Going onto Peter Busman's farm, we were able to see the Aleutian Cackling Geese foraging on land that was meant to be grazed by cattle. We were told that the geese tend to eat the small new growth grass which can destroy a field for the cattle in the coming months. Pete's assistant told us about all of the hazing that they try to do, and we inadvertently performed a bit of hazing by scaring the geese onto the other side of the field so that we could examine their feces. Some feces was picked up and examined in lab the next week under the microscope to see the composition of the vegetation. Comparing what we were seeing in the microscope to pictures of vegetation under the microscope, allowed us to collaborate the two to determine what type of vegetation the Aleutian Geese we saw the week prior were consuming.
The Aleutian Cackling Goose was once believed to be extinct, until found again in 1962 in the Aleutians. Reintroduction of thousands of geese on islands without foxes turned out to be a successful management strategy for the goose because, now the Aleutian Cackling Goose is considered a pest. They commonly forage on the properties around Arcata, making it hard for farmers to manage their grasslands the way they once did. This is a recent occurrence as they once gathered in Crescent City just a few years ago, since they hazed the animals so well, they now have taken over many fields in Arcata. With many hazing attempts, we were told it is fruitless in Arcata right now. Living with Aleutian Cackling Geese
No comments:
Post a Comment