A Stipa-Bouteloua community, cultivated in the autumn of 1928 and abandoned in the spring of 1932, reverted to a community dominated by needle-and-thread (Stipa comata). An exclosure to prevent grazing was constructed in 1978 to include equal portions of previously cultivated and adjacent native range, while the remainder of the area continued to be subjected to moderate to heavy grazing pressure. This allowed for a study to determine the effects of the brief period of cultivation on forage production, species recovery, and soil characteristics compared to those of native prairie. The abandoned cultivated site was more productive, and was dominated by needle-and-thread rather than blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). The grazed abandoned site had the highest percentage of invader species, Lepidium densiflorum, Lappula squarrosa, and Descurainia pinnata, at 38.2%versus 7.6% on the grazed native prairie and a lower percentage of "increaser" grasses and forbs (14.7% compared with 76.4%). Soil moisture was lower under grazing at the time of sampling, but differences for most other soil variables (such as nitrogen, monosaccharides, phosphorus, etc.) seemed to be greater between sites (abandoned vs. native) than between grazing treatments (grazed, exclosure), although grazing significantly effected many of the soil variables measured.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.