Rangeland Ecology & Management

Get reliable science

IMPACTS OF LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE HERBIVORY ON SEED BANK AND BUD BANK IN MIXED-GRASS PRAIRIE.
Author
Xu, Lan
Johnson, Patricia S.
Hendrickson, John R.
Sedivec, Kevin K.
Brennan, Jameson R.
Liebig, Mark A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

Vegetation recovery and resilience following disturbance is related to germinable seeds and regeneration from vegetative propagules. Ecological site can affect plant composition and intensity of disturbance can influence population persistence via plant functional traits. Impacts of livestock and prairie dogs on seed and bud banks were evaluated by sampling two ecological sites (Clayey vs. Loamy) for two years on the presence, size, types, and viability of seed and vegetative propagule reserves. Within each ecological site, locations were selected in areas with no grazing, grazing by prairie dog only, grazing by cattle only and grazing by both herbivores (year 2). At each location, two prairie dog burrows (on-town) or sampling points (off-town) at least 2m apart were randomly selected. Two soil cores were taken at 0.5m, 1.0m, and 2.0m from the center of each burrow or sampling point. One core was used to evaluate the seed bank while the other was examined for vegetative propagules. The soil cores and seed flats were maintained in a greenhouse with ambient photoperiod during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Plants were identified as they emerged, counted and then removed. Species richness, abundance, and viability of seed bank and bud bank were determined. Impact of livestock on seed and bud banks on on-town were evaluated in year 2. Both ecological sites have considerable potential for revegeation from the soil seed and bud banks. However species composition and abundance differed. More native than introduced, annual than perennial, and forbs than graminoids emerged from seeds in both ecological sites while more graminoids than forbs regenerated from vegetative propagules. Germinable seed bank species richness and seedling abundance were greatest for on-town samples compared to both off-town sites on Loamy ecological sites. Distance from burrow did not affect species richness or abundance for either ecological sites.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX