Soil moisture and plant growth responses to litter and defoliation impacts in Parkland grasslands

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

Volumn 135, Issue 1-2, 2010, Pages 1-9

  Deutsch, E S ^a   Bork, E W ^a   Willms, W D ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA   (Canada)

^b AGRICULTURE AND AGRI FOOD CANADA   (Canada)

Author keywords

Aspen Parkland; Forage dynamics; Grass phenology; Microclimate

Indexed keywords

ABUNDANCE INDEX; DEFOLIATION; ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE; FORAGE; GRASSLAND; GRAZING; GROWTH RESPONSE; LAND USE; LEAF LITTER; MICROCLIMATE; PHENOLOGY; SOIL MOISTURE;

ALBERTA; CANADA; NORTH AMERICA;

EID: 70349971774     PISSN: 01678809     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2009.08.002     Document Type: Article

References (37)

1. Adams B.A., Ehlert G., Stone C., Lawrence D., Alexander M., Willoughby M., Hincz C., Moisey D., and Bogen A. Rangeland Health Assessment for Grassland, Forest and Tame Pasture. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. Public Lands Division (2003), Rangeland Management Branch, Alberta, Canada
2. Buckhouse J.C., and Coltharp G.B. Soil moisture responses to several levels of foliage removal on two Utah ranges. J. Range Manage. 29 (1976) 313-315
3. Chapin F.S., Matson P.A., and Mooney H.A. Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (2002), Springer, Stanford, CA
4. Dibbern J.C. Vegetation responses of Bromus inermis to certain variations in environment. Bot. Gaz. 109 (1947) 44-58
5. Daubenmire R. A canopy coverage method of vegetation analysis. Northwest Sci. 33 (1959) 43-64
6. Deutsch, E.S., 2008. Plant litter influences on soil moisture and production in Aspen Parkland grasslands. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Alberta, Edmonton.
7. Donkor N.T., Bork E.W., and Hudson R.J. Bromus-Poa response to defoliation intensity and frequency under three soil moisture levels. Can. J. Plant. Sci. 82 (2002) 365-370
8. Dormaar J.F., and Carefoot J.M. Implications of crop residue management and conservation tillage on soil organic matter. Can. J. Plant Sci. 76 (1996) 627-634
9. Dyksterhuis E.J., and Schmutz E.M. Natural mulches or "litter" of grasslands, with kinds and amounts on a southern prairie. Ecology 28 (1947) 163-179
10. Environment Canada. National climate data and information archive (2008). www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html
11. Evens R.A., and Young J. Plant litter and establishment of alien annual weed species in rangeland communities. Weed Sci. 18 (1970) 697-703
12. Facelli J.M., and Pickett S.T.A. Plant litter: its dynamics and effects on plant community structure. Bot. Rev. 57 (1991) 1-32
13. Hamrick J.L., and Lee J.M. Effects of soil surface topography and litter cover on germination, survival and growth of musk thistle. Am. J. Bot. 74 (1987) 451-457
14. Johnson A. Effects of grazing intensity and cover on the water intake rate of Fescue grassland. J. Range Manage. 15 (1962) 79-82
15. Knapp A.K. Effects of fire and drought on the ecophysiology of Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum in a tallgrass prairie. Ecology 66 (1985) 1309-1320
16. Knapp A.K., and Seastedt T.R. Detritus accumulation limits productivity of tallgrass prairie. Bioscience 36 (1986) 622-668
17. Leriche H., LeRoux X., Gignoux J., Tuzet A., Fritz H., Abbadie L., and Loreau M. Which functional processes control the short-term effect of grazing on net primary production in grasslands. Oecologia 129 (2001) 114-124
18. Moss E.H. Flora of Alberta (2000), University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario
19. Naeth M.A., Bailey A.W., Chanasyk D.S., and Pluth D.J. Water holding capacity of litter and soil organic matter in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of Alberta. J. Range Manage. 44 (1991) 13-17
20. Naeth M.A., Chanasyk D.S., Rothwell R.L., and Bailey A.W. Grazing impacts on soil water in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of Alberta. Can. J. Soil Sci. 71 (1991) 313-325
21. Naeth M.A., and Chanasyk D.S. Grazing effects on soil water in Alberta foothills fescue grasslands. J. Range Manage. 48 (1995) 528-534
22. Rice E.L., and Parenti R.L. Causes of decreases in productivity in undisturbed tallgrass prairie. Am. J. Bot. 65 (1978) 1091-1097
23. Salve R., and Allen-Diaz B. Variations in soil moisture content in a rangeland catchment. J. Range Manage. 54 (2001) 44-51
24. SAS. SAS OnlineDocH 9.3.1 (2006), SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA
25. Schindler D.W., and Donahue W.F. Inaugural Article: an impending water crisis in Canada's western prairie provinces. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103 (2006) 7210-7216
26. Smoliak S. Influence of climatic conditions on production of Stipa-Bouteloua prairie over a 50 year period. J. Range Manage. 39 (1986) 100-103
27. Sydes C., and Grime J.P. Effects of tree leaf litter on herbaceous vegetation in the deciduous woodlands. II. An experimental investigation. J. Ecol. 69 (1981) 249-262
28. Tan G.-Y., Tan W.-K., and Walton P.D. Effects of temperature and irradiance on seedling growth of Bromegrass. Crop Sci. 18 (1978) 133-136
29. Thurow T.L., Blackburn W.H., and Taylor Jr. C.A. Hydrologic characteristics of vegetation types as affected by livestock grazing systems, Edwards Plateau, Texas. J. Range Manage. 39 (1986) 505-509
30. Thurow T.L., Blackburn W.H., Warren S.D., and Taylor Jr. C.A. Rainfall interception by midgrass, shortgrass, and live oak mottes. J. Range Manage. 40 (1987) 455-460
31. Walsh R.P.D., and Voight P.J. Vegetation litter: an underestimated variable in hydrology and geomorphology. J. Biogeogr. 4 (1977) 253-274
32. Weaver J.E., and Flory E.L. Stability of climax prairie and some environmental changes from breaking. Ecology 15 (1934) 333-347
33. Weaver J.E., and Rowland N.W. Effect of excessive natural mulch on the development, yield, and structure of a native grassland. Bot. Gaz. 114 (1952) 1-19
34. Willms W.D., Smoliak S., and Bailey A.W. Herbage production following litter removal on Alberta native grasslands. J. Range Manage. 39 (1986) 536-539
35. Willms W.D. Response of rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) to light, water, temperature, and litter removal, under controlled conditions. Can. J. Bot. 66 (1988) 429-434
36. Willms W.D., McGinn S.M., and Dormaar J.F. Influence of litter on herbage production in the mixed prairie. J. Range Manage. 46 (1993) 320-324
37. Willms W.D., and Jefferson P.G. Production characteristics of the mixed prairie: constraints and potential. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 73 (1993) 765-778