An Evaluation of the Calibrated Weight-Estimate Method for Measuring Production in Annual Vegetation

Tadmor, Naphtali; Brieghet, Adel; Noy‐Meir, Imanuel; Benjamin, Roger; Eyal, E.

doi:10.2307/3897582

Cited by 48 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Species biomass in a sample was estimated using the calibrated weight-estimate method (Tadmor et al 1975). In several training plots visual estimates of species biomass were calibrated by clipping and weighing, and when consistent estimates were attained, estimations of species biomass in studied sub-plots were undertaken.…”

Section: Plant Species Composition and Community Seasonal Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Seasonal Development Enables Late Defoliation Without Loss of Forage Quality in Semi-natural Grasslands

et al. 2010

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Agri-environmental measures often require postponing of grassland defoliation until summer months. We investigated how this affects agronomic characteristics, i.e., biomass production and forage quality, in species-rich grasslands in the White Carpathian Mountains, Czech Republic. Three distinct grasslands (vegetation alliances Bromion erecti, Cynosurion cristati, Violion caninae) were selected for biomass sampling in three dates: mid-May, early June and end of June. Proportions of individual species from total biomass, biomass production, crude fibre concentration, organic matter digestibility and community functional properties (forage value, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area) were determined. Dry matter standing biomass at the end of June was highest in Bromion with 3.5 t/ha, followed by Violion with 2.7 t/ha and Cynosurion with 2.3 t/ha. A steep decline in forage quality (increase in crude fibre and decrease in organic matter digestibility) during accumulation of aboveground biomass was recorded in formerly unmanaged Bromion grassland but remarkably not in formerly grazed Cynosurion and Violion grasslands where early spring dominants were partly replaced by later developing species, Agrostis capillaris and Trifolium spp. Abundance-weighted community functional properties were consistent with results obtained from biomass chemical analyses, thus the 'trait approach' can be used as a suitable surrogate of costly and labor-intensive laboratory procedures. Finally, we assume that the high degree of community seasonal development in Cynosurion and Violion, indicated here by a new community seasonal development index and by development in community specific leaf area, was accountable for the stabilization of forage quality later in the vegetation season.

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Section: Plant Species Composition and Community Seasonal Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Seasonal Development Enables Late Defoliation Without Loss of Forage Quality in Semi-natural Grasslands

et al. 2010

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“…We monitored all A. coronaria plants in each plot every 10-14 days during the growing seasons (mid-December to mid- April, 1997April, -2002 counting the plants, the flowers, young fruits and fruits at seed dispersal stage per plant; we also recorded leaf length, flower and fruitstem height. We measured the average height of the herbaceous vegetation in each plot and visually estimated its biomass (Tadmor et al 1975); for calibration we harvested five quadrats (25 9 25 cm) outside the plots, dried the grass samples (3 days at 80°C) and weighed them. We did not remove any herbaceous vegetation from the exclosures during the experiment.…”

Section: Experimental Design and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geophytes–herbivore interactions: reproduction and population dynamics of Anemone coronaria L.

et al. 2010

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Anemone coronaria, an attractive Mediterranean geophyte, seems to disappear from grazingprotected areas in Israel. We experimentally examined the ecological mechanism driving the decline of this geophyte. Ten plot-pairs were established, half we fenced as grazing exclosures and half were grazed by beef cattle. Grazing clearly reduced herbaceous biomass, increased relative solar photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) at ground level, but had almost no effect on soil properties. Grazing did not affect the number of flowers and young fruits produced by A. coronaria, nor the percentage fruit-set at the plot scale, indicating no effect on flowering, pollination, or on resource allocation to reproduction. Five years after grazing exclusion, Anemone seedling and adult plant densities were higher in grazed than in ungrazed plots. We propose a model explaining our results that can be applied also to other similar ecosystems: excluding grazing increased biomass and height of the herbaceous community and reduced relative PAR at ground level. Consequently, seedling, adult plant and flowering Anemone plant densities were lower in ungrazed plots. We recommend adding seasonal grazing as a management tool when vegetation outcompete light demanding geophytes that we wish to conserve.

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“…Many authors have found the relationship to be linear (Francis et al 1979, Ahmed et al 1983), but others have detected curvilinear relationships (Tadmor 1975).…”

Section: Estimation Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rangeland vegetation productivity and biomass

Pieper¹

1988

Vegetation Science Applications for Rangeland Analysis and Management

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Herbage weight or biomass is an important characteristic for range vegetation since it supports directly or indirectly all consumer groups. Plant biomass is also important as a measure of dominance in plant communities. Many methods have been devised to estimate plant biomass, but all have some limitations. Estimation techniques, either by plot or plant, often involve a double sampling procedure to improve on the estimates. Direct harvesting is a destructive sampling procedure which is often used when biomass is the response measured in research studies. Precipitation has been used as an independent variable to predict end-of-season biomass. However, considerable data are necessary to develop reliable relationships. Capacitance meters, biomass meters, and p-attenuation techniques have promise for specific situations, but have not received widespread support among range researchers and ecologists. All these techniques require considerable calibration before they can be used for specific situations. Plant biomass data are useful for establishing dominance of individual species, estimating livestock stocking rates, and determining range condition. IntroductionMeasurement of plant biomass or standing crop has been of interest to range workers for some time because herbivores depend directly upon plant biomass for their food. Interest in production ecology is of more recent emphasis by plant ecologists, particularly during the International Biological Program Studies during the 1970's (Milner and Hughes 1968). These studies illustrate the importance of plant biomass as an indicator of general ecological importance of individual plants and communities.

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An Evaluation of the Calibrated Weight-Estimate Method for Measuring Production in Annual Vegetation

Cited by 48 publications

References 3 publications

Community Seasonal Development Enables Late Defoliation Without Loss of Forage Quality in Semi-natural Grasslands

Community Seasonal Development Enables Late Defoliation Without Loss of Forage Quality in Semi-natural Grasslands

Geophytes–herbivore interactions: reproduction and population dynamics of Anemone coronaria L.

Rangeland vegetation productivity and biomass

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