Ecology of California Grasslands

Biswell, H. H.

doi:10.2307/3894645

Cited by 98 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This phenomenon has been predicted based on circumstantial evidence (i.e., the loss of perennial grasses from the grasslands) (Biswell 1956, Bartolome 1979, Heady et al 1992), but has not been demonstrated experimentally until recently (Borman et al 1992, Holmes and.…”

Section: Implications For Conservation and Future Invasionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Dyer

Rice

1999

Ecology

116

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Abstract. In California, little is known about the sensitivity of native bunchgrasses to competition or to changes in resource availability. We investigated the effect of nonnative annual vegetation on resource availability and growth of a native bunchgrass, Nassella pulchra, in a pair of factorial field experiments that incorporated effects of both interspecific and intraspecific competition as well as variation in soil depth. Plots of differing target densities and neighborhoods were used to assess changes in aboveground (light) and belowground (water) resource availability over multiple seasons in two sites with differing soil depth. N. pulchra grown without interspecific competitors grew larger and produced more culms at all planting densities compared to plants in plots with interspecific competitors. Intraspecific competition significantly influenced growth only in the absence of interspecific competition. Reproductive effort, as measured by flowering culm production, was more sensitive than vegetative growth to both forms of competition. Light availability and variability at the soil surface was greatly reduced by the nonnative annual neighborhood. As expected, soil moisture was rapidly depleted by annuals to 30 cm in all plots. In deepsoil plots, soil moisture was reduced at 60-150 cm depths only when annual vegetation was removed, and depletion was correlated with N. pulchra basal area. This result suggests that the interspecific neighborhood reduced root growth in N. pulchra and its subsequent ability to use deep moisture. Within California's inland grasslands, nonnative annual vegetation has changed seasonal patterns of resource availability. We conclude that (1) increased competition for light during the spring, when growth of annuals is most rapid, suppresses growth and reproduction of N. pulchra; (2) by suppressing bunchgrass growth, annual grasses reduce access to belowground resources by competitive interference; and (3) the loss of perennial grasses in California grasslands and the general dominance by nonnative annual species results in the relative underutilization of deep soil resources. These conclusions suggest that the dominance of California grasslands by nonnative annual vegetation has shifted the primary limiting resource from soil moisture to light and the timing of resource limitation from summer to winter and spring.

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Section: Implications For Conservation and Future Invasionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Dyer

Rice

1999

Ecology

116

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“…Annual grassland is a community dominated by introduced European species, now considered to be a permanent addition to California's ecosystems (Biswell, 1956;Barry, 1972;Love, 1975;Heady, 1977). Although this plant community may initially require human intervention to become established, it can persist on some sites after disturbance has ended (Davidson & Barbour, 1977;Hobbs, 1983).…”

Section: Relation Between Coastal Sage Scrub and Annual Grasslandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing the boundary between California annual grassland and coastal sage scrub with differential profiles

Hobbs

1986

Vegetatio

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Differential profiles are used to describe a pattern of vegetation change across the boundary between annual grassland and coastal sage scrub in southern California. Several techniques for deriving differential profiles are compared; profiles derived from multivariate ordination are found to be most informative. Quantitative description of the vegetation boundaries by differential profiles permitted their classification into two categories of abrupt boundaries and three categories of gradual transitions. Differences between these boundary types appear to be the result of differences in soil texture and compaction, degree of disturbance, and spatial distribution of disturbance.

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“…In contrast, targeted grazing during spring can defoliate tillers and reduce the fecundity and recruitment of winter-active annual grasses, such as ripgut brome, in the following season (e.g. Biswell 1956;Dowling et al 1996). This is because ripgut brome plants flower, then die and are unable to produce more reproductive tillers if they are defoliated sufficiently late in their lifecycle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Jacobs) and other species replaced ripgut brome and became dominant. Unlike ripgut brome, these other species were able to recover from grazing defoliation and produce seeds before they senesced with the onset of hot, dry summers (Talbot et al 1942;Biswell 1956;Heady 1956). However, increasing grazing pressure on ripgut brome is a challenge in the large, extensive blocks of South Island hill and high country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salt (NaCl) application as a tool to reduce the annual grass weed, ripgut brome, in New Zealand South Island hill/high country pastures

Tozer

Marshall

Cameron

et al. 2013

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Ecology of California Grasslands

Cited by 98 publications

References 6 publications

Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Effects of Competition on Resource Availability and Growth of a California Bunchgrass

Characterizing the boundary between California annual grassland and coastal sage scrub with differential profiles

Salt (NaCl) application as a tool to reduce the annual grass weed, ripgut brome, in New Zealand South Island hill/high country pastures

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