Kentucky Bluegrass Impacts Diversity and Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in a Northern Great Plains Rangeland

Hendrickson, John; Liebig, Mark A.; Printz, Jeffrey L.; Toledo, David; Halvorson, Jonathan J.; Christensen, Rachael; Kronberg, Scott L.

doi:10.1016/j.rama.2021.07.005

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This region is dominated by grasslands across a wide range of climatic conditions; annual precipitation varies two‐fold from the eastern (~840 mm year −1 ) to the western Great Plains (~330 mm year −1 ) (Augustine et al, 2021; Burke et al, 1991; Küchler, 1965), while annual temperature decreases from >15°C in the southern Great Plains to <0°C in the Northern Great Plains (Hartman et al, 2020). These locations encompassed the major grassland types in the Central US Great Plains with blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis )‐dominated shortgrass steppe (USDA ARS, Central Plains Experimental Range) in northeastern Colorado; northern mixed‐grass prairie co‐dominated by western wheatgrass ( Pascopyrun smithii ), B. gracilis (USDA ARS, High Plains Grasslands Research Station) in southeastern Wyoming; northern mixed‐grass prairie co‐dominated by P. smithii , green needlegrass ( Nassella viridula ), buffalograss ( B. dactyloides ), and B. gracilis (South Dakota State University Cottonwood Field Station) near Cottonwood, South Dakota; northern mixed‐grass prairie recently dominated by perennial cool‐season grasses including Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis ) in 1995 (Hendrickson et al, 2021; Kleinhesselink et al, 2023); (USDA ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory) near Mandan, North Dakota; an ecotone representing shortgrass and mixed‐grass prairie co‐dominated by sideoats grama ( B. curtipendula ), P. smithii , B. gracilis , B . dactyloides and Japanese brome ( Bromus japonicus ) (Harmoney & Jaeger, 2011), (Kansas State University, Hays Agricultural Research Center) near Hays, Kansas; as well as tallgrass prairie co‐dominated by big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ), Indiangrass ( Sorghastrum nutans ), and little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium ; Rannells Flint Hills Prairie Preserve) near Manhattan, Kansas (Owensby & Auen, 2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only the Manhattan, KS site is annually burned, a typical management practice for this historically significant process for maintaining tallgrass prairie structure and function (Anderson et al, 1970). Unlike the other study locations, Mandan, ND, is dominated by a single nonnative perennial grass species, P. pratensis, which may (1) promote consumer production at this site, for example, livestock weight gains (Hendrickson et al, 2021;Reeves et al, 2014), but also (2) hamper plant diversity and concomitantly reduce stability of ANPP under other stresses such as drought (Wagg et al, 2017). Additional site descriptions are available in Appendix S1.…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Secondary production of the central rangeland region of the United States

Raynor,

Derner,

Hartman

et al. 2024

Ecological Applications

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Rangelands are the dominant land use across a broad swath of central North America where they span a wide gradient, from <350 to >900 mm, in mean annual precipitation. Substantial efforts have examined temporal and spatial variation in aboveground net primary production (ANPP) to precipitation (PPT) across this gradient. In contrast, net secondary productivity (NSP, e.g., primary consumer production) has not been evaluated analogously. However, livestock production, which is a form of NSP or primary consumer production supported by primary production, is the dominant non‐cultivated land use and an integral economic driver in these regions. Here, we used long‐term (mean length = 19 years) ANPP and NSP data from six research sites across the Central Great Plains with a history of a conservative stocking to determine resource (i.e., PPT)–productivity relationships, NSP sensitivities to dry‐year precipitation, and regional trophic efficiencies (e.g., NSP:ANPP ratio). PPT–ANPP relationships were linear for both temporal (site‐based) and spatial (among site) gradients. The spatial PPT–NSP model revealed that PPT mediated a saturating relationship for NSP as sites became more mesic, a finding that contrasts with many plant‐based PPT–ANPP relationships. A saturating response to high growing‐season precipitation suggests biogeochemical rather than vegetation growth constraints may govern NSP (i.e., large herbivore production). Differential sensitivity in NSP to dry years demonstrated that the primary consumer production response heightened as sites became more xeric. Although sensitivity generally decreased with increasing precipitation as predicted from known PPT–ANPP relationships, evidence suggests that the dominant species' identity and traits influenced secondary production efficiency. Non‐native northern mixed‐grass prairie was outperformed by native Central Great Plains rangeland in sensitivity to dry years and efficiency in converting ANPP to NSP. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms leading to differences in producer and consumer responses will require multisite experiments to assess biotic and abiotic determinants of multi‐trophic level efficiency and sensitivity.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary production of the central rangeland region of the United States

