Cover–biomass relationships of an invasive annual grass, Bromus rubens, in the Mojave Desert

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Scott R. Abella
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Mojave Desert ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Bromus Rubens ◽  
Regression Slopes ◽  
Study Sites

Abstract Estimates of plant biomass are helpful for many applications in invasive plant science and management, but measuring biomass can be time-consuming, costly, or impractical if destructive sampling is inappropriate. The objective of this study was to assess feasibility of developing regression equations using a fast, nondestructive measure (cover) to estimate aboveground biomass for red brome (Bromus rubens L.), a widespread nonnative annual grass in the Mojave Desert, USA. At three study sites, including one measured for three consecutive years, B. rubens cover spanned 0.1% to 85% and aboveground biomass 1 to 321 g m−2. In log10-transformed linear regressions, B. rubens cover accounted for 68% to 96% of the variance in B. rubens biomass among sites, with all coefficients of determination significant at P < 0.05. For every doubling of percent cover, biomass was predicted to increase by 78%, 83%, and 144% among the three sites. At the site measured for three consecutive years, which ranged in rainfall from 65% to 159% of the long-term average, regression slopes each year differed from other years. Regression results among sites were insensitive to using cover classes (10 classes encompassing 0% to 100% cover) compared with simulated random distribution of integer cover within classes. Biomass of B. rubens was amenable to estimation in the field using cover, and such estimates may have applications for modeling invasive annual plant fuel loads and ecosystem carbon storage.

scholarly journals Estimating Aboveground Biomass for Broadleaf Woody Plants and Young Conifers in Sierra Nevada, California, Forests

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. McGinnis ◽  
Christine D. Shook ◽  
Jon E. Keeley
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Crown Diameter

Abstract Quantification of biomass is fundamental to a wide range of research and natural resource management goals. An accurate estimation of plant biomass is essential to predict potential fire behavior, calculate carbon sequestration for global climate change research, assess critical wildlife habitat, and so forth. Reliable allometric equations from simple field measurements are necessary for efficient evaluation of plant biomass. However, allometric equations are not available for many common woody plant taxa in the Sierra Nevada. In this report, we present more than 200 regression equations for the Sierra Nevada western slope that relate crown diameter, plant height, crown volume, stem diameter, and both crown diameter and height to the dry weight of foliage, branches, and entire aboveground biomass. Destructive sampling methods resulted in regression equations that accurately predict biomass from one or two simple, nondestructive field measurements. The tables presented here will allow researchers and natural resource managers to easily choose the best equations to fit their biomass assessment needs.

Relationships of Native Desert Plants with Red Brome (Bromus rubens): Toward Identifying Invasion-Reducing Species

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott R. Abella ◽  
Donovan J. Craig ◽  
Lindsay P. Chiquoine ◽  
Kathryn A. Prengaman ◽  
Sarah M. Schmid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mojave Desert ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Desert Ecosystems ◽  
Red Brome ◽  
Bromus Rubens ◽  
Competitive Abilities ◽  
Practical Implications

AbstractThe interactions between native and exotic species occur on a continuum from facilitative to competitive. A growing thrust in invasive species science is differentiating where particular native species occur along this continuum, with practical implications for identifying species that might reduce the invasibility of ecosystems. We used a greenhouse experiment to develop a competitive hierarchy of 27 native species with red brome, an invasive annual grass in the arid lands of the southwestern United States, and a field study to assess in situ responses of brome to native perennial species in the Mojave Desert. Native species most competitive with brome in the competition experiment included the annuals Esteve's pincushion and western fiddleneck and the perennials eastern Mojave buckwheat, sweetbush, and brittlebush, which reduced brome biomass to 49 to 70% of its grown-alone amount. There was no clear difference in competitive abilities with brome between annual and perennial natives, and competiveness was not strongly correlated (r = 0.15) with the biomass of the native species. In the field, sweetbush and brittlebush supported among the least cover of brome, suggesting congruence of the strong early competitive abilities of these species with in situ patterns of brome distribution. At the other extreme, brome attained its highest average cover (19%) below littleleaf ratany, significantly greater than all but 3 of the 16 species evaluated. Cover by brome was only weakly related (r = 0.19) to the area of the perennial canopy, suggesting that factors other than the sizes of perennial plants were linked to differences in brome cover among species. Results suggest that (1) interactions with brome differ substantially among native species, (2) these interactions are not as closely linked to biomass production as in more temperate regions, and (3) there is potential for identifying native species that can reduce invasion of desert ecosystems.

