Effects of Browsing by Captive Elk (Cervus canadensis) on a Midwestern Woody Plant Community

Roberts, Caleb P.; Mecklin, Christopher J.; Whiteman, Howard H.

doi:10.1674/0003-0031-171.2.219

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The slower decrease in shrub cover and increase in grass cover in the unburned treatment may result from no change in ramet density among browsed shrub islands during the first 2 yr of the study. To explain the dramatic differences between the 4-yrburned and unburned treatments, we propose that the species composition of the woody plants present determines the efficacy of browsing (Augustine and McNaughton 2004, Ascoli et al 2013, Roberts et al 2014, Anderson et al 2015. In the burned location, C. drummondii was the dominant woody plant on the landscape with Rhus glabra L (smooth sumac), another clonal resprouting shrub, mixing within the shrub islands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Browsing and fire decreases dominance of a resprouting shrub in woody encroached grassland

O’Connor

Taylor

Nippert

2019

Ecology

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North American grasslands have experienced increased relative abundance of shrubs and trees over the last 150 yr. Alterations in herbivore composition, abundance, and grazing pressure along with changes in fire frequency are drivers that can regulate the transition from grassland to shrubland or woodland (a process known as woody encroachment). Historically, North American grasslands had a suite of large herbivores that grazed and/or browsed (i.e., bison, elk, pronghorn, deer), as well as frequent and intense fires. In the tallgrass prairie, many large native ungulates were extirpated by the 1860s, corresponding with increased homesteading (which led to decreased fire frequencies and intensities). Changes in the frequency and intensity of these two drivers (browsing and fire) have coincided with woody encroachment in tallgrass prairie. Within tallgrass prairie, woody encroachment can be categorized in to two groups: non‐resprouting species that can be killed with fire and resprouting species that cannot be killed with fire. Resprouting species require additional active management strategies to decrease abundance and eventually be removed from the ecosystem. In this study, we investigated plant cover, ramet density, and physiological effects of continuous simulated browsing and prescribed fire on Cornus drummondii C.A. Mey, a resprouting clonal native shrub species. Browsing reduced C. drummondii canopy cover and increased grass cover. We also observed decreased ramet density, which allowed for more infilling of grasses. Photosynthetic rates between browsed and unbrowsed control shrubs did not increase in 2015 or 2016. In 2017, photosynthetic rates for browsed shrubs were higher in the unburned site than the unbrowsed control shrubs at the end of the growing season. Additionally, after the prescribed fire, browsed shrubs had ~90% decreased cover, ~50% reduced ramet density, and grass cover increased by ~80%. In the roots of browsed shrubs after the prescribed fire, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) experienced a twofold reduction in glucose and a threefold reduction in both sucrose and starch. The combined effects of browsing and fire show strong potential as a successful management tool to decrease the abundance of clonal‐resprouting woody plants in mesic grasslands and illustrate the potential significance of browsers as a key driver in this ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%