Grass seedling recruitment in cattle dungpats
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Authors: F. Gokbulak, and C. A. Call
Date: 2004
Journal: Rangeland Ecology & Management
Volume: 57
Number: 6
Pages: 649-655
Summary of Methods: Cattle were fed Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), bluebunch wheatgrass (Psuedoroegneria spicata), and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum) seeds, and their dung was deposited, naturally or in artificially made dungpats of varying thicknesses, on bare soil, to determine the establishment of seedlings from cattle dungpats and the potential for cattle as seed dispersal agents. Seedling emergence depended on dungpat thickness and seedling vigor. Thinner dungpats (< 2 cm) produced more seedlings than natural or thick (4 cm) dungpats, and crested wheatgrass seedlings were more vigorous than bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass seedlings and were therefore able to grow in dungpats of greater thicknesses. Survival and emergence patterns of bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass plants indicate that dungpat thickness was most limiting, seedlings could emerge from all surfaces of thin dungpats but could only emerge from cracks and edges of thick or natural dungpats. The results suggest that cattle can be used for seed dispersal, however, the vigor of the species that is going to be dispersed and the diet of the cattle, which would alter the thickness and size of dungpats, would need to be considered to make fecal seeding economically and biologically effective.
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: fecal seeding, revegetation, seed dispersal, seedling emergence, seedling establishment
Annotation: Cattle were fed seeds of three plant species and then their dung was formed into artificial dungpats of different thicknesses. Cattle were also allowed to deposit natural dungpats on bare soil in order to determine the differences between artificial and natural dungpats in terms of size and shape and seedling establishment. Grazing intensity is not specified.
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