Canopy Structure of a Tall-grass Prairie

Abstract

Several characteristics of vegetation structure, including height, basal cover, cover repetition, leaf area, and distribution of aboveground biomass, were examined in grazed and ungrazed treatments of native Oklahoma tall-grass prairie. Selected structural parameters were evaluated to determine their value as reliable predictors of biomass dynamics. Cover repetition and leaf area showed good correlation with above-ground biomass. Studies of vegetation structure may provide an additional basis for understanding grazing response in grassland communities, and may serve as a basic tool for clarifying the roles of water, light and nutrients, and their effects on grassland production.