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  • Comparing the impacts of patch-burn grazing on vegetation in two northern tallgrass prairies
  • anonymous
  • 2024-05-23
  • anonymous. 2024. Comparing the impacts of patch-burn grazing on vegetation in two northern tallgrass prairies ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/DOI_PLACE_HOLDER (Accessed 2024-12-27).

  • The management practice of patch-burn grazing varies grazing pressure across a site by rotating burn locations, thereby creating spatial heterogeneity in vegetation height and density (structure). Patch-burn grazing increases the range of habitats available for different wildlife species, but it may also unintentionally affect plant invasion and plant biodiversity. We evaluated the effects of patch-burn grazing on plant communities in two northern tallgrass prairies. Both dry-mesic prairie sites were in Minnesota, USA, on similar soils and undergoing invasion by the non-native, cool-season grass smooth brome (Bromus inermis). The sites had different cattle stocking rates and burning practices (3 or 5 burn units). We established 15-20 pairs of plots per site with a fence around one member of each pair. We measured vegetation structure, native and non-native plant richness, smooth brome frequency, and frequency-weighted mean coefficients of conservatism (mean C) over 5-6 years across two treatments: patch-burn grazing and burning-without-grazing. At the site with a lower stocking rate and more burn units, grazing promoted spatial heterogeneity by reducing vegetation structure 18-65 percentage points in some units and some years. In both treatments, native richness increased 15% over 6 years, but smooth brome frequency increased over 200%, suggesting that adjustments in management are needed to suppress smooth brome. At the site with a higher stocking rate and fewer burn units, grazing reduced vegetation structure 37-78 percentage points in all units and all years, but native richness was maintained over time. Grazing also increased non-native richness 38 percentage points and reduced mean C by 6 percentage points over 2 years. Smooth brome frequency increased 2% over 2 years in both treatments. Patch-burn grazing at this site may have increased richness of annual or biennial non-native plant species. At both sites, long-lived perennials may drive the resilience of native plants to periodic grazing impacts.

  • Geographic Coordinates
    • N: 45.14385, S: 45.14385, E: -95.99967, W: -95.99967
    • N: 44.44237, S: 44.44237, E: -96.30898, W: -96.30898
  • edi.1642.1  (Uploaded 2024-05-23)  
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  • DOI PLACE HOLDER
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