Collaborative Research: Grizzly Bear Digging in Subalpine Meadows: Influences on Plant Distributions and Nitrogen Availability

9509597斯坦福大学灰熊在亚高山草甸挖掘：对植物分布和氮素供应的影响灰熊是杂食性动物，经常以冰川百合等植物球茎为食。熊觅食可以掀翻大片亚高山草甸。初步观察表明，这种活动可能会增加氮素利用率、种子产量、鳞茎氮和鳞茎碳水化合物含量。因此，这些大型动物可能在亚高山植物群落的结构和功能中发挥重要作用。该项目将在蒙大拿州落基山国家公园内及其附近地区严格测试这一假设。这项研究将考虑一种大型杂食性动物对它们所居住的生态系统的作用。

9509597 Stanford Grizzly Bear Digging in Subalpine Meadows: Influences on Plant Distributions and Nitrogen Availability Grizzly bears are omnivores who often feed intensively on bulbs of plants such as glacier lilies. Foraging by bears can overturn large tracts of subalpine meadows. Ppeliminary observations suggest that this activity may increase nitrogen availability, seed production, bulb nitrogen, and bulb carbohydrate content. As such, these large animals may play major roles in the structure and function of subalpine plant communities. This project will rigorously test this hypothesis in areas inside and adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park in Montana. This research will consider the role of a large omnivorous animal on the ecosystems in which they reside.