标题：Exclusion of brown lemmings reduces vascular plant cover and biomass in Arctic coastal tundra: resampling
of a 50 + year herbivore exclosure experiment near Barrow, Alaska
摘要：To determine the role lemmings play in structuring plant communities and their
contribution to the 'greening of the Arctic', we measured plant cover and biomass in
50 + year old lemming exclosures and control plots in the coastal tundra near Barrow, Alaska.
The response of plant functional types to herbivore exclusion varied among land cover
types. In general, the abundance of lichens and bryophytes increased with the exclusion of
lemmings, whereas graminoids decreased, although the magnitude of these responses varied
among land cover types. These results suggest that sustained lemming activity promotes a
higher biomass of vascular plant functional types than would be expected without their
presence and highlights the importance of considering herbivory when interpreting patterns
of greening in the Arctic. In light of the rapid environmental change ongoing in the
Arctic and the potential regional to global implications of this change, further
exploration regarding the long-term influence of arvicoline rodents on ecosystem
function (e.g. carbon and energy balance) should be considered a research priority.
