Management for heterogeneity with interactive fire and grazing has been effective in many ecosystems, but its efficacy has been variable in fragmented and invaded mesic grasslands. We assessed factors constraining the fire-grazing interaction in Iowa, USA from 2007 - 2013. Specifically, we modeled how livestock management, fire management, and biotic and abiotic landscape features influenced the establishment and maintenance of low vegetative structure in burned patches, the positive feedback driving the fire-grazing interaction. The most informative model included stocking rate, burn completion and precipitation. The lightest stocking rate did not establish low vegetative structure in the burn patch and the heaviest stocking rate did not maintain low vegetative structure in the burn patch. The intermediate stocking rate resulted in the lowest vegetative structure in the burn patch and the greatest heterogeneity. Appropriate stocking rates can overcome the fire behavior constraint associated with exotic species invasion and render fire as the effective driver of grazing patterns and vegetation structure in mesic grasslands.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.