Read Books Online and Download eBooks, EPub, PDF, Mobi, Kindle, Text Full Free.
Influence Of Vegetation Richness Diversity Cover Type And Structure On Grassland Bird And Faunal Communities Of Native And Restored Northern Mixed Prairies
Download Influence Of Vegetation Richness Diversity Cover Type And Structure On Grassland Bird And Faunal Communities Of Native And Restored Northern Mixed Prairies full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Influence Of Vegetation Richness Diversity Cover Type And Structure On Grassland Bird And Faunal Communities Of Native And Restored Northern Mixed Prairies ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!
Book Synopsis Influence of Vegetation Richness, Diversity, Cover Type and Structure on Grassland Bird and Faunal Communities of Native and Restored Northern Mixed-prairies by : Ashlee K. Minor
Download or read book Influence of Vegetation Richness, Diversity, Cover Type and Structure on Grassland Bird and Faunal Communities of Native and Restored Northern Mixed-prairies written by Ashlee K. Minor and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Prairie Conservation by : Fred B. Samson
Download or read book Prairie Conservation written by Fred B. Samson and published by Island Press. This book was released on 1996-08 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The area of native prairie known as the Great Plains once extended from Canada to the Mexican border and from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to western Indiana and Wisconsin. Today the declines in prairie landscape types, estimated to be as high as 99%, exceed those of any other major ecosystem in North America. The overwhelming loss of landscape and accompanying loss of species constitute a real threat to both ecological and human economic health.Prairie Conservation is a comprehensive examination of the history, ecology, and current status of North American grasslands. It presents for the first time in a single volume information on the historical, economic, and cultural significance of prairies, their natural history and ecology, threats, and conservation and restoration programs currently underway. Chapters cover: environmental history of the Great Plains the economic value of prairie prairie types -- tallgrass, mixed grass, shortgrass, wetlands -- and the ecological processes that sustain each type prairie fauna -- invertebrates, fish and other aquatic creatures, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and mammals conservation programs such as the Great Plains Partnership, Canada's Prairie Conservation Action Plan, the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, and others The book brings together knowledge and insights from a wide range of experts to describe and explain the importance of prairies and to position them in the forefront of North American conservation efforts. Praire Conservation is an essential reference for anyone interested in prairie ecology and conservation and will play a critical role in broadening our awareness and understanding of prairie ecosystems.
Book Synopsis Limitations to Plant Diversity and Productivity in Restored Tallgrass Prairie by :
Download or read book Limitations to Plant Diversity and Productivity in Restored Tallgrass Prairie written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Approximately 96% of native tallgrass prairie in North America has been lost, which accentuates the need for effective methods to restore the structure and function of these degraded ecosystems. Many prairie restorations aim to restore grass and forb species in proportions reflecting plant species diversity in native prairie. A target grass-forb species mixture is typically chosen at the onset of restoration, but often, grasses become excessively dominant and forbs are underrepresented as the community develops. Several studies have examined the potential for increasing forb cover and diversity in newly restored grasslands, but few studies have assessed factors limiting forb cover and diversity in well-established grass-dominated prairie restorations. The primary objective of this research was to assess the potential for enhancing plant species diversity and productivity in an established grass-dominated prairie restoration by selective removals of dominant grass species, and by manipulating resources (soil nutrients, light availability) or mycorrhizal interactions. A 7-year old grass-dominated restoration was used to evaluate plant and soil responses to manipulations in three separate studies. The first study examined the potential suppressive effects of dominant grasses on plant diversity by reducing the cover and biomass of two dominant grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum. After 3 years, the removal of A. gerardii increased species richness and diversity, which was correlated with increased light availability, but not changes in soil resources. The second study examined the responses of restored grassland communities to long-term manipulation of soil resources (nutrient availability or soil depth), and to aboveground biomass removal via mowing. The long-term manipulation of soil resources did not alter plant species diversity, but nitrogen and light availability were important factors regulating plant productivity. The third study assessed the effects of manipulating arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, through the use of either commercial inoculum or fungicide, on plant communities in restored prairie. Mycorrhizal suppression reduced grass productivity, suggesting that fungicide may be useful for enhancing diversity of restored prairies that are dominated by obligate mycotrophic grasses. In total, these studies suggest that competition between dominant grasses and subordinate forbs limits plant diversity in restored tallgrass prairie.
