Seed production in sideoats grama populations with different grazing histories
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Authors: S. E. Smith, R. Mosher, and D. Fendenheim
Date: 2000
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 53
Number: 5
Pages: 550-555
Summary of Methods: Long-term grazing may alter plant characteristics and this study was initiated to determine if seed production of sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula var. caespitosa) differed between sites with or without a long history of livestock grazing in southern Arizona. Ramets were harvested from sideoats grama plants at a grazed and ungrazed site and grown in a greenhouse where they were exposed to simulated grazing treatments for two seasons. Plants originating in the grazed pasture had lower seed production, due to a reduced number of seeds per spike, than plants that had originated in the ungrazed pasture. The reduced seed production of plants from the grazed site was not expected as plants at historically grazed sites are usually more grazing tolerant than those from ungrazed sites, however, although the difference in seed production was most likely due to grazing history the authors caution that other differences between the sites were not measured and may have affected the results of this study.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: bouteloua curtipendula var. caespitosa, sideoats grama, defoliation tolerance, evolution, grazing resistance
Annotation: Plants were clipped to a 5 cm stubble height every 6-12 weeks.
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