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The relationships between human settlement, soil nutrients, plant diversity and productivity, and grazing in a tundra landscape.

Gilliland, Kim*,1, Huntly, Nancy 1, 1 Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID

ABSTRACT- We studied the contemporary effects of long-term habitation by the Aleut on maritime tundra in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Abandoned ancient and historic village sites on the Alaska Peninsula had significantly higher plant biomass and species richness and more plants that are of cultural value as foods or medicines than did adjacent tundra that lacked village sites (non-village areas). Plant diversity and productivity or biomass were positively correlated, both on village sites and in off-village vegetation. In contrast, on nearby Sanak Island, where domestic grazers (cattle) were introduced during the 20th century and roam freely on the landscape, the vegetation of village sites had significantly lower species richness (ca. 22% less) and biomass than did adjacent non-villages sites. Nevertheless, soils of village sites had more total soil nitrogen than did nearby off-village soils. Diversity and productivity metrics were not significantly correlated in off-village tundra on Sanak, but were strongly and positively correlated on village sites. Cattle spent more time on village sites on Sanak than on nearby off-village areas, and the village sites appeared as grazing lawns, with many grasses, forbs typical of pastures, and lupines. Selective use by domestic grazers appears to have removed many of the direct benefits to people that are provided by village sites on the Alaska peninsula; however, these village sites support high levels of grazing and have a heightened diversity-productivity

Key words: diversity, productivity, grazing, Aleut

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