RESPONSES OF HAYFIELD VEGETATION TO SPRING GRAZING BY GREATER SNOW GEESE

(1) The use of hayfields by staging greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) more than tripled between 1980 and 1985 at Montmagny, Quebec (seasonal total from 7.0 to 22.6 droppings m-2). (2) The mean drop in total harvestable biomass at first harvest nearly doubled (from 47 to 78 g m-2) and amounted to 25% of the potential yield. (3) Both cultivated and wild grasses were sensitive to grazing pressure while legumes and weeds were not. (4) Since the goose population is increasing rapidly and the area of the Montmagny hayfields has decreased, the total grazing pressure will soon reach unacceptable levels.