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of woody shrubs over the past half century is one of the most dramatic changes that has occurred in Alaska’s arctic tundra (Myneni et al. 1997, Sturm et al. 2001, Tape et al. 2006). Shrubs have the capacity to respond quickly to a warming climate (Chapin et al. 1995, Walker et al. 2006), but a process that is likely to strongly interact with this is herbivory. Recent studies have shown that herbivory in tundra ecosystems significantly alters the response of plant communities to warming temperatures by reducing the biomass of species that would otherwise become dominant under warmer conditions (Post and Pedersen 2008, Olofsson et al. 2009). In arctic tundra ecosystems of Alaska, the primary shrub browsers are Moose (Alces alces), Arctic Hares (Lepus arcticus), and ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus, L. muta). In the spring, ptarmigan migrate from wintering areas south of the Brooks Range to the foothills and Arctic Coastal Plain, where they form large aggregations in areas dominated by tall shrubs. The presence of these large flocks on the landscape, combined with their exclusive preference for willow buds is likely to result in a substantial influence on the growth and architecture of willows that exceed snow level. In Finland, browsing by ptarmigan significantly reduced the number of vegetative buds and catkins on willows (Hakkarainen et al. 2007). In northern Alaska 42% of buds of tall willows had been browsed by ptarmigan, resulting in widespread “hedging” where browsed willows had strongly altered height and architecture compared with un-browsed plants (Tape et al. 2010). Furthermore, selective browsing of willows may indirectly enhance the growth of other less palatable, competing shrubs such as Green Alder (Alnus viridis). Thus climate change may cause unfettered expansion of some species (e.g., alder) while other species (e.g., willow) are kept in check by herbivory.

Ptarmigan As Engineers of Change in Arctic Ecosystems.