9509597 Stanford Grizzly Bear Digging in Subalpine Meadows: Influences on Plant Distributions and Nitrogen Availability Grizzly bears are omnivores who often feed intensively on bulbs of plants such as glacier lilies. Foraging by bears can overturn large tracts of subalpine meadows. Ppeliminary observations suggest that this activity may increase nitrogen availability, seed production, bulb nitrogen, and bulb carbohydrate content. As such, these large animals may play major roles in the structure and function of subalpine plant communities. This project will rigorously test this hypothesis in areas inside and adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park in Montana. This research will consider the role of a large omnivorous animal on the ecosystems in which they reside.
