Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Redberry juniper-herbaceous understory interactions
Author
Dye, K. L.
Ueckert, D. N.
Whisenant, S. G.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1995-03-01
Body

Basal cover, density, biomass, and species richness of the understory were measured in concentric zones from the stem bases of large redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii Sudw.) trees to 6 m beyond their canopy edges on a shallow, rocky soil and 2 deep soils in the northern Edwards Plateau of Texas. The juniper-driven successional processes of tree dominance, debilitation of understory dominants, influx of subsidiary species, and the general reduction in diversity, density, and biomass of the herbaceous species were evident on all 3 sites. Juniper interference intensified with increasing proximity to the stem bases. Biomass and basal cover of the herbaceous understory responded to a greater extent than did density and species richness 2 years after large redberry junipers were killed with soil injections of picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid). Herbaceous biomass responses after junipers were killed indicated that the sphere of influence of large junipers was more extensive on the shallow soil than on the deep soils. Herbaceous biomass in the presence of interference by large junipers on the Kimbrough, Angelo clay loam, and Tulia loam soils was 1,300, 1,780, and 1,290 kg ha-1, respectively, compared to 2,140, 2,140, and 1,560 kg ha-1 2 years after the junipers were killed on the 3 sites, respectively. Projected herbaceous biomass when juniper populations on the sites develop into closed-canopy woodlands was 320, 880, and 270 kg ha-1 for the Kimbrough, Angelo clay loam, and Tulia loam soils, respectively. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4002794
Additional Information
Dye, K. I., Ueckert, D. N., & Whisenant, S. G. (1995). Redberry juniper-herbaceous understory interactions. Journal of Range Management, 48(2), 100-107.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644455
Journal Volume
48
Journal Number
2
Journal Pages
100-107
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
textural soil types
clay loam soils
Juniperus pinchotii
soil depth
plant interaction
understory
species diversity
ecological succession
forbs
shrubs
Texas
biomass
canopy
grasses