Evapotranspiration from northern semiarid grasslands
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Authors: A. B. Frank
Date: 2003
Journal: Agronomy Journal
Volume: 95
Number: 6
Pages: 1504-1509
Summary of Methods: Evapotranspiration (ET) along with soil water content, aboveground biomass and leaf area index (LAI) was investigated to gain a better understanding of how grazing affects water availability in the northern mixed prairie of North Dakota (46° 46' N, 100° 55' W). Measurements were taken every three weeks during the growing season for three years on a continuously grazed native prairie site, a native prairie site that had not been grazed for four years and a grazed seeded western wheatgrass stand. Grazing was moderate on the two grazed sites. Energy balance measurements including temperature and humidity above the vegetation canopy, water vapor flux, net radiation, soil heat flux, soil temperature were taken throughout each day during the growing season to calculate ET.
Article Summary / Main Points: Over the three years, the grazed native prairie had lower ET rates than the grazed western wheatgrass stand and the non-grazed native prairie. Aboveground biomass and leaf area index were similar at the two prairie sites, but highest in the western wheatgrass stand. Soil water content was similar among the three types of pastures. The authors proposed that moderate grazing on native prairie could reduce soil water loss due to lower evapotranspiration rates.
Vegetation Types: Northern Mixed Prairie
MLRA Ecoregions: 54 Rolling Soft Shale Plain 55B Central Black Glaciated Plains
Agrovoc Control Words: Grazing lands Rangelands Sown pastures
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: forage production, grazing, biomass, evapotranspiration, soil water
Annotation: Caution should be used when applying these results to other grasslands types and grazing systems as different climate and grazing management could alter evapotranspiration rates. As there were no true control pastures, adding pastures, both prairie and seeded, that had not been grazed or not been grazed for longer than three years prior to the study would increase the validity of the findings.
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