ESTIMATION OF ABOVE GROUND BIOMASS OF THE THREE SITES (GRAZED SITE, PROTECTED SITE AND SEED SOWN SITE) FOR COMPARING THEIR PRODUCTIVITY IN KASHMIR VALLEY

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
AFSHAN ANJUM BABA ◽  
SYED NASEEM UL-ZAFAR GEELANI ◽  
ISHRAT SALEEM ◽  
MOHIT HUSAIN ◽  
PERVEZ AHMAD KHAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Summer Season ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Spring Season ◽  
Kashmir Valley ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
Protected Site

The plant biomass for protected areas was maximum in summer (1221.56 g/m2) and minimum in winter (290.62 g/m2) as against grazed areas having maximum value 590.81 g/m2 in autumn and minimum 183.75 g/m2 in winter. Study revealed that at Protected site (Kanidajan) the above ground biomass ranged was from a minimum (1.11 t ha-1) in the spring season to a maximum (4.58 t ha-1) in the summer season while at Grazed site (Yousmarag), the aboveground biomass varied from a minimum (0.54 t ha-1) in the spring season to a maximum of 1.48 t ha-1 in summer seasonandat Seed sown site (Badipora), the lowest value of aboveground biomass obtained was 4.46 t ha-1 in spring while as the highest (7.98 t ha-1) was obtained in summer.

Biomass of understory species of Pinus halepensis Mill. forests in the Kassandra Peninsula - Chalkidiki

1998 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Smiris ◽  
F. Maris ◽  
K. Vitoris ◽  
N. Stamou ◽  
P. Ganatsas
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Quercus Ilex ◽  
Pinus Halepensis ◽  
Biomass Estimation ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Pistacia Lentiscus ◽  
Quercus Coccifera ◽  
Understory Species ◽  
Cistus Incanus

This  study deals with the biomass estimation of the understory species of Pinus halepensis    forests in the Kassandra peninsula, Chalkidiki (North Greece). These  species are: Quercus    coccifera, Quercus ilex, Phillyrea media, Pistacia lentiscus, Arbutus  unedo, Erica arborea, Erica    manipuliflora, Smilax aspera, Cistus incanus, Cistus monspeliensis,  Fraxinus ornus. A sample of    30 shrubs per species was taken and the dry and fresh weights and the  moisture content of    every component of each species were measured, all of which were processed  for aboveground    biomass data. Then several regression equations were examined to determine  the key words.

Aboveground Biomass of Reaumuria soongorica Shrub Effect on Soil Moisture and Nutrient Spatial Distribution in Arid and Semi-Arid Region

2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 3803-3806
Author(s):  
Bing Ru Liu ◽  
Jun Long Yang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Desert Plant ◽  
Important Species

In order to revel aboveground biomass of R. soongorica shrub effect on soil moisture and nutrients spatial distribution, and explore mechanism of the changes of soil moisture and nutrients, soil moisture content, pH, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) at three soil layers (0-10cm,10-20cm, and 20-40cm) along five plant biomass gradients of R. soongorica were investigated. The results showed that soil moisture content increased with depth under the same plant biomass, and increased with plant biomass. Soil nutrient properties were evidently influenced with plant biomass, while decreased with depth. SOC and TN were highest in the top soil layer (0-10 cm), but TN of 10-20cm layer has no significant differences (P < 0.05). Moreover, soil nutrient contents were accumulated very slowly. These suggests that the requirement to soil organic matter is not so high and could be adapted well to the desert and barren soil, and the desert plant R. soongorica could be acted as an important species to restore vegetation and ameliorate the eco-environment.

scholarly journals Cover-based allometric estimate of aboveground biomass of a non-native, invasive annual grass (Bromus tectorum L.) in the Great Basin, USA

2021 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 104582
Author(s):  
Adam L. Mahood ◽  
Erica Fleishman ◽  
Jennifer K. Balch ◽  
Frank Fogarty ◽  
Ned Horning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Bromus Tectorum ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Native Invasive

Seagrass surveys in Shwe Thaung Yan coastal areas, the southern part of Rakhine Coastal Region, Myanmar: biodiversity, coverage and biomass

