Grizzly Bear Gardeners: Influencing Distribution of Glacier Lilies

Grizzly bears dig extensively for bulbs of glacier lilies growing in alpine meadows and, in the process, control soil nitrogen dynamics and meadow plant assemblages, including the subsequent abundance and nutritive quality of the lilies. This is an original demonstration of large herbivore influences on terrestrial ecosystems.
Publications
- Tardiff, S. E. and J. A. Stanford. 1998. Grizzly bear digging: effects on subalpine meadow plants in relation to mineral nitrogen availability. Ecology 79(7):2219–2228.