Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Effects of Fire on Texas Wintergrass Communities
Author
Whisenant, S. G.
Ueckert, D. N.
Scifres, C. J.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1984-09-01
Body

The effect of season of burning on standing crop, point frequency, density, and reproductive vigor of Texas wintergrass (Stipa leucotricha Trin. & Rupr.) communities was measured in this study. Additional information on the effects of fire on Texas wintergrass will aid resource managers plan the use of fire in these communities. Burning or clipping Texas wintergrass did not significantly affect the number of reproductive culms per plant in the northern Edwards Plateau region of Texas. Burning, regardless of season, reduced standing crops for 1 year and burning in January or March reduced Texas wintergrass point frequency for 1 year. Burning where annual cool-season grasses were abundant in the southern Rolling Plains tended to increase Texas wintergrass density, point frequency, and standing crop, apparently a result of reduced competition from annual plants. Increases in Texas wintergrass point frequency and standing crop were greater following burning in the fall than following burning in the spring. Prescribed burning in Texas wintergrass communities generally killed annual grasses and forbs if burning occurred subsequent to seedling emergence. However, soil reserves of seed and/or subsequent seed immigration into burned areas appeared to be sufficient to reestablish populations of annual plants during the second year following burning. Annual grass populations consistently tended to be higher in the second year after burning than on unburned rangeland. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. 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)
10.2307/3899621
Additional Information
Whisenant, S. G., Ueckert, D. N., & Scifres, C. J. (1984). Effects of fire on Texas wintergrass communities. Journal of Range Management, 37(5), 387-391.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/645631
Journal Volume
37
Journal Number
5
Journal Pages
387-391
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
seasonal growth
Nassella leucotricha
fires
fire effects
Texas
range management
rangelands