Root Dynamics of a Shortgrass Ecosystem

Bartos, Dale L.; Sims, Phillip L.

doi:10.2307/3896435

Cited by 47 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…These relative differences in root yield at the community level also agree reasonably well with the differences in root growth of both species recorded under the controlled conditions. The high proportion of root mass of both species found in the surface zone of the soil profile in this study has been recorded in other range grasslands (Weaver & Albertson 1943;Bartos& Sims 1974).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Eco-physiological studies of the semiarid grasses Aristida leptopoda and Astrebla lappacea

Christie

1979

Austral Ecol

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The perennial grasses /'Aristida spp.J are invaders of the Mitchell /"Astrebla spp.) grasslands of semiarid Queensland. The possible role of a number of physiological factors influencing the establishment and maintenance of Aristida leptopoda (white spear grass) and Astrebla lappacea (curly Mitchell grass) populations were examined in a series of experiments. Under controlled conditions, both seedling growth and root extension rates of curly Mitchell grass were far superior to white spear grass at a temperature of 30°C. However, at temperatures of 25°C and less, little species differences in these rates occurred White spear required a lower soil phosphorus concentration for optimum growth compared with curly Mitchell grass, but its yield response to increasing phosphorus concentration was much smaller than this species. Results of other studies suggested that relative drought endurance of established plants of these species to be related more to the amount and vertical distribution of the root system rather than to differences in stomatal control.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Eco-physiological studies of the semiarid grasses Aristida leptopoda and Astrebla lappacea

Christie

1979

Austral Ecol

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“…Belowground NPP was estimated in 1995 with the use of 12.5 cm diameter soil cores. In May and October, 10 samples per pasture were taken, to a depth of 20 cm, and were processed using the method of Bartos and Sims (1974). Root material was oven‐dried for 12 h at 60°C and was ashed for 8 h at 480°C (Goering and Van Soest 1970).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing Intensity and Ecosystem Processes in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Usa

Biondini

Patton

Nyrén

1998

Ecological Applications

267

100

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The objective of this study was to evaluate for an 8‐yr period the ecosystem‐level impacts of no grazing vs. sustained moderate and heavy cattle grazing in terms of: (1) plant species basal cover, density, and composition; (2) aboveground net primary production (ANPP), N content of ANPP (ANPP‐N), belowground net primary production (BNPP), and N content of BNPP (BNPP‐N); (3) litter and root decomposition and N loss; and (4) soil C, total soil N, and net in situ soil N mineralization. Moderate and heavy grazing treatments were designed to achieve an end‐of‐the‐grazing‐season residual vegetation of 50% and 10%, respectively, of the long‐term average ANPP of comparable ungrazed sites. The main factor affecting the vegetation response was the increase in precipitation after the drought of 1988; few differences were due to grazing intensity. The total absolute basal cover of grasses increased steadily in all treatments, from an average of 4% during the drought of 1988 to 14% in 1993. Forb density and diversity increased from 51 plants/m2 and 14 species in 1988 to 412 plants/m2 and 36 species in 1995. Grazing, however, increased the relative composition of Poa pratensis and Achillea millefolium, but reduced the relative composition of Bouteloua gracilis and Aster ericoides. ANPP and ANPP‐N were correlated with rainfall, but not with grazing intensity. Heavy grazing led to declines in standing dead biomass, litter, peak root biomass and biomass‐N, root N concentrations, and in situ net soil N mineralization. There was an increase in root decomposition and N loss with grazing. From this study, we reached the following conclusions about the northern mixed‐grass prairie: (1) climatic variations, in particular droughts, control major trends in plant species composition and production, with grazing playing a secondary role; (2) heavy grazing leads to declines in standing dead biomass and biomass‐N, litter biomass and biomass‐N, peak root biomass and biomass‐N, and in situ net soil N mineralization, which may have a significant long‐term impact on range condition; and (3) grazing pressures that lead to a removal of 50% of ANPP, however, seem to be sustainable and compatible with the maintenance of range condition.

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“…The soil temperatures differed less between the rangeland conditions with depth. To the contrary, in the North American prairies was found that root growth is associated with increases in soil temperature (in areas with winter snow) and water in spring and summer (Dahlman and Kucera, 1965;Bartos and Sims, 1974). Unfortunately little is known about the way in which root systems integrate the effects of wide ranges of temperature between different zones (Drew, 1979;Distel and Fernandez, 1988).…”

Section: Soil Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%