The Legacy of Destructive Snow Goose Foraging on Supratidal Marsh Habitat in the Hudson Bay Lowlands

Stephen L. Peterson* Ecological succession and climate change are pushing tundra as well as Arctic and subarctic Robert F. Rockwell† lowland plant communities toward increased woody vegetation cover. However, areas Christopher R. Witte† and along the Hudson Bay Lowlands that are over-grazed by hyper-abundant lesser snow geese David N. Koons‡ are experiencing drastic losses of grass, sedge, and woody cover. We assessed longterm changes in proportional ground cover and habitat patch characteristic at a subarctic *Department of Wildland Resources, supratidal marsh that was largely vacated by breeding snow geese over a decade ago. We Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, U.S.A. found no evidence of habitat recovery. Rather, snow geese leave a legacy on the land that †Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum propagates degradation of habitat long after their direct removal of vegetation through of Natural History, Central Park West @ foraging. Over a 35 year period, we documented a 46% reduction in graminoid cover and 79th Street, New York, New York an 84% reduction in shrub cover, which led to smaller and more isolated patches of shrubs 10024-5192, U.S.A. that many avian species depend upon for foraging and nesting. Recent experimental goose ‡Corresponding author: Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology exclosures suggest that recovery of degraded habitat is possible, but habitat management Center, Utah State University, 5230 Old at a large scale will require drastic reductions in lesser snow goose numbers. Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, U.S.A. [email protected] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246.45.4.575