Book Synopsis Evaluating the Success of Prairie Restorations in Southwest Illinois in Providing Suitable Habitat for Prairie Birds by : Aaron M. Alexander
Download or read book Evaluating the Success of Prairie Restorations in Southwest Illinois in Providing Suitable Habitat for Prairie Birds written by Aaron M. Alexander and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tallgrass prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystem types in North America, as over 99% of historic tallgrass prairie has been lost, even though it is one of the younger ecosystem types. The main factors behind the dramatic loss of tallgrass prairie include conversion to agriculture or development and a suppression of the natural fire regime in these grassland areas. Any natural prairies left are often too small and isolated to serve as viable habitat for grassland-dependent species, making the efforts at restoring these areas critical. Prairie restoration is crucial to grassland-dependent species because it increases the area of suitable habitat. Once a prairie restoration has taken place, it must be managed and evaluated to keep succession at bay and to help ensure that all restoration objectives have been met. Illinois has less than 1% of natural tallgrass prairie remaining, causing the grassland bird communities of the state to experience severe population declines within their ranges. Grassland bird species are important pollinators and dispersers of plants, and are under significant decline, which make them important priorities for conservation efforts. Birds in general are good ecological indicators of restoration success as they can be seen and heard easily, they have specific habitat requirements, and they are often the first animals to reach a restoration effort. Illinois has seen several prairie restoration attempts take place within the last 40 years, but very few studies have been conducted to assess the relative success or failure of these restoration efforts. The objectives of this study are to (1) examine temporal trends in the avian community composition, richness, and diversity among prairie restorations at The Nature Institute, (2) to test whether these trends are heading in the direction of the old growth reference prairie, and (3) to investigate which habitat attributes are the best predictors of the presence and abundance of prairie bird species. I hypothesize that (1) the restorations are on track to attain the bird community composition and diversity of an old growth prairie; (2) changes in vegetation structure over time during restoration provide suitable habitat for particular species of prairie birds. Five 20 m radius sampling plots were established in each of the study sites and utilized for both avian and vegetation sampling. Avian sampling took part in two periods, one spanning the entire avian breeding season from late May into early August, and the other corresponded with avian migration and lasted from September into late October. Plots were divided into regular distance intervals (0-5 m, 6-10 m, 11-15 m, 16-20 m) and all birds within as well as those flying over and outside of the plot were recorded. Vegetation characteristics (e.g., litter depth, forb coverage, and vegetation height) were measured along a 40 m transect within each study plot. Species richness, Antilog Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity indices, and density (birds per hectare) for each plot was calculated. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination was utilized to visualize patterns within the avian community data and to assess whether or not the restorations were on track to achieve the avian community structure of the old-growth reference prairie. Diversity indices were highest in the youngest restorations before dropping off at the oldest restoration and the reference prairie. Indicator species analysis showed that the northern cardinal, willow flycatcher, indigo bunting, and the ruby-throated hummingbird were indicative of restored prairies less than seven years old, whereas species like the chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, and the red-winged blackbird signaled older prairie restorations (15-29 years). Field sparrows were found to be indicator species of the old-growth reference prairie used in this study. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that each study prairie was different from one another based on their avian communities and that the restorations are not on track to achieve the avian community structure found in the reference prairie. The results of this research will provide valuable information to prairie managers across the region. Results from this study show that small isolated prairie restorations, although good for community outreach and public education on the topic, will not meet objectives related to stopping prairie bird declines in a region. Large and well-connected prairie restorations are ideal for grassland-dependent species when planning out future restoration efforts.
