Keystone Herbivores and Their Impact on Vegetation and Successional Dynamics within the Debris Avalanche Deposit at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

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Date
2001-12Author
Campbell, Daniel R.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The debris avalanche at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument has
provided researchers with an important template in which to study various geological and
ecological processess. This thesis describes the impact of two keystone herbivores on
vegetation and successional dynamics within a small portion of the debris avalanche
ecosystem. Chapter 1 addresses important background information pertinent to
herbivory, disturbance ecology, and successional dynamics. Chapter 2 describes the role
of elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) herbivory within a plant community and the
subsequent changes in assemblage composition from 1992 to 1999. Finally, Chapter 3
concerns the relationship between sitka willow (Salix sitchensis) morphology and
infestation of the exotic weevil, the willow stem borer (Cryptorhynchus lapathi).
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/80787Type
Thesis
