The Climate of the Central North American Grassland

Borchert, John R.

doi:10.2307/2561016

Cited by 41 publications

(47 citation statements)

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“…Grasslands experience relatively high levels of interannual variability in precipitation (Borchert 1950). This variability in precipitation, coupled with the high relative growth rates of the dominant plants, most likely allows grasslands to exhibit higher levels of interannual variability in aboveground production than many other biome types (Knapp and Smith 2001).…”

Section: Potential Implications For C Sequestrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water limitation and high interannual variability in precipitation are characteristics of grasslands worldwide, as well as in the Great Plains region (Borchert 1950;Ripley 1992;Lauenroth and Burke 1995). General circulation models predict small increases in total annual precipitation, increased intensity of rainfall events, summer drying and drought, and more year-to-year variability in precipitation for North America as a consequence of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (Easterling and others 2000;IPCC 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regional Patterns in Carbon Cycling Across the Great Plains of North America

McCulley

Burke

Nelson³

et al. 2005

Ecosystems

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The large organic carbon (C) pools found in noncultivated grassland soils suggest that historically these ecosystems have had high rates of C sequestration. Changes in the soil C pool over time are a function of alterations in C input and output rates. Across the Great Plains and at individual sites through time, inputs of C (via aboveground production) are correlated with precipitation; however, regional trends in C outputs and the sensitivity of these C fluxes to annual variability in precipitation are less well known. To address the role of precipitation in controlling grassland C fluxes, and thereby soil C sequestration rates, we measured aboveground and belowground net primary production (ANPP-C and BNPP-C), soil respiration (SR-C), and litter decomposition rates for 2 years, a relatively dry year followed by a year of average precipitation, at five sites spanning a precipitation gradient in the Great Plains. ANPP-C, SR-C, and litter decomposition increased from shortgrass steppe (36, 454, and 24 g C m )2 y )1 ) to tallgrass prairie (180, 1221, and 208 g C m )2 y

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Section: Potential Implications For C Sequestrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional Patterns in Carbon Cycling Across the Great Plains of North America

McCulley

Burke

Nelson³

et al. 2005

Ecosystems

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“…The southwesterly paleowind regime suggests zonal flow was more significant when the unit B parabolic dunes were actively migrating (at least from about 6700 BP to 5400 BP). In general, zonal flow in the Great Plains of North America is associated with warmer/drier, and droughty climatic conditions (Borchert, 1950) and many consider these conditions to be characteristic of the midHolocene. However, the paleowind regime inferred from midHolocene dune deposits in the Nebraska Sand Hills is northwesterly, inconsistent with zonal flow (Stokes et al, 1999).…”

Section: Implications For Climate Change Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene Stratigraphy and Geomorphology of Flintstone Hill, Lauder Sandhills, Glacial Lake Hind Basin, Southwestern Manitoba

