scholarly journals Stocking Methods and Soil Macronutrient Distributions in Southern Tallgrass Paddocks: Are There Linkages?

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K. Northup ◽  
Patrick J. Starks ◽  
Kenneth E. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Production Scale ◽  
Living Plant ◽  
Uniform Distributions ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Growth Initiation ◽  
Position Management ◽  
Water Tanks

Broad ranges of factors (parent materials, climate, plant community, landscape position, management) can influence macronutrient availability in rangeland soils. Two important factors in production-scale paddocks are the influences of location in space and land management. This study examined plant-available macronutrients (total mineral and nitrate-N, P, S, K, Ca, and Mg) in soils, with paired sets of probes (anion and cation exchange membranes) that simulate uptake by plant roots. Data were collected from sets of paddocks of southern tallgrass prairie in central Oklahoma, managed by four stocking methods during the 2015 growing season (mid-March, growth initiation by native grasses, and early-August, time of peak living plant biomass). Macronutrient availability in the 0–7.5 cm and 7.5–15 cm depths were determined at locations in close proximity to water (water tanks and 25% of the distance between tanks and paddock mid-points (PMP)), and distances near the mid-points of paddocks (70% of the distance between water and mid-points (0.7 PMP), and PMP). All of the tested stocking methods affected levels of availability of macronutrients at different times of the growing season, and among different locations within paddocks. Such responses indicated stocking methods may not result in uniform distributions of flux in plant-available macronutrients. The overall exposure of landscapes and arrangement of features within paddocks also appeared to influence macronutrient distributions.

Seasonal and temperature effects on mycorrhizal activity and dependence of cool- and warm-season tallgrass prairie grasses

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1596-1602 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Bentivenga ◽  
B. A. D. Hetrick
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Cool Temperature ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Fungal Activity ◽  
Prairie Grasses ◽  
Vesicular Arbuscular ◽  
Warm Season Grasses

Previous research on North American tallgrass prairie grasses has shown that warm-season grasses rely heavily on vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, while cool-season grasses are less dependent on the symbiosis (i.e., receive less benefit). This led to the hypothesis that cool-season grasses are less dependent on the symbiosis, because the growth of these plants occurs when mycorrhizal fungi are inactive. Field studies were performed to assess the effect of phenology of cool- and warm-season grasses on mycorrhizal fungal activity and fungal species composition. Mycorrhizal fungal activity in field samples was assessed using the vital stain nitro blue tetrazolium in addition to traditional staining techniques. Mycorrhizal activity was greater in cool-season grasses than in warm-season grasses early (April and May) and late (December) in the growing season, while mycorrhizal activity in roots of the warm-season grasses was greater (compared with cool-season grasses) in midseason (July and August). Active mycorrhizal colonization was relatively high in both groups of grasses late in the growing season, suggesting that mycorrhizal fungi may proliferate internally or may be parasitic at this time. Total Glomales sporulation was generally greater in the rhizosphere of cool-season grasses in June and in the rhizosphere of the warm-season grasses in October. A growth chamber experiment was conducted to examine the effect of temperature on mycorrhizal dependence of cool- and warm-season grasses. For both groups of grasses, mycorrhizal dependence was greatest at the temperature that favored growth of the host. The results suggest that mycorrhizal fungi are active in roots when cool-season grasses are growing and that cool-season grasses may receive benefit from the symbiosis under relatively cool temperature regimes. Key words: cool-season grasses, tallgrass prairie, vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae, warm-season grasses.

No evidence for interspecific interactions between plants in the first stage of succession on coastal dunes in subarctic Quebec, Canada

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 902-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Houle
Keyword(s):  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Salt Spray ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Coastal Dune ◽  
Dune System ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Herbaceous Perennials

