Rangeland Ecology & Management

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PLANT COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND CHANGE UNDER PRAIRIE DOG AND LIVESTOCK HERBIVORY ON DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL SITES
Author
Dickard, Melissa D.
Bowen, Richard
Burnett, Sarah
Fonda, Heather
Summers, Paul
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015
Body

State and transition models in the northern Great Plains often contain a community phase based on prairie dog occupation of a site. However, our understanding of the impact of herbivory on plant community change and composition is limited by herbivory of native wildlife, such as Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and whether these impacts are affected by ecological site. In addition, plague events have decimated prairie dog colonies especially in the western portions of the Northern Great Plains. Extensive prairie dog populations on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation limit forage availability for livestock; however, control measures may be limited. Plant community shifts can be attributed to many types of disturbance, and also to the removal of disturbance. Our objective was to quantify changes in a northern mixed-grass system with the removal of prairie dogs and/or cattle disturbance on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near McLaughlin, SD. Baseline data was collected in traditionally grazed pastures and community shifts were measured after 2 years of cattle and prairie dog exclusion, with paired-grazed plots as controls. Methods included modified Daubenmire frames, 10-point pin frames, and quadrat frequency frames. These methods allowed us to gather canopy cover, basal cover, and species frequency data. Data analysis is in progress, with final results to be presented at the SRM 2015 annual meeting.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Sacramento, CA