Running

Havholm

Boyd

et al. 2004

gpq

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Sediments exposed at Flintstone Hill in a Souris River cutbank provide the most complete postglacial stratigraphic section in the Glacial Lake Hind Basin (GLHB), southwestern Manitoba. Four lithologic units, A-D, are observed: A1 (~2 m thick), glaciolacustrine silts and clays that grade upward to peat and record final regression of Glacial Lake Hind (~10 500-9300 BP); A2 (~1.5 m thick), low energy fluvial marl and silts grading to O-horizon(s) (by 6700 BP); B (1.5 m thick), dune sands that migrated from the southwest, contrary to the modern wind regime (after ~6700 BP); C (1.0 m thick), thin fluvial deposit between eolian sand sheets (~5500-3200 BP); D (up to 7 m thick), parabolic dune on the modern landscape oriented consistent with the modern wind regime, blowouts suggest episodic dune reactivation (~3200 BP to present). Overall, Flintstone Hill deposits record draining of Glacial Lake Hind, establishment of the Souris River channel through the GLHB, mid-Holocene eolian activity / landscape instability greater than present, and a return to nearly modern conditions by ~5400 BP. Native inhabitants in the GLHB focused on exploiting wetlands and wet meadows before 9300 BP and a landscape similar to the present thereafter.Les sédiments à découvert de la Flintstone Hill, sur la berge escarpée de la rivière Souris, offrent la séquence stratigraphique postglaciaire la plus complète du bassin du Lac glaciaire Hind. Quatre unités lithologiques, de A à D, y sont observées : A1 (~2 m d’épaisseur), silts et argiles glaciolacustres au granoclassement vertical progressif jusqu’à la tourbe témoignent de la dernière régression du Lac glaciaire Hind (~10 500-9300 BP) ; A2 (~1,5 m d’épaisseur), marnes fluviatiles de faible énergie et silts jusqu’à un horizon O (vers 6700 BP) ; B (1,5 m d’épaisseur), sables dunaires en provenance du sud-ouest, contrairement au régime des vents actuel (après ~6700 BP) ; C (1,0 m d’épaisseur), dépôt fluviatile mince entre des couches de sable (~5500-3200 BP) ; D (jusqu’à 7 m d’épaisseur), dune parabolique faisant partie du paysage moderne et orientée selon le régime des vents actuel, avec des creux de déflation témoignant de réactivations dunaires épisodiques (~3200 BP à aujourd’hui). En résumé, les dépôts de la Flintsone Hill attestent d’abord de la vidange du Lac glaciaire Hind, puis de l’établissement du chenal de la rivière Souris à travers le bassin, d’une activité éolienne et d’une instabilité des paysages à l’Holocène moyen plus grande que maintenant et de l’établissement de conditions quasi contemporaines vers 5400 BP. Les premiers habitants du bassin ont d’abord exploité les terres humides et les prés humides avant 9300 BP, puis un paysage semblable à celui d’aujourd’hui par la suite.Los sedimentos expuestos en la zona de Flinstone Hills en la ribera del Souris River proporcionan el registro estratigráfico post-glaciar más completo de la cuenca del Lake Hind, al sudoeste de Manitoba. Se distinguen cuatro unidades litológicas: A-D. La unidad A1, de unos 2 m de grosor, está compuesta por limo...

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“…Paleobotanical and historical records show how vegetation zones and grassland/forest boundaries have followed shifting precipitation patterns across the present Central Plains grasslands of the United States (Borchert 1950;Axelrod 1985). In this century, grassland communities in the Great Plains underwent dramatic compositional changes during the severe 7-year drought (1934 -41) that marked the 1930s dust bowl era (Weaver 1968).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altering Rainfall Timing and Quantity in a Mesic Grassland Ecosystem: Design and Performance of Rainfall Manipulation Shelters

et al. 2000

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Global climate change is predicted to alter growing season rainfall patterns, potentially reducing total amounts of growing season precipitation and redistributing rainfall into fewer but larger individual events. Such changes may affect numerous soil, plant, and ecosystem properties in grasslands and ultimately impact their productivity and biological diversity. Rainout shelters are useful tools for experimental manipulations of rainfall patterns, and permanent fixed-location shelters were established in 1997 to conduct the Rainfall Manipulation Plot study in a mesic tallgrass prairie ecosystem in northeastern Kansas. Twelve 9 x 14-m fixed-location rainfall manipulation shelters were constructed to impose factorial combinations of 30% reduced rainfall quantity and 50% greater interrainfall dry periods on 6 x 6-m plots, to examine how altered rainfall regimes may affect plant species composition, nutrient cycling, and above-and belowground plant growth dynamics. The shelters provided complete control of growing season rainfall patterns, whereas effects on photosynthetic photon flux density, nighttime net radiation, and soil temperature generally were comparable to other similar shelter designs. Soil and plant responses to the first growing season of rainfall manipulations (1998) suggested that the interval between rainfall events may be a primary driver in grassland ecosystem responses to altered rainfall patterns. Aboveground net primary productivity, soil CO 2 flux, and flowering duration were reduced by the increased interrainfall intervals and were mostly unaffected by reduced rainfall quantity. The timing of rainfall events and resulting temporal patterns of soil moisture relative to critical times for microbial activity, biomass accumulation, plant life histories, and other ecological properties may regulate longerterm responses to altered rainfall patterns.

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The Climate of the Central North American Grassland

Cited by 41 publications

References 0 publications

Regional Patterns in Carbon Cycling Across the Great Plains of North America

Regional Patterns in Carbon Cycling Across the Great Plains of North America

Holocene Stratigraphy and Geomorphology of Flintstone Hill, Lauder Sandhills, Glacial Lake Hind Basin, Southwestern Manitoba

Altering Rainfall Timing and Quantity in a Mesic Grassland Ecosystem: Design and Performance of Rainfall Manipulation Shelters

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