OPUS: A Synthesis Of Long-Term Research On Moose-Boreal Forest Interactions

During the past 20 years, it has been shown that animals can affect ecosystems in ways that are unexpectedly large considering the relatively small amount of plant material they eat. With NSF funding, it has been shown that moose affect northern forests by eating plants that grow rapidly and enrich soil fertility and avoiding plants that grow slowly and depress soil fertility. This work has been published in a wide variety of scientific journals and conference proceedings and is highly cited in the scientific literature and ecology textbooks. This OPUS award will result in a book summarizing the results of almost two decades of research and placing it in the context of findings of other researchers who have done similar studies on moose and other animals around the world. Princeton University Press is interested in publishing this book in their series of monographs in ecology, which are widely read and affordable by graduate and undergraduate students.

Broader Significance. - Besides being a case study of how moose affect northern forests, this book should also be a case study of the interplay between observational, experimental, and theoretical approaches in the development and refinement of scientific ideas. Students who are beginning to think about a thesis project and wondering how to decide the directions and steps they might take may benefit from reading how scientific questions are posed and how decisions are made. This book could be used in advanced classes or seminars in ecology and wildlife management.