Comparison of riparian plant communities under four land management systems in southwestern Wisconsin
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Authors: L. K. Paine, and C. A. Ribic
Date: 2002
Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Volume: 2002
Number: 92
Pages: 93-105
Summary of Methods: Attributes of the riparian plant community under four management systems (grass buffer strips, woody buffer strips, rotational grazing and continuous grazing riparian corridors) in the unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin were compared for one year. A short duration high-intensity rotational grazing system (1-3 days of grazing with 2-5 weeks of rest) was established five years prior to the initiation of the study on a site that had been continuously grazed. Cattle had unrestricted, season-long access to riparian pastures on continuously grazed sites. Sites were surveyed for plant community composition in late summer, which was used to calculate species richness, evenness, dominance and proportion of individual species.
Article Summary / Main Points: Woody buffer strips, rotationally grazed and continuously grazed riparian areas had greater plant species richness than grassy buffer strips. Native plant species richness was greater on woody buffer strip sites than on other management systems. The lowest amount of reed canary grass occurred on the rotationally grazed sites with a moderately high plant species diversity. These sites tended to have a higher proportion of native grasses and grass relatives compared to woody buffers or grass buffer strips. Rotational grazing on riparian areas offers good erosion control, good aquatic habitat and a higher occurrence of native grasses than continuous grazing.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: 105 Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills 95B Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift Plain
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Grazing
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: biodiversity, reed canarygrass, phalaris arundinacea l., woody buffer strips, grassy buffer strips, wisconsin, continuous grazing, rotational grazing
Annotation: This was a replicated one year study with findings applicable to many riparian areas. This was a strong study with 19 sites examined from riparian plant communities. However, the research was limited to late summer, therefore a longer study period (i.e, spring through fall) may provide more useful information. A study conducted over several years may also reveal more consistent and reliable results. Individual results may vary depending on the specific soil and precipitation of the applied area, though the underlying ecology will be applicable across many areas. These results also suggest grazing or other management practices such as mowing or burning may also reduce the competition of invasive exotic species and allow for the survival of native grasses and forbs.
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