Response of arctic sedges to release from grazing: leaf elongation in two species of Carex

We have used demographic methods to determine whether increased rates of leaf elongation occur in two sedges, Carex subspathacea Wormsk and Carex xflavicans Nyl., when heavily grazed by Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerules- cens (L.)) at La Perouse Bay, Manitoba. Rates of elongation of leaves declined as leaves aged. Most comparisons between grazed and ungrazed plots indicated that rates of elongation of leaves of grazed shoots were not significantly greater than corresponding rates for ungrazed shoots. No trends were evident. As reported elsewhere, increased production and turnover of leaves accounted for most of the regeneration of photosynthetic area following grazing in both species.