eat 30-60% of the annual crowberry production on the Alaska Peninsula in the fall (Hupp et al 2013). However, the consumption of berries is much lower in areas not directly located on the southward migration path (Boulanger-Lapointe 2017).…”

Section: Consumption and Trampling By Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Berry Plants and Berry Picking in Inuit Nunangat: Traditions in a Changing Socio-Ecological Landscape

et al. 2019

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Traditional food is central to Inuit culture and sense of identity. Recent changes in lifestyle, climate, and animal populations have influenced how people practice and experience activities on the land. We summarize the findings of 191 new and archived interviews addressing the continued relationships of Inuit to berries in the Canadian territories of Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. Berry plants have been and remain widely used throughout the study area. Berry picking is an important cultural activity that contributes to spiritual, personal, and community wellbeing. In some regions, the availability of berries and accessibility to berry patches are threatened by climate change, recent increases in goose populations, as well as community development. Study outcomes suggest that berry picking should be considered in land-use planning since, alongside hunting and fishing, it is an activity that contributes to physical and mental health while being an important cultural practice across Inuit territories.

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Response of cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii taverneri) to spatial and temporal variation in the production of crowberries on the Alaska Peninsula

Cited by 12 publications

References 44 publications

Plant dispersal by Canada geese in Arctic Greenland

Plant dispersal by Canada geese in Arctic Greenland

How are your berries? Perspectives of Alaska's environmental managers on trends in wild berry abundance

Berry Plants and Berry Picking in Inuit Nunangat: Traditions in a Changing Socio-Ecological Landscape

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