Vegetation and soil response to grazing simulation on riparian meadows
Author
Clary, W. P.Issue Date
1995-01-01Keywords
biogeochemical cyclesstreams
Alopecurus pratensis
Agrostis stolonifera
Carex
riparian buffers
grazing experiments
Idaho
Oregon
growth rate
biomass production
defoliation
soil compaction
altitude
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Clary, W. P. (1995). Vegetation and soil response to grazing simulation on riparian meadows. Journal of Range Management, 48(1), 18-25.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/4002499Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Riparian areas have not responded consistently to grazing systems, suggesting that more knowledge is needed to explain how different areas respond to specific stresses. Several studies were conducted to determine herbaceous plant response to simulated grazing on riparian areas. One low-elevation redtop (Agrostis stolonifera L.) site in Oregon and 2 high-elevation sedge (Carex spp. L.) sites in Idaho were studied for 3 years. Several combinations of defoliation, compaction, nutrient return, and season of use were examined. The redtop community responded to spring, fall, or spring-fall defoliations by maintaining or increasing the following year's aboveground biomass production. The sedge communities maintained or decreased the following years's biomass production after spring, mid summer, or late summer defoliations. An increase in forbs occurred in 1 sedge community following spring defoliations to 1- or 5-cm residual stubble heights. The most consistent plant response among areas was reduction in height growth and biomass production following compaction treatments. When both defoliation and compaction are considered, it appears that spring, fall, or spring and fall grazing to a 5-cm stubble height on the redtop site would not decrease riparian herbage production. In contrast, when defoliation, compaction, and nutrient return effects are considered in the mountain meadow sedge-dominated communities, grazing once annually during the growing season to a 5-cm stubble height in the spring, or to a 10-cm stubble height in late summer, or at a utilization rate exceeding 30% of the total annual biomass production can reduce herbage production significantly. Results suggest that many of the land management agency riparian guidelines would maintain biomass productivity in these sedge-dominated communities.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/4002499