Book Synopsis Restored Heterogeneity as a Conservation Strategy for Grassland Birds by : Torre James Hovick
Download or read book Restored Heterogeneity as a Conservation Strategy for Grassland Birds written by Torre James Hovick and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grasslands are inherently dynamic in space and time evolving with frequent disturbance from fire and herbivores. Throughout much of the world, grasslands have been converted and fragmented and many remaining grasslands have become homogenous as a consequence of human actions. As a result, ecosystem function has declined and biodiversity loss has led to decreased ecological services. Of particular concern are highly imperiled grassland birds which have experienced greater population declines than any other habitat associated guild of birds in North America. Conservation efforts that restore heterogeneity to grasslands through the re-coupling of fire and grazing may be an effective strategy for stabilizing or increasing grassland bird populations. We examined Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) ecology, breeding bird community diversity and stability, and non-breeding bird community diversity and patch occupancy in tallgrass prairie with restored structural and compositional heterogeneity. We found that Greater Prairie-Chickens selected for patches with greater time since fire and grazing and that taller vegetation increased nest survival. Additionally, nests that survived were in cooler environments and prairie-chickens displayed fine scale thermal habitat selection as nest sites were nearly 4°C cooler than micro-sites within 2 meters of nests. We found that heterogeneity increased breeding bird community diversity and that increased heterogeneity resulted in greater community stability over time. Finally, non-breeding bird community diversity increased as a result of structural heterogeneity and occupancy modeling revealed that certain species selected for varying patches along a disturbance gradient (i.e, recently disturbed to relatively undisturbed) that resulted from fire and grazing dependent heterogeneity. Our findings add to a growing body of literature supporting the use of fire and grazing to create a shifting grassland mosaic that increases vegetation structural and compositional heterogeneity and maximizes native biodiversity within rangeland ecosystems through the conservation of natural patterns and processes. Additionally, these data provide evidence that variation in grassland structure resulting from the fire-grazing interaction may be important in moderating thermal environments and highlights the complex and interactive effects of restored ecological processes on ecosystems. We recommend future management efforts in rangelands focus on restored disturbance process to increase heterogeneity and improve grassland bird conservation.
Book Synopsis Ecology of the Shortgrass Steppe by : W. K. Lauenroth
Download or read book Ecology of the Shortgrass Steppe written by W. K. Lauenroth and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-08-28 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecology of the Shortgrass Steppe: A Long-Term Perspective summarizes and synthesizes more than sixty years of research that has been conducted throughout the shortgrass region in North America. The shortgrass steppe was an important focus of the International Biological Program's Grassland Biome project, which ran from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. The work conducted by the Grassland Biome project was preceded by almost forty years of research by U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers-primarily from the Agricultural Research Service-and was followed by the Shortgrass Steppe Long-Term Ecological Research project. This volume is an enormously rich source of data and insight into the structure and function of a semiarid grassland.
