Population structure and tiller demography of the bunchgrass Schizachyrium scoparium in response to herbivory
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Authors: J. L. Butler, and D. D. Briske
Date: 1988
Journal: Oikos
Volume: 51
Number: 3
Pages: 306-312
Summary of Methods: In an 18 month study, in oak post savannah in east central Texas, individual plant basal area decreased and total plant density increased when Schizachyrium scoparium was subjected to repeated, 2 and 3 day periods of light or heavy grazing, followed by at least 30 days of rest. These changes were the result of fragmentation of large plants into smaller specimens, with more tillers per cm2. Because drought occurred during the latter part of the study, and is also a cause of fragmentation, the authors suggest that a reduction in plant basal area and subsequent increase in dominance by grazing tolerant plants can bring about bunchgrass decline. In the same study, herbivory extended the period of tiller recruitment, but did not change total tillering.
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: schizachyrium scoparium, tiller demography, population structure, perennial bunchgrass, herbivory, basal area
Annotation: Two levels of herbivory were imposed by placing 2 steers within pastures of 0.54 (treatment 1) and 0.41 (treatment 2) replicated twice. These two treatments represent one and one-half and two times the recommended rate of grazing for this region.,The pastures were grazed for 2 to 3 day periods, interspersed with ungrazed periods of 30 to 40 days, to simulate a rotational grazing system. Densities of plants were calculated at three times during the 18-month study: May 1983, October 1983, and October 1984.
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