Sagebrush response to ungulate browsing in Yellowstone
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Authors: C. L. Wambolt, and H. W. Sherwood
Date: 1999
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 52
Number: 4
Pages: 363-369
Summary of Methods: Wambolt and Sherwood examined the effects of long-term ungulate browsing on big sagebrush plant communities, within the Yellowstone winter range, using exclosures that were 32-39 years old. Compared to browsed areas, canopy cover and density of big sagebrush plants was much greater inside exclosures. Winter forage produced by big sagebrush plants was also greater inside exclosures, due to the increased production of forage by individual plants and the increased density of plants in these protected areas. The results of this study indicate that large ungulate browsing is limiting the production and growth of big sagebrush on the Yellowstone winter range. Authors suggest that current ungulate populations should be reduced to preserve this habitat for future wildlife populations.
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: artemisia tridentata, big sagebrush, winter range, cervus elaphus, odocoileus hemionus, antilocapra americana, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, exclosures, habitat quality, natural regulation
Annotation: None
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