Effects of fire, grazing, and the presence of shrubs on Chihuahuan desert grasslands

Drewa, Paul B.; Havstad, Kris M.

doi:10.1006/jare.2000.0769

Cited by 62 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Table 2 shows a lower effect size (g p 2 ) for the fire 3 clip interaction than for the single effects of fire, clip, or year. These results are consistent with fire and grazing studies from Arizona and New Mexico that found fire and grazing affected vegetation relatively independently (Valone and Kelt 1999;Drewa and Havstad 2001;Valone 2003). However, it is important to note that the lack of a combined clipping þ fire effect found in our study is within the context of highly controlled, smallplot treatments.…”

Section: Fire and Clipping Interactionssupporting

confidence: 91%

Sideoats Grama Growth Responses to Seasonal Fires and Clipping

Ansley¹,

Castellano²,

Pinchak³

2006

REM

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There is increased interest in the use of summer-season fires to limit woody plant encroachment on southern prairie grasslands, but collateral effects of these fires on grasses are poorly understood. We quantified effects of repeated winter fires, repeated summer fires, simulated grazing (clipping), and their interaction on yields of the C 4 midgrass, sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) in northern Texas. Monoculture patches of sideoats grama were exposed to 1 of 3 fire treatments: 1) no burn, 2) 2 winter fires in 3 years, or 3) 2 summer fires in 3 years; and to 1 of 2 clip treatments (no clip or clip once each spring). Total yield (live þ standing dead), live yield, percent live tissue, and foliar cover were measured in spring and late-growing season (late-season) over a 7-year period. In unclipped plots, late-season total yield did not fully recover until 2 growing seasons after winter fires and 3 growing seasons after summer fires. By 5 years postfire, total yield was greater in both fire treatments than in the no burn. Live yields recovered more quickly than total yields following summer fires but never exceeded the no burn. Percent live tissue was greater in both fire treatments than in the no burn for up to 2 years postfire. Clipping reduced total and live yields in the no burn and winter-fire treatments but not in the summer-fire treatment. By 5 years postfire, total and live yields were greater in the summer fire þ clip than the no burn þ clip or winter fire þ clip treatments. Results suggest that 1) sideoats grama is tolerant of summer fires but full recovery may require at least 3 years, and 2) in the long-term, summer fire þ clipping may stimulate sideoats grama production more than winter fire þ clipping or clipping alone. ResumenHay creciente interés de usar fuego en verano para limitar la expansió n de plantas leñ osas en los pastizales del sur, pero, los efectos colaterales de estos fuegos sobre los zacates son pobremente entendidos. En el norte de Texas, cuantificamos los efectos de fuegos repetidos en invierno, fuegos repetidos en verano, apacentamiento simulado (cortes) y sus interacciones en el rendimiento de zacate C4 ''Sideoats grama'' (Bouteloua curtipendula). Parches de monocultivo de ''Sideoats grama'' fueron expuestos a 1 de 3 tratamientos de fuego: 1) sin quema, 2) 2 fuegos en invierno en 3 añ os, y 3) 2 fuegos en verano en 3 añ os; y a 1 de 2 tratamientos de corte (sin corte y un corte cada primavera). El rendimiento de biomasa total (viva þ muerta), el rendimiento de biomasa viva, el porcentaje de tejido vivo y la cobertura foliar fueron medidos en primavera y al final de la estació n de crecimiento durante un periodo de 7 añ os. En las parcelas sin corte, el rendimiento de biomasa total a fines de la estació n se recuperó totalmente hasta 2 estaciones de crecimiento después de recibir los fuegos de invierno y hasta 3 estaciones después de recibir los de verano. Cinco añ os después del fuego, el rendimiento de biomasa total fue mayor en ambos tratamientos de fuego que en l...