Book Synopsis Community and Ecosystem Changes in Tallgrass Prairie Restorations by : Ryan P. Klopf
Download or read book Community and Ecosystem Changes in Tallgrass Prairie Restorations written by Ryan P. Klopf and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The overall objective of this study was to quantify the effects of dominant grass propagule source (i.e., cultivar vs. non-cultivar) and seeded diversity of propagules on community structure and ecosystem function during prairie restoration. Two field experiments, and two chronosequences were used to investigate this main objective. The two field experiments were established at the same latitude separated by 620 km (corresponding to a precipitation gradient from eastern Kansas to western Illinois), and consisted of a split plot design, with dominant grass source as the whole-plot factor (2 levels) and seeded dominance of grasses as the subplot factor (5 levels). Percent cover of each species in each treatment combination was quantified during the first five years of restoration. Total plant species richness and diversity were not adversely affected by cultivars in Kansas or Illinois. The effect of the dominant grass population source on the cover of focal grasses, planted species, and volunteer species were contingent upon location. By the fifth year of restoration, diversity and richness were greatest, and cover of volunteer species was lowest in the low grass dominance (i.e., high diversity) treatment. ANPP, as well as total, microbial, and mineralizable pools of C and N were measured to quantify ecosystem function in these two field experiments. Changes in ecosystem function in Kansas and Illinois were primarily driven by time and regional abiotic differences, not propagule source or seeded diversity. The effect of plant species diversity on ecosystem function was further investigated at a landscape scale by developing and sampling two chronosequences of high (HDC; n=20) and low diversity (LDC; n=15) prairies spanning over two decades of restoration in northwestern Illinois. In general most metrics of ecosystem function in both chronosequences moved towards levels measured in remnant prairies. While the constituent prairies of the HDC had higher species richness, diversity, and more rapidly increasing root biomass than the fields of the LDC, recovery of other important ecosystem functions including aboveground net primary productivity, total, microbial, and mineralizable soil C, and soil aggregate mean weighted diameter were achieved equally well with either high or low diversity prairie plantings.
Book Synopsis Prescribed Burning Guidelines in the Northern Great Plains by : Kenneth F. Higgins
Download or read book Prescribed Burning Guidelines in the Northern Great Plains written by Kenneth F. Higgins and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Rangeland Systems by : David D. Briske
Download or read book Rangeland Systems written by David D. Briske and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-12 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.
Download or read book Wildland Fire in Ecosystems written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bibliography of Agriculture written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 2372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Biodiversity written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2013-02-05 with total page 5485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 7-volume Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Second Edition maintains the reputation of the highly regarded original, presenting the most current information available in this globally crucial area of research and study. It brings together the dimensions of biodiversity and examines both the services it provides and the measures to protect it. Major themes of the work include the evolution of biodiversity, systems for classifying and defining biodiversity, ecological patterns and theories of biodiversity, and an assessment of contemporary patterns and trends in biodiversity. The science of biodiversity has become the science of our future. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning areas of both physical and life sciences. Our awareness of the loss of biodiversity has brought a long overdue appreciation of the magnitude of this loss and a determination to develop the tools to protect our future. Second edition includes over 100 new articles and 226 updated articles covering this multidisciplinary field— from evolution to habits to economics, in 7 volumes The editors of this edition are all well respected, instantly recognizable academics operating at the top of their respective fields in biodiversity research; readers can be assured that they are reading material that has been meticulously checked and reviewed by experts Approximately 1,800 figures and 350 tables complement the text, and more than 3,000 glossary entries explain key terms
Book Synopsis Drivers of Vegetation Response to Interactive Effects of Disturbance in a Sagebrush Steppe by : Lauren Cathleen Connell
