scholarly journals Can prescribed fires restore C 4 grasslands invaded by a C 3 woody species and a co‐dominant C 3 grass species?

Ecosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. James Ansley ◽  
Thomas W. Boutton ◽  
Emily B. Hollister
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Prescribed Fires

scholarly journals RESTORATION OF FORMER GRASSLAND IN SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy J. Leonard ◽  
O. W. Van Auken
Keyword(s):  
San Antonio ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Juniperus Ashei ◽  
South Central ◽  
Central Texas

Abstract In the past, grasslands and savannas were common in many areas of south-central Texas, including the San Antonio area. With the advent of European settlers and their livestock, much of this area was converted to agriculture and rangeland. Today, most of San Antonio is developed, but some preservation has occurred. Restored grassland, mechanically cleared of Juniperus ashei (juniper, Ashe juniper) and other woody species in 2013, was examined and compared to adjacent non-cleared woodland. The woodland examined was dominated by Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) and Juniperus ashei. Richness in the woodland canopy was 15 species. The understory below the canopy had 25 woody species. In the restored grassland area, herbaceous plant cover was 41.8%, woody plant cover 5.8%, bare soil 2.9%, and litter cover 49.5%. Species richness was 71, with 60 herbaceous and 11 woody species (percent cover of each from <0.1–7.1%). The most common species in the restored grassland in descending order were Nassella leucotricha (Texas winter grass), Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy), Carex planostachys (cedar sedge), Sporobolus crypandrus (sand dropseed), D. texana, and Verbesina virginica (frost weed). Several C4 grass species were present with low cover but may increase in abundance over time. Four of the six most common restored grassland species were present below the woodland canopy and 12 woody species were present in the restored grassland as juveniles. Cost of restoration was approximately $38,500 ($7,500 supplies, $31,000 labor).

scholarly journals 154 Awardee Talk – Tares among the wheat: sericea lespedeza invasion of native tallgrass prairie

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 151-151
Author(s):  
K C Olson
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Condensed Tannin ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza ◽  
Beef Cow

Abstract North-American tallgrass prairie provides an array of ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and forage for grazing livestock. Once covering 68 million ha, only 4% remains today. The largest remnant (~1.5 million ha) lies in the Kansas Flint Hills, home to ~1.3 million yearling cattle and ~90,000 beef cows annually. Unfortunately, the functionality of this ecosystem is threatened by an exotic invader - sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata). Known colloquially as sericea, it is a perennial forb with prodigious capacity to proliferate. Sericea selection by grazing cattle is poor; condensed-tannin concentrations in wild-type sericea approach 20% of plant DM. Total-tract N digestibility by steers consuming sericea-contaminated tallgrass-prairie hay was documented at < 0%. Sericea control has been attempted using herbicides. This has not limited proliferation and has resulted in collateral damage to non-target lifeforms. Attempts to naturalize sericea to the ecosystem via enhanced herbivory were evaluated. Supplementation of beef cow diets with tannin-binding feedstuffs resulted in ≥29% increases in sericea selection compared with non-supplemented cows. Co-grazing beef cows and goats was associated with >20% more defoliation of sericea than beef-cow grazing alone. Sequential grazing of yearling steers followed by mature ewes resulted in >92% defoliation of sericea compared with < 2% in pastures grazed by steers alone. Unfortunately, widespread adoption of these techniques by the ranching community hasn’t occurred because of costs or logistical constraints. More recently, prescribed fire as a low-cost means of control was evaluated. Prescribed fires in late summer greatly diminished sericea proliferation compared with prescribed fires in spring (i.e., traditional prescribed-fire season). No changes in peak forage biomass or C4 grass-species abundance were observed; moreover, native legumes and nectar-producing forbs increased ≥2-fold in response to summer fire. Cultural acceptability of prescribed fire in the region is high; significant adoption by the ranching community has been observed.

Fire regime of a Elionorus muticus Spreng. savanna, western Chaco region, Argentina

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Bravo ◽  
Carlos Kunst ◽  
Ana Gimenez ◽  
Graciela Moglia
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Fire Scars ◽  
Chaco Region ◽  
Native Woody Species

Our objective was to assess the current fire regime of a 600 ha savanna dominated by the grass species Elionorus muticus Spreng., located in Santiago del Estero Province, north-western Chaco region, Argentina. The degree of tolerance of some native woody species to fire, the fire mean fire frequency (FF), and Weibull median probability (WMPI) were evaluated. Sampling sites were located in the ecotone between the savanna and the surrounding forests. A database was developed from fire scars found in cross sections of native tree and shrub species, cut at different heights above ground; that covered the recent 70 years of fire history (1925–1996). Results indicate that the savanna has a mean FF of 0.179 fires year–1 and an FI = 3 years. The mean height of fire scars found in trees and shrubs which indicate medium to high fireline intensities with flame lengths larger than 1 m are frequent in the savanna. Native species have different degrees of tolerance: Aspidosperma quebracho blanco (tree) and Schinopsis quebracho colorado (tree) are more tolerant to fire than Acacia furcatispina (shrub) and A. aroma (shrub). Bark thickness of the tree species (1–1.5 cm in mature individuals) allows them to withstand the frequent, high intensity fires of the savanna.