Raynor,

Derner,

Hartman

et al. 2024

Ecological Applications

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“…The introduction and prevalence of Kentucky bluegrass, an exotic species with higher root density at the soil surface, has been associated with increased SOC (Sanderson et al 2017;Bork et al 2020) in part due to a buildup of dead biomass (thatch) at the soil surface with lower C:N ratio (Toledo et al 2014). Spreading by rhizomes, Kentucky bluegrass will also form a continuous mulch on the surface, which has been shown to regulate soil water and temperature dynamics (Avery et al 2019), reduce plant diversity and germination (Halvorson et al 2022), and lead to increased soil C and N (Sanderson et al 2017;Hendrickson et al 2021). Despite the documented decrease in Kentucky bluegrass from the Upper Grassland and Black Chernozem zone, this species has been increasing on mesic grasslands with and without grazing in both Alberta (Zapisocki et al 2022) and BC (Bradfield et al 2021;Hamilton et al 2022), and throughout the Northern Great Plains (Toledo et al 2014).…”

Section: Soil Properties Occurring Along the Elevation Gradientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevation gradient drives distribution of soil carbon in a semiarid grassland of British Columbia

et al. 2023

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A sequence of Brown, Dark Brown and Black Chernozems spanning a 600 m elevation gradient in a semiarid bunchgrass ecosystem (Lac du Bois Grassland) near Kamloops, British Columbia was first described in 1961. More soil organic carbon (SOC) at higher elevations along the sequence was attributed to increasing effective precipitation with increasing elevation. Since the 1961 study, plant community composition has shifted towards the desired climax community due to improved livestock management instituted in the 1970s; however, changes in soil carbon stocks remain unknown. The objective of this study was to quantify SOC and SIC (soil inorganic carbon) stocks using the same site selection criteria as used in 1961. SOC stocks (kg m-2 ± SD; 0-60 cm) were similar for Brown (5.73±1.7) and Dark Brown Chernozems (5.87±0.76) but increased sharply (10.11±2.5) for the higher elevation Black Chernozems. SIC increased with depth in all three soil zones, representing 33-50% of total C from the 30-60 cm soil depth. To evaluate changes in SOC (0-20 cm) from the 1961 measurements, three different approaches for calculating SOC stocks were used based on the inclusion or exclusion of coarse fragments. Results varied across the three soil zones from no change to a 20% increase in the Brown, an increase of 7% to a reduction of 26% in the Dark Brown, and a decrease of 12 to 35% in the Black soil zone. Information about soil coarse fragments and the distribution of SOC and SIC stocks within the soil profile is crucial for accurate comparisons across studies or resampling events.

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“…Breeding efforts are underway to improve environmental-stress tolerances, disease and insect resistance, seed quality and yield, as well as uniformity and stability of traits (reviewed in Bonos and Huff 2013 ). While the economic value of P. pratensis is high, it is highly invasive, and in the last 30 years it has aggressively invaded the North American Northern Great Plains, altering ecosystem function by reducing pollinator and plant diversity and altering nutrient dynamics ( DeKeyser et al 2015 ; Kral-O’Brien et al 2019 ; Hendrickson et al 2021 ). Continued research into the genetic diversity of wild P. pratensis is needed to understand how invasive populations are rapidly adapting, and the study of wild populations may enable identification of disease or environmentally tolerant ecotypes for use in turfgrass breeding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A happy accident: a novel turfgrass reference genome

Phillips

Seetharam

Albert

et al. 2023

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

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Poa pratensis, commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass, is a popular cool-season grass species used as turf in lawns and recreation areas globally. Despite its substantial economic value, a reference genome had not previously been assembled due to the genome’s relatively large size and biological complexity that includes apomixis, polyploidy, and interspecific hybridization. We report here a fortuitous de novo assembly and annotation of a P. pratensis genome. Instead of sequencing the genome of a C4 grass, we accidentally sampled and sequenced tissue from a weedy P. pratensis whose stolon was intertwined with that of the C4 grass. The draft assembly consists of 6.09 Gbp with an N50 scaffold length of 65.1 Mbp, and a total of 118 scaffolds, generated using PacBio long reads and Bionano optical map technology. We annotated 256 K gene models and found 58% of the genome to be composed of transposable elements. To demonstrate the applicability of the reference genome, we evaluated population structure and estimated genetic diversity in P. pratensis collected from three North American prairies, two in Manitoba, Canada and one in Colorado, USA. Our results support previous studies that found high genetic diversity and population structure within the species. The reference genome and annotation will be an important resource for turfgrass breeding and study of bluegrasses.

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Kentucky Bluegrass Impacts Diversity and Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in a Northern Great Plains Rangeland

Cited by 8 publications

References 36 publications

Secondary production of the central rangeland region of the United States

Secondary production of the central rangeland region of the United States

Elevation gradient drives distribution of soil carbon in a semiarid grassland of British Columbia

A happy accident: a novel turfgrass reference genome

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