Coastal dunes are very dynamic systems, particularly where the coast is rising as a result of isostatic rebound. In those environments, succession proceeds from plants highly tolerant to sand accumulation, salt spray, and low nutrient availability to less disturbance-tolerant and stress-tolerant, more nutrient-demanding, and supposedly more competitive species. In the subarctic, the regional climate exacerbates the stresses imposed by local abiotic conditions on the dunes. I hypothesized that facilitation would be particularly significant on the foredune of subarctic coastal dune systems because of intense stresses (local and regional) and frequent disturbance in the form of sand deposition. Belowground and aboveground plant biomass was sampled at three different periods during the 1990 growing season along transects perpendicular to the shoreline on a coastal dune system in subarctic Quebec (Canada). The three herbaceous perennials found on the foredune (Honckenya peploides, Elymus mollis, and Lathyrus japonicus) were segregated in time during the growing season and in space along the topographical gradient. The biomass of Honckenya, the first species encountered as one progresses from the upper part of the beach towards the foredune ridge, was not correlated to substrate physicochemistry. However, the biomass of Elymus and that of Lathyrus, the next two species to appear along the flank of the foredune, were related to pH, Mg, Na, and Cl (negatively), and to P and Ca (positively). These results suggest variable linkages between substrate physicochemistry and plant species along the foredune, possibly in relation to species-specific tolerance for abiotic conditions and requirements for substrate resources or to microscale influence of the plants themselves on substrate physicochemistry. Removal experiments carried out over 2 years revealed only one significant unidirectional interaction between these three species along the topographical gradient, and little plant control over abiotic variables (e.g., soil temperature, wind velocity, and photosynthetically active radiation). Early primary succession on subarctic coastal dunes (and elsewhere) appears to be under the control of strong limiting abiotic conditions. As plants slowly gain more control over the physical environment, interspecific interactions (positive and negative) may become more significant. Key words: Elymus mollis, facilitation, Honckenya peploides, inhibition, Lathyrus japonicus, removal experiment, succession, tolerance.

scholarly journals Interannual Variation in Root Production in Grasslands Affected by Artificially Modified Amount of Rainfall

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Fiala ◽  
Ivan Tůma ◽  
Petr Holub
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variation ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Lower Amount ◽  
Root Production ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Natural Rainfall ◽  
Plant Matter ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Below Ground

The effect of different amounts of rainfall on the below-ground plant biomass was studied in three grassland ecosystems. Responses of the lowland (dryFestucagrassland), highland (wetCirsiumgrassland), and mountain (Nardusgrassland) grasslands were studied during five years (2006–2010). A field experiment based on rainout shelters and gravity irrigation simulated three climate scenarios: rainfall reduced by 50% (dry), rainfall increased by 50% (wet), and the natural rainfall of the current growing season (ambient). The interannual variation in root increment and total below-ground biomass reflected the experimentally manipulated amount of precipitation and also the amount of current rainfall of individual years. The effect of year on these below-ground parameters was found significant in all studied grasslands. In comparison with dryFestucagrassland, better adapted to drought, submontane wetCirsiumgrassland was more sensitive to the different water inputs forming rather lower amount of below-ground plant matter at reduced precipitation.

scholarly journals Managing Tallgrass Prairies for Productivity and Ecological Function: A Long-Term Grazing Experiment in the Southern Great Plains, USA

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steiner ◽  
Starks ◽  
Neel ◽  
Northup ◽  
Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Continuous System ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Wide Range

The Great Plains of the USA is one of largest expanses of prairie ecosystems in the world. Prairies have been extensively converted to other land uses. The remaining prairie ecosystems are important for livestock grazing and provide benefits including habitat for avian, terrestrial, and aquatic species, carbon regulation, and hydrologic function. While producers, land management agencies, and some researchers have promoted livestock management using rotational stocking for increased production efficiency and enhanced ecosystem function, scientific literature has not provided a consensus on whether rotational stocking results in increased plant biomass or animal productivity. To address this research need, we established long-term grazing research using an adaptive management framework to encompass a wide range of production and ecological interactions on native grassland pastures. This paper describes objectives, design, and implementation of the long-term study to evaluate productivity and ecological effects of beef cow–calf management and production under continuous system (CS) or rotational system (RS) on native tallgrass prairie. Findings from 2009 to 2015 indicate that plant biomass and animal productivity were similar in the two grazing management systems. There were some indicators that forage nutritive value of standing biomass and soil nutrient content were enhanced in the RS system compared with the CS, yet individual calf body weight (BW) at weaning was greater in the CS. This prepares us to engage with producers to help determine the focus for the next phase of the research.

scholarly journals Effects of rainfall manipulation and nitrogen addition on plant biomass allocation in a semiarid sandy grassland

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Xiaoan Zuo ◽  
Xueyong Zhao ◽  
Jianxia Ma ◽  
Eduardo Medina-Roldán
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
Extreme Drought ◽  
N Addition ◽  
Rainfall Distribution ◽  
Grassland Plants ◽  
Sandy Grassland