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Section: Fire and Clipping Interactionssupporting

confidence: 91%

Sideoats Grama Growth Responses to Seasonal Fires and Clipping

Ansley¹,

Castellano²,

Pinchak³

2006

REM

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“…Additionally, greater postburn perennial forb coverage may have temporarily suppressed black grama. Drought after fire may impede black grama recovery [34], although precipitation levels probably did not affect black grama during this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Only C. E. Bock and J. H. Bock [7,25], Cornelius [31], and Drewa and Havsted [34] thoroughly examined forb responses in sacaton and black grama communities, respectively. In addition, Valone and Kelt [36] reported increased annuals after burns in Arizona's Chihuahaan Desert.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-Term Fire Effects on Small Mammal Populations and Vegetation of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert

Monasmith¹,

Demarais

Root³

et al. 2010

International Journal of Ecology

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Fire is an important ecological factor in semidesert grass-shrub community dynamics, but there is a lack of designed field experiments documenting effects on vegetation and small mammals. We document effects of June prescribed fire on vegetation and small mammals on 20, 25-ha study areas in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert of Southern New Mexico, USA one month and one year posttreatment. Canopy cover of shrubs and grasses recovered to 68 and 27% of the preburn canopy cover, respectively, after one year. Prescribed burns during June enhanced short-term forb production by reducing competition from grasses and shrubs. Thirty thousand trap-nights yielded 1744 captures of 766 individuals of 15 small mammal species. Burns did not affect small mammal species richness and species diversity. Relative abundance of Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) was 91% greater on burned sites than on control sites one year postburn. Silky pocket mouse (Perognathus flavus) relative abundance was 221% greater on burned sites one year postburn. Chihuahuan Desert pocket mice (Chaetodipus eremicus) responded negatively to the fire, with relative abundance 170% greater on control sites (P = .080). Burning produced short-term benefits for two heteromyids, Merriam's kangaroo rats and silky pocket mice.

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“…In arid environments, however, there is little evidence that fire and grazing interact in their effect, either at the individual plant level or the community level (Valone et al 2002), and effects of drought can override potential fire/grazing interaction effects (Drewa and Havstad 2001). Our study sites occur between the mesic grasslands (characterized by the Konza Prairie in Kansas with 81 cm of annual precipitation) and the arid grasslands of southern New Mexico (with 28 cm of annual precipitation).…”

Section: Effects On Mean Species Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant community response to the East Amarillo Complex wildfires in the Southern High Plains, USA

Wester¹,

Rideout-Hanzak²,

Britton³

et al. 2014

Community Ecology

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Abstract:Severe wildfires are increasing in extent in the western US. We used a matched-pairs design with plots in burned and non-burned areas to study effects of the East Amarillo Complex (EAC) wildfires on mixed grass prairie mean community composition and variability in composition. Species composition and ground cover data were collected at 5 study sites each year for three years following the EAC. Fire effects on mean species composition were analyzed with permutational analyses of variance; temporal patterns were analyzed with permutational anova and nonmetric multidimensional scaling; and an index of multivariate dispersion was used to assess variability in plant community composition. We found weak immediate impacts (year 1) of wildfire on mean species composition, but strong impacts by year three. Two general patterns of changes in mean species composition emerged: at 3 study sites, there was a progressive divergence in similarity between burned and non-burned areas following wildfire whereas at 2 study sites, wildfire effects lessened over time. In contrast, a trend of increased homogeneity in burned vegetation relative to non-burned vegetation was apparent at all 5 study sites 2 to 3 years post-fire; burned areas also had higher species diversity, higher evenness but similar species richness 3 years post-fire. Ground cover composition, which was immediately impacted by wildfire through removal of residual dry matter, was fully recovered to non-burned conditions 3 years after wildfire. We observed little seedling recruitment either of native or exotic species following wildfire. Community composition changes in burned areas were likely the result of changing dominance relationships among plants that survived the wildfires rather than the result of recruitment of new individuals in gaps created by dead plants. Given the growth form of perennial C 4 grasses and the fact that these grasslands evolved in the context of repeated fire, it is likely that changes in mean species composition and compositional variability are short-term responses.

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Effects of fire, grazing, and the presence of shrubs on Chihuahuan desert grasslands

Cited by 62 publications

References 51 publications

Sideoats Grama Growth Responses to Seasonal Fires and Clipping

Sideoats Grama Growth Responses to Seasonal Fires and Clipping

Short-Term Fire Effects on Small Mammal Populations and Vegetation of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert

Plant community response to the East Amarillo Complex wildfires in the Southern High Plains, USA

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