Precipitation, Temperature, and Herbage Relationships for a Pine Woodland Site in Northeastern Oregon

Abstract

Nine years of herbage yield data from nonfertilized and nitrogen (N) fertilized plots of introduced grasses on a foothill, woodland meadow were correlated with monthly precipitation and temperature. Herbage yields from nonfertilized plots were poorly correlated with monthly precipitation or combinations of monthly precipitation. Fifty-five and 71% of the year-to-year variations in yields of N fertilized grass stands were associated with April and April-through-May precipitation, respectively. Yields from N fertilized stands were nearly 2,000 kg/ha larger than yields from nonfertilized stands. Mean monthly temperature were not well correlated with yields.