Abstract Extreme climate events and nitrogen (N) deposition are increasingly affecting the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the response of plant biomass to variations to these global change drivers is still unclear in semi-arid regions, especially in degraded sandy grasslands. In this study, a manipulative field experiment run over two years (from 2017 to 2018) was conducted to examine the effect of rainfall alteration and nitrogen addition on biomass allocation of annuals and perennial plants in Horqin sandy grassland, Northern China. Our experiment simulated extreme rainfall and extreme drought (a 60% reduction or increment in the growing season rainfall with respect to a control background) and N addition (20 g/m2) during the growing seasons. We found that the sufficient rainfall during late July and August compensates for biomass losses caused by insufficient water in May and June. When rainfall distribution is relatively uniform during the growing season, extreme rainfall increased aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) of annuals, while extreme drought reduced AGB and BGB of perennials. Rainfall alteration had no significant impacts on the root-shoot ratio (R/S) of sandy grassland plants, while N addition reduced R/S of grassland species when there was sufficient rainfall in the early growing season. The biomass of annuals was more sensitive to rainfall alteration and nitrogen addition than the biomass of perennials. Our findings emphasize the importance of monthly rainfall distribution patterns during the growing season, which not only directly affect the growth and development of grassland plants, but also affect the nitrogen availability of grassland plants.

scholarly journals Belowground bud banks of tallgrass prairie are insensitive to multi-year, growing-season drought

Ecosphere ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. art103-art103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin L. VanderWeide ◽  
David C. Hartnett ◽  
Daniel L. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Bud Banks

scholarly journals Differential Responses of Plant Primary Productivity to Nutrient Addition in Natural and Restored Alpine Grasslands in the Qinghai Lake Basin

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunli Li ◽  
Yonghui Li ◽  
Xinwei Li ◽  
Li Ma ◽  
Yuanming Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
N Addition ◽  
Alpine Grasslands ◽  
Qinghai Lake Basin

Climate, land-use changes, and nitrogen (N) deposition strongly impact plant primary productivity, particularly in alpine grassland ecosystems. In this study, the differential responses of plant community primary productivity to N and phosphorus (P) nutrient application were investigated in the natural (NG) and “Grain for Green” restored (RG) alpine grasslands by a continuous 3-year experiment in the Qinghai Lake Basin. N addition only significantly promoted plant aboveground biomass (AGB) by 42% and had no significant effect on belowground biomass (BGB) and total biomass (TB) in NG. In comparison with NG, N addition elevated AGB and BGB concurrently in RG by 138% and 24%, respectively, which further significantly increased TB by 41% in RG. Meanwhile, N addition significantly decreased BGB and the AGB ratio (R/S) both in NG and RG. Compared with N addition, P addition did not perform an evident effect on plant biomass parameters. Additionally, AGB was merely negatively influenced by growing season temperatures (GST) under the N addition treatment in NG. AGB was negatively associated with GST but positively related to growing season precipitation (GSP) in RG. By contrast, changes in the R/S ratio in RG were positively correlated with GST and negatively related to GSP. In sum, the results revealed that plant community biomass exhibited convergent (AGB and R/S) and divergent (BGB and TB) responses to N addition between NG and RG. In addition, the outcomes suggested that climate warming would enhance plant biomass allocation to belowground under ongoing N deposition, and indicated the significance of precipitation for plant growth and AGB accumulation in this restored alpine grassland ecosystem.

scholarly journals Development of a Wireless Sensor Network for Tracking Flood Irrigation Management in Production-Sized Rice Fields in the Mid-South

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-715
Author(s):  
Yin-Lin J Chiu ◽  
Michele L Reba
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Sensor Network ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Sensor Network ◽  
Field Condition ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Rice Fields ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Flood Irrigation ◽  
Production Scale

