The effects of grazing, fire, nitrogen and water availability on nutritional quality of grass in semi-arid savanna, South Africa

Mbatha, Khanyisile R.; Ward, David

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.06.004

Cited by 61 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…This observation of decreased aboveground grass biomass (45%) under grazing is consistent with similar observation in South Africa semi-arid savanna (Mbatha and Ward, 2010) and in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (Singer and Schoenecker, 2003). Pucheta et al (1998) reported a 33% decrease in standing biomass under grazing in central Argentina compared with an area that had been excluded from grazing for two years.…”

Section: Grazing Effects On Soil and Plant Nutrients And Aboveground supporting

confidence: 89%

The effects of herbivory and nutrients on plant biomass and carbon storage in Vertisols of an East African savanna

Ngatia

Turner

Njoka

et al. 2015

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Section: Grazing Effects On Soil and Plant Nutrients And Aboveground supporting

confidence: 89%

The effects of herbivory and nutrients on plant biomass and carbon storage in Vertisols of an East African savanna

Ngatia

Turner

Njoka

et al. 2015

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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“…Addition of dual fertilizer appeared to alleviate P limitation more than N, with N:P ratios reduced one year following treatment, indicating N limitation or co-limitation with another element (N:P < 14). Grazing may also preferentially increase grass P concentrations in semi-arid systems in South Africa (Mbatha & Ward, 2010) and thus the cumulative impacts of preferential plant P uptake and P additions from manure may explain the high spatial structure observed in our grazed and fertilized plots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Grassland productivity in response to nutrient additions and herbivory is scale-dependent

Smithwick

Baldwin

Naithani

2016

PeerJ

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Vegetation response to nutrient addition can vary across space, yet studies that explicitly incorporate spatial pattern into experimental approaches are rare. To explore whether there are unique spatial scales (grains) at which grass response to nutrients and herbivory is best expressed, we imposed a large (∼3.75 ha) experiment in a South African coastal grassland ecosystem. In two of six 60 × 60 m grassland plots, we imposed a scaled sampling design in which fertilizer was added in replicated sub-plots (1 × 1 m, 2 × 2 m, and 4 × 4 m). The remaining plots either received no additions or were fertilized evenly across the entire area. Three of the six plots were fenced to exclude herbivory. We calculated empirical semivariograms for all plots one year following nutrient additions to determine whether the scale of grass response (biomass and nutrient concentrations) corresponded to the scale of the sub-plot additions and compared these results to reference plots (unfertilized or unscaled) and to plots with and without herbivory. We compared empirical semivariogram parameters to parameters from semivariograms derived from a set of simulated landscapes (neutral models). Empirical semivariograms showed spatial structure in plots that received multi-scaled nutrient additions, particularly at the 2 × 2 m grain. The level of biomass response was predicted by foliar P concentration and, to a lesser extent, N, with the treatment effect of herbivory having a minimal influence. Neutral models confirmed the length scale of the biomass response and indicated few differences due to herbivory. Overall, we conclude that interpretation of nutrient limitation in grasslands is dependent on the grain used to measure grass response and that herbivory had a secondary effect.

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“…These findings are especially remarkable considering the sampled patches were directly adjacent to each other. Grazing herbivores are attracted to recently burned patches because forage in those patches is characterized by increased leaf nutrient concentrations, leaf:stem ratios, live:dead tissue ratios, and dry matter digestibility (Van De Vijver et al, 1999;Anderson et al, 2007;Mbatha and Ward, 2010;Sensenig et al, 2010;Allred et al, 2011).…”

Section: Methods-studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Tallgrass prairie vegetation response to spring fires and bison grazing

Winter

Allred

Hickman

et al. 2015

The Southwestern Naturalist

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The effects of grazing, fire, nitrogen and water availability on nutritional quality of grass in semi-arid savanna, South Africa

Cited by 61 publications

References 60 publications

The effects of herbivory and nutrients on plant biomass and carbon storage in Vertisols of an East African savanna

The effects of herbivory and nutrients on plant biomass and carbon storage in Vertisols of an East African savanna

Grassland productivity in response to nutrient additions and herbivory is scale-dependent

Tallgrass prairie vegetation response to spring fires and bison grazing

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