scholarly journals Prescribed Burning and Clear-Cutting Effects on Understory Vegetation in aPinus canariensisStand (Gran Canaria)

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Ramón Arévalo ◽  
Silvia Fernández-Lugo ◽  
Celia García-Domínguez ◽  
Agustín Naranjo-Cigala ◽  
Federico Grillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Fire Hazards ◽  
Clear Cutting

Prescribed fires are a powerful tool for reducing fire hazards by decreasing amounts of fuel. The main objective is to analyze the effects of prescribed burning on the understory vegetation composition as well as on the soil characteristics of a reforested stand ofPinus canariensis. The study attempts to identify the effects of the preburning treatment of cutting understory vegetation on the floristic parameters of the vegetation community. This study was carried out for two years following a prescribed fire in a Canarian pine stand. Cutting and burning treatment affected species composition and increased diversity. Burnt and cut plots were characterized by a diverse array of herbaceous species and by a lower abundance ofTeline microphylla(endemic legume), although burning apparently induced its germination. Cut treatment was more consistently differentiated from the control plots than burnt treatment. Soil K decreased after both treatments, pH slightly decreased after cutting, while P and Ca increased after fire. From an ecological point of view, prescribed burning is a better management practice than cutting the woody species of the understory. However, long-term studies would be necessary to evaluate the effects of fire intensity, season and frequency in which the prescribed burning is applied.

scholarly journals New approach to the reclamation of the old flotation tailings in Bor

2010 ◽  
pp. 35-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan Dozic ◽  
Matilda Djukic ◽  
Grozdanka Bogdanovic ◽  
Rodoljub Stanojlovic ◽  
Sara Lukic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Layer ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Fraxinus Excelsior ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Acer Pseudoplatanus ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Flotation Tailings ◽  
Copper Mine ◽  
Common Oak ◽  
The Town

The old flotation tailings of the Bor copper mine have not been reclaimed for several decades, although it is a serious threat to the environment, especially to some parts of the town. To date, there have been no efficacious attempts of solving the problem by indirect rehabilitation, only several cases of direct reclamation. This paper presents some results of the experiment established on a part of the tailings in the vicinity of the town, where various variants of meliorated and sterile substrates were applied in the biological reclamation with several tree and grass species. The analysis shows that, in the rehabilitation of sterile substrate of the copper mine, it is possible to grow several woody species. The best results were achieved by the species that were planted in the fertile soil layer on the sterile copper mine substrate, and on the mixture of soil and waste. Among the woody species, Robinia pseudoaccacia, Fraxinus excelsior and Acer pseudoplatanus showed the best survival percent, growth, and physiological vitality and the poorest were spruce and common oak.

scholarly journals Effects of prescribed fires on the survival and release of seeds of Kielmeyera coriacea (Spr.) Mart. (Clusiaceae) in savannas of Central Brazil

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Cirne ◽  
Heloisa Sinátora Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Seed Survival ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Savanna Vegetation ◽  
Kielmeyera Coriacea

Effects of prescribed fires on survival and release of seeds of the woody species Kielmeyera coriacea (Clusiaceae) were investigated in two plots of cerrado sensu stricto, a savanna vegetation of Central Brazil. The first plot was burnt in June, at the beginning of the dry season, and the second in August, in the middle of the dry season. Seed survival was measured after fire in both areas and related to internal and external fruit temperatures measured during the June fire. The proportion of open fruits per individual of K. coriacea was also assessed at two-week intervals. Maximum external temperatures during fire (393 to 734ºC) were strongly reduced inside the fruits (61 to 63ºC). Before the June fire, the majority of the fruits were closed in both plots. Most fruits in the June plot opened within two weeks following the burning while, in the same period, most fruits remained closed in the August plot. Fifteen days after the prescribed fire in the August plot most fruits opened, as observed in the June plot. No germination was observed in seeds from closed fruits collected before the fire, while those from fruits that were closed during the burning showed a high mean germination rate (June = 79 ± 12%; August = 69 ± 14%). The results indicate that fruits of K. coriacea are good insulators for seeds during fires and that seed release is anticipated independently of the burning season.

