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Biomass Not Linked to Perennial Grass Mortality Following Severe Wildfire in the Southern High Plains
Author
Rideout-Hanzak, Sandra
Wester, David B.
Britton, Carlton M.
Whitlaw, Heather
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2011-01-01
Body

In March 2006 the East Amarillo Complex (EAC) wildfires burned over 367 000 ha of short and mixed grass prairie of the southern High Plains, USA. We studied EAC wildfire effects on perennial grass mortality and peak standing crop on Deep Hardland and Mixedland Slopes ecological sites. Deep Hardlands were dominated by blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis H.B.K. [Griffiths]) and buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides [Nutt.] Engelm.); common species on Mixedland Slopes were little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium [Michx.] Nash.) and sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula [Michx.] Torr.) with scattered sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia Torr.) sometimes present. We hypothesized that perennial grass mortality would increase and standing crop would decrease following severe wildfire, and that these responses would be greater than documented prescribed fire effects. Frequency of perennial grass mortality was higher on both sites in burned areas than nonburned areas through three growing seasons following wildfire; however, standing crop was minimally affected. Results suggest that post-wildfire management to ameliorate wildfire effects is not necessary, and that wildfire effects in this area of the southern High Plains are similar to prescribed fire effects.  The Rangeland Ecology & 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)
10.2111/REM-D-10-00071.1
Additional Information
Rideout-Hanzak, S., Wester, D. B., Britton, C. M., & Whitlaw, H. (2011). Biomass not linked to perennial grass mortality following severe wildfire in the southern High Plains. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 64(1), 47-55.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/642842
Journal Volume
64
Journal Number
1
Journal Pages
47-55
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Rangeland Ecology & Management
Keywords
East Amarillo Complex
fire ecology
perennial grasses
plant mortality
post-fire management
primary production
wildfire