Edaphic and Microclimate Factors Affecting Tobosagrass Regrowth after Fire

Abstract

The plant-air layer and soil surface structure affect regrowth succession following burning in the tobosagrass (Hilaria mutica)-mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) community in West Texas by altering the microenvironment. Data are presented for the plant-air layer and the soil surface structure as they are related to the recovery of the tobosagrass and the successional response of the annuals. Changes in plant-air layer and the soil surface structure alter the microenvironment and affect plant growth and species composition. A conceptual model is developed illustrating vegetational development as affected by the plant-air layer and the soil surface structure.