Impact of grazing system on rangeland condition and grazing capacity in Zimbabwe

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
J. Gusha ◽  
M. Masocha ◽  
P. H. Mugabe
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Rangeland Management ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Rangeland Condition ◽  
Communal Rangelands ◽  
Grazing Capacity

The influence of different land tenure and rangeland management systems on rangeland condition and livestock grazing capacity in African rangelands is not well documented. A rangeland condition assessment was carried out at 15 sites located in the communal grazing system, small-scale commercial grazing system and the large-scale commercial grazing system in Zimbabwe. Rangeland indicators assessed were: floristic composition, herbaceous biomass yield, shrub stem density and grazing capacity. Grass species composition and forage value were analysed using PROC FREQ procedure of SAS 9.3. Fisher’s exact test was performed to test for independence of the grass variables between grazing systems. A one-way ANOVA was used to test for significant differences (P < 0.05) in floristic composition, shrub stem density, herbaceous biomass yield and grazing capacity among the three grazing systems. It was observed that communal rangelands had significantly high levels of woody species, unpalatable wiry grass species, low biomass yield and were dominated by the invading shrub Helichyrsum kraussii compared with the other rangeland management systems. These results suggest that if control measures are not put in place, livestock production may not be feasible in communal rangelands in the near future because of high levels of rangeland deterioration when compared with the commercially managed rangelands. Furthermore, the observed high stem density of unpalatable woody species and the low grazing capacity of communal rangelands affect livestock production, a primary source of livelihood. This warrants a change in rangeland management system in favour of the rest-rotation grazing system, which is beneficial to both livestock and the range.

scholarly journals Bioindicators of Plant and Animal Origin in an Ecosystem Evaluation

2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Žák
Keyword(s):  
Screening Test ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Lepus Europaeus ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Scientific Objective ◽  
Botanical Survey ◽  
European Hare ◽  
The Town

The study had a threefold scientific objective: to perform a botanical survey of the area under study, to identify all plant species grazed by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) and to determine polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) presence in hares using the screening test. The study area is characterized by intensive agricultural operations around the town of Senice in the Olomouc region. During the botanical survey in the agrocoenosis in 2001 and 2002, the author identified 62 species of herbs and grasses and 8 woody species. Of that total, 19 herbal and grass species and 6 woody species were suitable for consumption by the European hare. To determine the PCB concentrations, samples of plants, and the liver and muscle tissue from the front and hind extremities of the European hare were collected. PCB concentrations ranged from 0.0004 to 0.0007 mg in plants and 0.0001 to 0.0005 mg in the liver and musculature of hares.

Control of Invasive Weeds with Prescribed Burning

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 535-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Ditomaso ◽  
Matthew L. Brooks ◽  
Edith B. Allen ◽  
Ralph Minnich ◽  
Peter M. Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Soil Biology ◽  
Garlic Mustard ◽  
Invasive Weed ◽  
The Impact

Prescribed burning has primarily been used as a tool for the control of invasive late-season annual broadleaf and grass species, particularly yellow starthistle, medusahead, barb goatgrass, and several bromes. However, timely burning of a few invasive biennial broadleaves (e.g., sweetclover and garlic mustard), perennial grasses (e.g., bluegrasses and smooth brome), and woody species (e.g., brooms and Chinese tallow tree) also has been successful. In many cases, the effectiveness of prescribed burning can be enhanced when incorporated into an integrated vegetation management program. Although there are some excellent examples of successful use of prescribed burning for the control of invasive species, a limited number of species have been evaluated. In addition, few studies have measured the impact of prescribed burning on the long-term changes in plant communities, impacts to endangered plant species, effects on wildlife and insect populations, and alterations in soil biology, including nutrition, mycorrhizae, and hydrology. In this review, we evaluate the current state of knowledge on prescribed burning as a tool for invasive weed management.

scholarly journals Assessment of Rangelands Around Molepolole Village of Botswana to Ascertain Its Potential to Support Free Range Beef Cattle Despite Its Long Term Use as a Grazing Area

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. p229
Author(s):  
Shimane Washington. Makhabu ◽  
Seabe Ntoroko ◽  
Mpho Rinah Setlalekgomo ◽  
Boikhutso Sebidio
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Bush Encroachment ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Line Transects ◽  
Grazing Area ◽  
Cattle Rearing ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Village

In Botswana, cattle rearing can either be in farms or in communal grazing areas. In communal grazing areas, carrying capacities are never adhered to, hence degradation sometimes occurs. This negatively impact on the livestock industry since cattle are mainly free ranging. This therefore calls for periodic checks of grass species to determine whether grazing areas still have potentials to sustain livestock production. A study was done to take stock of grass species and bush encroachment status around the biggest village of Botswana, known as Molepolole. The survey looked at species composition, distribution and production. The survey was done by using line transects, quadrats and plots in the northern and western direction of the village. In each quadrat, grass species were identified, counted by species, height measured and biomass determined by clipping. In plots, woody plants were counted for all species. The survey revealed that despite heavy grazing and periodic droughts the grazing area still has some grass species of good grazing value and the area is being threatened to being encroached by woody species. Thus there is still a potential for use of the area for grazing but at lower stocking rate. However, it was noted that the area needs some restoration by controlling bush encroachment and reintroduction of good grass species.

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