We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Relative influence of precipitation and grazing on a salt desert shrub plant community.
- Authors
STONECIPHER, CLINTON A.; THACKER, ERIC; RALPHS, MICHAEL H.
- Abstract
Long-term vegetation monitoring is essential to understanding plant responses to both climate and grazing. The objective of this study was to monitor the long-term effects of precipitation on vegetation changes within a salt desert shrub plant community and determine whether grazing by livestock altered the vegetation during this time. The study was located within the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah. Two sites were selected. One exclosure was constructed at each site, and foliar cover was measured inside and outside the exclosure to separate the effect of grazing from precipitation on vegetation change over a 30-year period. Shrubs were the dominant vegetative cover at the start of the study, with the invasive shrub Gutierrezia sarothrae being the dominant shrub accounting for 53% of total plant cover. As the invasive shrub died out due to drought, native shrub cover as well as C4 grass cover increased. Native shrub cover displayed positive correlations with current winter and cool-season precipitation. C4 grass cover displayed positive correlation with cool-season precipitation. Winter and spring grazing at moderate stocking rates were not detrimental to these desert plant communities. Climatic conditions were the dominant influence on vegetation.
- Subjects
COLORADO Plateau; UTAH; DESERT plants; PLANT communities; SHRUBS; GRAZING; VEGETATION monitoring; VEGETATION dynamics; RANGELANDS; GRASSLANDS
- Publication
Western North American Naturalist, 2022, Vol 82, Issue 2, p245
- ISSN
1527-0904
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3398/064.082.0203