Eriophorum vaginatum tiller nitrogen content at the 2007 Anaktuvuk River fire scar and nearby unburned tundra measured in 2019.

Tillers from 24 Eriophorum vaginatum individuals were sampled in late July 2019 to examine differences in percent nitrogen between previously burned (Anaktuvuk River Fire) and unburned tussocks at a nearby unburned control site. At the burned site tussocks exhibiting evidence of rodent grazing were also sampled to separate herbivore effects from those of the fire. From each tussock, 3-4 new leaves were sampled (as indicated by lack of brown tips) and dried at 60°C for 24 hours, before being ground and analyzed for percent nitrogen. The goals of the project were to examine the impact of post-fire changes in plant community composition, nutrient quality and structure on habitat suitability and rodent herbivore activity in response to a large, severe, and unprecedented fire in northern Alaska moist acidic tundra.