Harvesting Effects on Species Composition and Distribution of Cover Attributes in Mixed Native Warm-Season Grass Stands
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Floristic Composition for Ground-Nesting Birds
1.2. Managing Floristic Composition
1.3. Justification and Objectives
2. Experimental Section
2.1. Location and Sequential Field Layout
2.2. Data Collection
2.3. Data Analyses
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Effects of Harvesting on Species Composition
3.1.1. Proportions of Perennial Grass Species
Scientific Name (Common Name) | Family | Scientific Name (Common Name) | Family |
---|---|---|---|
PERENNIAL GRASSES | |||
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) | Poaceae | Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) | Poaceae |
Andropogon virginicus (broomsedge) | Poaceae | Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) | Poaceae |
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye) | Poaceae | Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) | Poaceae |
ANNUAL GRASSES | |||
Agrostis hyemalis (winter bentgrass) | Poaceae | Digitaria sanguinalis (hairy crabgrass) | Poaceae |
Brachiaria platyphylla (broadleaf signalgrass) | Poaceae | Phalaris caroliniana (Carolina canarygrass) | Poaceae |
Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) | Poaceae | Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) | Poaceae |
Dichanthelium spp. (Gould rosette grass) | Poaceae | Sphenopholis obtusata (prairie wedgescale) | Poaceae |
SHORT-GROWING FORBS | |||
Geum canadense (white avens) | Rosaceae | Ranunculus sardous (hairy buttercup) | Ranunculaceae |
Ipomoea lacunose (whitestar) | Convolvulaceae | Rumex crispus (curly dock) | Polygonaceae |
Lepidium virginicum (Virginia pepperweed) | Brassicaceae | Trifolium dubium (suckling clover) | Fabaceae |
Oenothera speciosa (pinkladies) | Onagraceae | Triodanis biflora (small Venus’ looking glass) | Campanulaceae |
Oxalis stricta (common yellow oxalis) | Oxalidaceae | Vicia spp. (vetch) | Fabaceae |
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (Carolina desert-chicory) | Asteraceae | Geranium carolinianum (Carolina geranium) | Geraniaceae |
TALL-GROWING FORBS | |||
Ambrosia trifida (great ragweed) | Asteraceae | Iva annua (annual mash elder) | Asteraceae |
Cassia obtusifolia (sicklepod) | Fabaceae | Solanum spp. (nightshade) | Solanaceae |
Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian sunflower) | Asteraceae | Solidago Canadensis (goldenrod) | Asteraceae |
GRASS-LIKE PLANTS | |||
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge) | Cyperaceae | Cyperus spp. (sedge) | Cyperaceae |
SHRUB-LIKE PLANTS | |||
Lespedeza bicolor (shrub lespedeza) | Fabaceae | Rubus spp. (blackberry) | Rosaceae |
Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge pea) | Fabaceae |
Treatment | Subsequent Occurrence of Perennial Grasses | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BB § | IG | LB | BS | OP | |
____________________________________%____________________________________ | |||||
Harvest interval | |||||
Year 2009 | |||||
Control | 24 | 62a ¶ | 8b | 4c | 2 |
120(2) # | 28 | 35b | 16a | 18ab | 3 |
90(2) | 21 | 36b | 14a | 22ab | 7 |
60(3) | 27 | 41b | 15a | 16bc | 1 |
40(4) | 22 | 36b | 20a | 21ab | 1 |
30(5) | 15 | 36b | 19a | 27a | 3 |
CV | 55 | 45 | 61 | 82 | 115 |
Pr > α †† | 0.36 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
Year 2010 | |||||
Control | 23 | 62 | 8 | 4c | 2ab |
120(2) | 25 | 43 | 12 | 14ab | 6a |
90(2) | 19 | 46 | 12 | 17ab | 6a |
60(3) | 24 | 50 | 13 | 12bc | 1b |
40(4) | 22 | 45 | 16 | 16ab | 1b |
30(5) | 16 | 45 | 14 | 22a | 2ab |
CV | 49 | 28 | 63 | 93 | 127 |
Pr > α | 0.47 | 0.31 | 0.45 | 0.04 | <0.01 |
Harvest duration | |||||
Year 2009 and 2010 | |||||
Control | 23b | 62a | 8b | 4c | 2 |
Y209 | 19b | 63a | 7b | 9b | 3 |
Y308 | 29a | 38b | 18a | 10b | 4 |
Y407 | 16b | 36b | 15a | 30a | 3 |
CV | 52 | 36 | 62 | 87 | 121 |
Pr > α | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.46 |
3.1.2. Proportions of Forbs
Treatment | Subsequent Early-Season Occurrence of Forbs | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CHFA § | IPLA | RUCR | CAOB | HEMA | SOCA | OFRB | |
__________________________________________%______________________________________________ | |||||||
Harvest interval | |||||||
Year 2009 | |||||||
Control | 1 | 12a ¶ | 1 | 0d | 0 | 57a | 29 |
120(2) # | 6 | 3b | 12 | 10bc | 18 | 19bc | 32 |
90(2) | 4 | 5b | 7 | 24a | 13 | 14c | 33 |
60(3) | 10 | 0b | 7 | 19a | 13 | 8c | 43 |
40(4) | 8 | 1b | 11 | 16ab | 14 | 16bc | 34 |
30(5) | 9 | 1b | 10 | 5cd | 10 | 30b | 33 |
Pr > α †† | 0.09 | <0.01 | 0.62 | <0.01 | 0.16 | <0.01 | 0.45 |
Year 2010 | |||||||
Control | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0c | 0 | 57a | 28 |
120(2) | 4 | 12 | 8 | 6abc | 12 | 17c | 41 |
90(2) | 5 | 11 | 6 | 16a | 9 | 18c | 34 |
60(3) | 7 | 8 | 5 | 13a | 9 | 18c | 40 |
40(4) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 11ab | 10 | 19bc | 42 |
30(5) | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4bc | 7 | 32b | 37 |
Pr > α | 0.44 | 0.59 | 0.90 | 0.01 | 0.60 | <0.01 | 0.78 |
Harvest duration | |||||||
Year 2009 and 2010 | |||||||
Control | 1c | 12a | 1bc | 0b | 0b | 57a | 29b |
Y209 | 2bc | 20a | 0c | 1b | 0b | 28b | 49a |
Y308 | 8a | 3b | 7b | 17a | 15a | 11c | 39ab |
Y407 | 6ab | 2b | 13a | 13a | 13a | 23b | 30b |
Pr > α | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
3.2. Effects of Harvest Interval on Plant Types and Ground Cover
3.2.1. Occurrence of Perennial Grasses
3.2.2. Occurrence of Annual Grasses, Grass-Like and Shrub-Like
Treatment | Frequency of Live Vegetation, Litter and Bare Ground | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG § | AG | SF | TF | GL | SL | LT | BG | |
_____________________________________%_____________________________________ | ||||||||
Year 2009 | ||||||||
Control | 52 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0b ¶ |
120(2) # | 41 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 11a |
90(2) | 43 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7a |
60(3) | 39 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 9a |
40(4) | 43 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10a |
30(5) | 45 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 7a |
CV | 19 | 69 | 41 | 41 | 160 | 143 | 55 | 47 |
Pr > α †† | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.49 | 0.64 | 0.32 | 0.92 | 0.01 |
Year 2010 | ||||||||
Control | 52 | 3 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0c |
120(2) | 43 | 3 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 13a |
90(2) | 44 | 4 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8b |
60(3) | 43 | 6 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 9ab |
40(4) | 46 | 6 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 10ab |
30(5) | 47 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 1.2 | 11 | 9ab |
CV | 16 | 57 | 34 | 44 | 108 | 165 | 168 | 64 |
Pr > α | 0.36 | 0.22 | 0.06 | 0.30 | 0.50 | 0.26 | 0.55 | <0.01 |
3.2.3. Occurrence of Forbs
3.2.4. Occurrence of Litter and Bare Ground
3.3. Effects of Harvest Duration on Plant Types and Ground Cover
3.3.1. Occurrence of Perennial Grasses
3.3.2. Occurrence of Annual Grasses, Grass-Like and Shrub-Like
Treatment | Frequency of Live Vegetation, Litter and Bare Ground | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG § | AG | SF | TF | GL | SL | LT | BG | |
_____________________________________%_____________________________________ | ||||||||
Year 2009 | ||||||||
Control | 52a ¶ | 3 | 13ab | 17a | 0 | 1 | 14a | 0c |
Y109 # | 49ab | 4 | 17a | 9b | 3 | 1 | 4b | 12a |
Y208 | 43bc | 6 | 17a | 10b | 2 | 1 | 6b | 14a |
Y307 | 41c | 5 | 12b | 15a | 3 | 1 | 10a | 3b |
CV | 19 | 69 | 41 | 41 | 160 | 143 | 55 | 47 |
Pr > α †† | <0.01 | 0.18 | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.28 | 0.98 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
Year 2010 | ||||||||
Control | 52a | 3 | 13ab | 18a | 0 | 1 | 14a | 0c |
Y209 | 42c | 5 | 12b | 15a | 3 | 1 | 19a | 3b |
Y308 | 43bc | 4 | 17a | 9b | 3 | 1 | 4b | 12a |
Y407 | 49ab | 6 | 17a | 10b | 2 | 1 | 6b | 14a |
CV | 16 | 57 | 34 | 44 | 108 | 165 | 168 | 64 |
Pr > α | <0.01 | 0.31 | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.25 | 0.50 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
3.3.3. Occurrence of Forbs
3.3.4. Occurrence of Litter and Bare Ground
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Temu, V.W.; Baldwin, B.S.; Reddy, K.R.; Riffell, S.K. Harvesting Effects on Species Composition and Distribution of Cover Attributes in Mixed Native Warm-Season Grass Stands. Environments 2015, 2, 167-185. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments2020167
Temu VW, Baldwin BS, Reddy KR, Riffell SK. Harvesting Effects on Species Composition and Distribution of Cover Attributes in Mixed Native Warm-Season Grass Stands. Environments. 2015; 2(2):167-185. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments2020167
Chicago/Turabian StyleTemu, Vitalis W., Brian S. Baldwin, K. Raja Reddy, and Samuel K. Riffell. 2015. "Harvesting Effects on Species Composition and Distribution of Cover Attributes in Mixed Native Warm-Season Grass Stands" Environments 2, no. 2: 167-185. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments2020167