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-112
Author(s):  
Thu- Rein
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Seagrass Meadow ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Seagrass Coverage

Studies on percent cover and biomass of seagrasses from Shwe Thaung Yan coastal areas (Inn Din Gyi, Kyauk Nagar and Phoe Htaung Gyaing), the Southern parts of Rakhine Coastal Region, were carried out between March and August, 2018. A total of 8 species of seagrasses, namely Syringodiumisoetifolium (Ascherson) Danty, Halodulepinifolia (Miki) den Hartog, Haloduleuninervis (Forsskal) Ascherson, Cymodocearotundata Ehrenberg et Hemprich ex Ascherson, C. serrulata (R. Brown) Ascherson et Magnus, Thalassiahemprichii(Ehrenberg) Ascherson, Halophila major (Zoll.) Miquel and Enhalusacoroides (Linnaeus f.) Royle, were recorded in three study sites. Seagrass meadow in this study showed seasonal variations in both percent cover and biomass. Total seagrass coverage and biomass were higher in the dry season than in the monsoon season. Total seagrass coverage ranged between 8% and 75% in Phoe Htaung Gyaing, between 10% and 42% in Kyauk Nagar, and between 15% and 43% in Inn Din Gyi. Total seagrass mean biomass was 50.2413-259.846gdry.wtm-2 in Phoe Htaung Gyaing, 63.0194 -321.535gdry.wtm-2 in Kyauk Nagar, and 98.6819-416.237gdry.wtm-2 in Inn Din Gyi.

EFFECTS OF ACUTE SIMULATED AND ACUTE GRASSHOPPER (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE) DAMAGE ON GROWTH RATES AND YIELD OF SPRING WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM)

1983 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 629-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. O. Olfert ◽  
M. K. Mukerji
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Kernel Weight ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Available Soil Moisture ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Control

AbstractStudies showed that the type of damage, the timing of damage with the phenological stage of the crop, and the amount of available soil moisture influenced the growth response of spring wheat to acute levels of grasshopper damage and acute levels of artificial damage. Ground-level cutting of plants resulted in the greatest reduction in plant biomass and crop yield, while grasshopper damage and artificial stripping of leaf material did not result in as severe a reduction in either biomass or yield.Damaged plants were not able to recover lost biomass when damage occurred any later than the early stages of tillering despite observed relative growth rates which were higher than control plants. The greatest degree of recovery occurred in study sites with the greatest amount of available soil moisture.The most detrimental effect of damage on yield was the reduction of heads per plant and kernel weight. In most cases differences in the number of seeds per head between damaged and control plants were not evident.

The upland hardwood component of Prince Edward Island's remnant Acadian forest: determination of depth of edge and patterns of exotic plant invasion

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
pp. 1113-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate MacQuarrie ◽  
Christian Lacroix
Keyword(s):  
Exotic Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Invasion ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Exotic Plant ◽  
Exotic Plant Invasion ◽  
Acadian Forest ◽  
Study Sites

The upland hardwood component of Prince Edward Island's Acadian forest is among the best remaining examples of the precolonial landscape, but it has been severely fragmented during the past 300 years of human use and settlement. Despite the ecological importance of this remnant habitat and its level of fragmentation, there has been no assessment of depth of edge or exotic plant invasion in these areas. Three 300 m long edge–interior transects were established in each of six study sites. Nine 100-m2 circular plots were sampled along each transect at distances from 5.7 to 300 m; one external plot was established at each transect to sample species in adjacent habitats. In each plot, all vascular plants were identified, a visual estimate of percent cover was made, and soil temperature, canopy cover, and tree diameters were measured. An edge–interior plant community gradient was found within these forests; a plant community characteristic of interior conditions was not reached until a distance of more than 120 m from an edge. This suggests that upland hardwood protected areas smaller than 240 m on a side (5.75 ha) are unlikely to include interior habitat, and sites should be greater than 320 m on all sides (10.24 ha) to ensure at least some interior habitat for vascular plants. Invasion by exotic species was found to be more extensive than that reported from other jurisdictions, and innermost (300 m) plots were not free from exotics. Fifteen exotic species were found within the study sites, with Veronica officinalis (common speedwell) and Hieracium lachenalii (hawkweed) being the most invasive, both in terms of distance penetrated and area covered.Key words: Acadian forest, fragmentation, depth of edge, protected area, Veronica, Hieracium.

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