Download or read book Drivers of Vegetation Response to Interactive Effects of Disturbance in a Sagebrush Steppe written by Lauren Cathleen Connell and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Globally, vegetation structure and patch variability in grasslands and savannas are strongly driven by natural disturbance regimes. These disturbances influence height and cover of herbaceous and woody plants, and often within a variable spatio-temporally regime that results in a heterogeneous landscape. In North America, semi-arid rangelands include grasslands and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-dominated shrublands that evolved with spatially and temporally variable disturbance regimes of wildfire, large ungulate herbivory, and colonial burrowing mammals. Moreover, interactions among multiple disturbances, including wildfire, herbivory by wild and domestic ungulates and colonial burrowing mammals, are driving forces of plant community structure and composition. The effects of these multiple, interactive disturbances are particularly less understood in shrubland-grassland ecotone regions, where divergent climate regimes, disturbance-sensitive vegetation communities, and historic disturbance regimes are juxtaposed and interact to create unique ecosystem responses. My study objectives were thus designed to investigate the effects of multiple, interactive disturbances and their implications for livestock and wildlife management. I addressed these topics in the Thunder Basin National Grassland in northeast Wyoming, U.S.A. In Chapter 1, I investigate the separate and interactive effects of livestock, native ungulates, fire, and small mammals on vegetation structure through a three-tiered, large-scale manipulative experiment. I used nested grazing exclosures to isolate the effects of herbivory from livestock, wild ungulates, or small mammals within areas affected by either historical wildfire, black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies, or neither disturbance. I replicated this sampling design four times. I evaluated the interactive effects of herbivory and historical disturbance on vegetation structure by quantifying vegetation height, visual obstruction, shrub density, shrub canopy, and shrub leader growth. The exclusion of wild ungulates and lightly-to-moderately stocked livestock for two years did not affect herbaceous vegetation structure, shrub density, or shrub canopy cover. Maximum vegetation height, visual obstruction, heights of grasses and forbs, and shrub density were all negatively affected by prairie dogs. Both wildfire and black-tailed prairie dogs had lower canopy cover of shrubs and Wyoming big sagebrush, when compared to undisturbed sites. Shrub leaders experienced over 3-times more browsing on prairie dog colonies, when compared to undisturbed areas and the combined presence of livestock and native ungulates on prairie dog colonies caused significantly more leader browsing than in the presence of native ungulates alone. In Chapter 2, I assessed the effects of prairie dog herbivory on forage in a northern mixed-grass prairie. Black-tailed prairie dogs have high dietary overlap with livestock, which can cause forage-centric conflicts between agriculture and conservation. Research suggests prairie dogs can enhance forage quality, but it remains unclear how the strength of trade-offs between quality and quantity varies throughout the growing season, or the degree to which increased forage quality is caused by altered species composition versus altered plant physiology. I collected samples on prairie dog colonies and at sites without prairie dogs during June, July, and August 2016 – 2017 for forage quality, and August 2015 – 2017 for biomass. I collected both composite samples of all herbaceous species and also samples of western wheatgrass ( Pascopyrum smithii [Rydb.] Á. Löve) to isolate mechanisms affecting forage quality. Across years and plant sample types, crude protein, phosphorus, and fat were greater and neutral detergent fiber was lower on prairie dog colonies than at sites without prairie dogs. The effects of prairie dogs on forage quality persisted throughout the season for western wheatgrass samples. Across years, aboveground biomass did not differ significantly between prairie dog colonies and sites without prairie dogs and the effects of prairie dogs on herbaceous biomass were significantly influenced by spring precipitation. My results demonstrate season-long enhanced forage quality on prairie dog colonies due to both compositional and phenological shifts associated with prairie dog herbivory. Across years, enhanced forage quality may help to offset reductions in forage quantity for agricultural producers. In Chapter 3, I evaluated the use of conspecific acoustic signals as a potential management tool for prairie dogs. Black-tailed prairie dogs are a major driver of vegetation structure and heterogeneity in northeastern Wyoming, in addition to being highly influential on forage quality and production. The management of prairie dogs in this region is a great priority by the U.S. Forest Service and private landowners and thus I sought to explore the influence of acoustic signals on prairie dog behavior and its fitness implications. Researchers have demonstrated cues of conspecifics including acoustic signals can be successfully used in the conservation and management of avian species but it has rarely, if ever, been applied to free-roaming small mammals. The black-tailed prairie dog is a colonial, small mammal whose gregarious vocalizations create fitness benefits of group vigilance against predation and increased foraging time.
