University of Illinois at Chicago
Browse
- No file added yet -

Arctic Ground Squirrels as Ecosystem Engineers of Projected Tundra Shrub Encroachment

Download (2.76 MB)
thesis
posted on 2018-02-08, 00:00 authored by Jennifer Elizabeth Dalton
Holarctic warming temperatures are leading to an expansive and rapid greening of the Arctic. Yet herbivores may play a role in mediating shrub expansion. The Arctic ground squirrel is an omnivorous ecosystem engineer with Holarctic distribution, likely altering local plant communities and modifying edaphic properties in and around burrow systems. This thesis investigates the role of Arctic ground squirrels in shaping local vegetation near Toolik Field Station on the North Slope of Alaska. The approach is two-fold 1) quantifying foraging intensity in experimental foraging patches along a heath-graminoid-shrub tundra gradient and 2) examining the effects of squirrels on local shrub productivity via satellite and isotopic analyses.

History

Advisor

Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel

Chair

Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel

Department

Biological Sciences

Degree Grantor

University of Illinois at Chicago

Degree Level

  • Masters

Committee Member

Brown, Joel Whelan, Christopher

Submitted date

December 2017

Issue date

2017-12-04

Usage metrics

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC