| Autor: |
David M. Engle, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Philip S. Gipson, Donald P. Althoff, Ryan F. Limb |
| Rok vydání: |
2010 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Rangeland Ecology & Management. 63:253-257 |
| ISSN: |
1550-7424 |
| DOI: |
10.2111/rem-d-09-00006.1 |
| Popis: |
Natural disturbances historically created structurally diverse patterns across the landscape, and large herbivores concentrated herbivory in areas where disturbance decreased standing senesced biomass that acted as a grazing deterrent through decreased palatability and overall forage quality. However, following European settlement, many natural large-scale disturbance regimes that influence vegetation and herbivore grazing selection were altered or removed and replaced with fine-scale anthropogenic disturbances. It is unclear how fine-scale focal disturbance and alteration of vegetation structure influences livestock distribution and grazing. Therefore we used a tracked vehicle as a disturbance agent in a mesic mixed-grass prairie to assess the influence of focal anthropogenic disturbance on livestock distribution and grazing. Track vehicle disturbance decreased the height of vegetation ( P P > 0.05). Cattle fecal pat density was greater ( P ≤ 0.05) in locations with track vehicle disturbance. Little bluestem tiller height was shorter ( P ≤ 0.05) in tracked locations than nontracked locations in grazed treatments, but was not different in nongrazed locations the first growing season following disturbance. Fecal pat density and tiller height were not different ( P > 0.05) between tracked and nontracked locations following the second growing season. Therefore, we concluded that fine-scale focal anthropogenic disturbance alters herbivore distribution and defoliation and can maintain structural heterogeneity, but the effect is ephemeral and does not create long-lasting grazing lawns. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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