Book Synopsis Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds by : Grzegorz Mikusiński
Download or read book Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds written by Grzegorz Mikusiński and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-29 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authoritative review of the ecology of forest birds and their conservation issues throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Book Synopsis Influence of Local- and Landscape-scale Factors on Avian Assemblage in Fragmented Tallgrass Prairie Landscape by : Pooja Panwar
Download or read book Influence of Local- and Landscape-scale Factors on Avian Assemblage in Fragmented Tallgrass Prairie Landscape written by Pooja Panwar and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agricultural expansion and increasing urbanization are driving rapid landscape modification in the Tallgrass prairies ecosystem and are affecting biodiversity at multiple spatial scales. Thus, the conservation of fragmented grassland and steeply declining grassland avifauna is dependent on the relationship between local- and landscape-scale factors and avian assemblage. We also need to understand how these factors, operating at different spatial scales, drive the occupancy of different guilds in the assemblage. We conducted repeated point count surveys during the breeding season of 2019 at 66 grassland sites across Arkansas and Missouri, USA. We developed a multi-species occupancy model to estimate species richness, and species- and guild-specific occupancy probability while accounting for species-specific detection probabilities. We examined the effect of landscape elements: type of landcover around a site, area and shape of a fragment and local-level elements: habitat type (remnant prairie/ hayfield), proximity to trees, and vegetation composition and structure on avian assemblage and guild-specific occupancy probability. Overall, we found that factors operating at landscape-scale have a significant effect on overall richness and composition of avian assemblage and guild-specific occupancy probability. The avian assemblage richness was higher for heterogenous landscape, small patches, and patches with more edge habitat which was a result of lower proportion of habitat specialists (grassland obligate) and higher proportion of habitat generalists. For grassland obligate species, high grassland cover, low forest cover, large patch area, less edge habitat, and lower litter depth had strong positive effects on their occupancy and guild-level species richness at a site. For grassland facultative species, high development around a site, small patch, high edge habitat, and lower litter depth had strong positive effects on their occupancy and guild-level species richness at a site. For woodland species, low grassland cover and high forest cover around a site, small patch, and high edge habitat had strong positive effects on their occupancy and guild-level species richness. Collectively, our results indicate that response to local- and landscape-scale factors varies between the guilds and habitat specialists are negatively affected by habitat fragmentation. Conservation efforts should focus on conserving landscapes, large tracts of prairies, minimize woody encroachment, reduce edge habitat and maintain heterogenous vegetation structure to mitigate grassland bird decline.
Book Synopsis Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems by : Aaron M. Ellison
Download or read book Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems written by Aaron M. Ellison and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems that was published in Forests
Book Synopsis Effects of Management and Edges on Prairie Spatial Ecology by : Eric Behrens
Download or read book Effects of Management and Edges on Prairie Spatial Ecology written by Eric Behrens and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans have converted most of the tallgrass prairie into agriculture, which has disrupted historical disturbance regimes and increased species losses caused by ecosystem fragmentation. Efforts to recover tallgrass and mixed prairies have included both (1) restoration by reintroducing natural disturbances like fire and grazing to remnants and (2) expanding prairie habitat through prairie reconstructions to mitigate the effects of fragmentation. In the first of my two thesis research projects, I assessed the effects of two different methods of burning and grazing management (patch-burn-grazing (PBG) and uniform burning and grazing (UNI)) on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in an Oklahoma tallgrass prairie. I used biomass samples and multispectral imagery as parameters of vegetation heterogeneity. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that vegetation heterogeneity at the within-patch scale, measured at 10m2 resolution, was not significantly different between PBG and UNI at P [less than or equal to] 0.05. Mean forb biomass was significantly different between patches at the whole-plot treatment level (PBG= 20.7g UNI= 12.0g). My second research project assessed effects of edge locations on plant species composition and richness of adjacent remnant and reconstructed prairies at six tallgrass or mixed grass prairie sites. The central edge was the internal edge between the remnant prairie and the adjacent reconstructed prairie whereas the outer edge was the edge between the remnant or reconstructed prairie and the adjacent land or road external to the study area. Native and non-native species cover data were collected within a 1.0 m2 quadrat at 5 and 15 meters from each edge location (outer and center). I analyzed cover and richness data using a three-way ANOVA that examined interactions with edge location, distance from edge, and prairie type (remnant and reconstructed). Average native Species Richness (S), excluding native weedy generalists and tree species, was found to be significantly lower at the outer edge of reconstructions than in the center (Outer S=6.1, Center S=8.5).
