Effects of migratory grazers on spatial heterogeneity of soil nitrogen properties in a grassland ecosystem
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Authors: D. J. Augustine, and D. A. Frank
Date: 2001
Journal: Ecology
Volume: 82
Number: 11
Pages: 3149-3162
Summary of Methods: Augustine and Frank examined soil cores inside and outside of 36-year old exclosures in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, at finer (< 10 cm) and larger (5-30 m) spatial scales. While total soil carbon and total nitrogen did not vary significantly, the authors estimate that only 2.5% of the area sampled had recently been treated with urine. On a scale of <10 cm, soil nitrogen and mineralization potential were significantly more heterogeneous in the grazed grassland than in the exclosures. Augustine and Frank suggest that herbivory impact on plant diversity and turnover contributes to heterogeneity more than dung or urine.
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: yellowstone national park, soil nitrogen, mineralization potential, soil carbon, soil nitrogen, exclosure
Annotation: Grazing intensity defined only as ungrazed and grazed with no number attached to grazed.
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