HighlightsDeployed a wireless sensor network to track flood irrigation management in ~255 ha production scale rice fieldsUltrasonic sensors were installed in rice fields and water level data were wirelessly transmitted for the growing seasonStudy found significant relationship between automated and manual measurement methodsPotential benefits of using wireless sensor networks are described Abstract. The inclusion of automation in agricultural irrigation may improve crop management by providing organized, site-specific, and real-time information to producers. The objective of this study was to develop a rugged, wireless sensor network (WSN) and infrastructure to retrieve, process, and disseminate sensor data installed in remote rice fields. The study took place during the 2018 rice production season in eastern Arkansas. A working prototype WSN (consisting of 24 sensor nodes) was assembled and field-tested in sixteen production-sized (approximately 16 ha each) irrigated rice fields. Data were collected during the growing season and included water depth and soil water. The WSN retrieved, processed, and disseminated in-situ data from the production fields to a remote computer server. Data were made viewable via a web browser on internet-connected computers and mobile devices. The analysis quantified the benefits, costs, and practical usability of the system to assist with field condition monitoring and irrigation management in production-sized rice farming operations. Water level measurements using the WSN unit were significantly related to the actual measurements in Multiple-inlet rice irrigation (MIRI), Row rice (ROW), and Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation treatments (r = 0.453 to 0.946, p = <0.0001). However, the reliability of this equipment was challenged by field installation and maintenance. Several in-house troubleshooting methods are discussed to ensure accurate usage of this automated system in future deployments. The results of the study indicated the use of the ultrasonic sensor for estimating water level in MIRI, ROW and AWD irrigation to be a viable solution for future WSN development. The functional WSN supported sensors for automated water level and soil water measurements that could, in future, provide real-time knowledge of the field condition, and enhance resource management for the producer. Keywords: Field condition monitoring, Production scale field monitoring, Remote sensor, Wireless sensor, Wireless sensor network.

scholarly journals Soil Macronutrient Responses in Diverse Landscapes of Southern Tallgrass to Two Stocking Methods

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K. Northup ◽  
Patrick J. Starks ◽  
Kenneth E. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Production Scale ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Macronutrient Distribution ◽  
Exchange Membrane ◽  
Location Interaction ◽  
Membrane Probes

Macronutrient (N, P, S, K, Ca, and Mg) availability and distribution in soils of grassland ecosystems are affected by diverse factors, including landscape position, climate, and forms of management. This study examined flux in plant-available macronutrients in production-scale (60 to 80 ha) paddocks of southern tallgrass prairie of central Oklahoma, United States, managed (2009–15) under two contrasting stocking methods (continuous yearlong; rotational stocking among 10 sub-paddocks). Macronutrient availability within the 0–7.5 cm and 7.5–15 cm soil depths were determined with sets of anion-cation exchange membrane probes at 16 locations within paddocks, oriented along transects from water sources to far corners. No clear overall effect related to stocking method was recorded for all macronutrient distributions. The only significant stocking method × location interaction occurred for K (p = 0.01). All other macronutrients displayed significant (p < 0.08) location effects that were common across stocking methods. Effects relatable to stocking method occurred in interactions with soil depth or time of year (p < 0.10), but responses of macronutrient flux to stocking method in these interactions varied. Higher flux occurred in available S, Ca, and Mg in proximity (<24 m) to water sources, which may be related to grazing, but local features of the landscape may also have been involved. More attention to landscape features included within paddocks, and standardized organization of water and other features within paddocks, would improve the potential to define grazing effects on macronutrient distribution.

Abundance and composition of plant biomass as potential controls for mire net ecosytem CO2exchange

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Laine ◽  
Jill Bubier ◽  
Terhi Riutta ◽  
Mats B. Nilsson ◽  
Tim R. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Internal Variation ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon Exchange

We compared the amount and composition of different aboveground biomass (BM) fractions of four mires with their net ecosystem CO2exchange (NEE) measured by eddy covariance. We found clear differences in response of green biomass (GBM) of plant functional types (PFTs) to water table (WT), which resulted in larger spatial variation in GBM within a mire than variation between mires. GBM varied between mires from 126 ± 7 to 336 ± 16 g·m–2(mean ± SE), while within mire variation at largest was from 157 ± 17 to 488 ± 20 g·m–2(mean ± SE). GBM of dominant PFTs appeared to be better in explaining the peak growing season NEE than the total BM or GBM of a mire. The differences in photosynthetic capacity between PTFs had a major role, and thus a smaller GBM with different species composition could result in higher NEE than larger GBM. Vascular plant GBM, especially that of sedges, appeared to have a high impact on NEE. Eleven PFTs, defined here, appeared to capture well the internal variation within mires, and the differences in GBM between communities were explained by the water table response of PFTs. Our results suggest the use of photosynthesizing BM, separated into PFTs, in modelling ecosystem carbon exchange instead of using just total BM.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document