Full metadata
Title
Vegetation community responses to juniper slash/burn and broadcast burn on a semi-desert tobosa grassland
Description
ABSTRACT
Modern management techniques to maintain rangelands and deter encroachment of juniper into grassland habitats currently includes fire prescription. Additionally, a large body of research has indicated that fire has multiple benefits to grasslands resulting in increased diversity of flora and fauna. In the semi-arid grassland of the Agua Fria National Monument, fire treatments may be able to provide similar advantages. This study considers two methods of fire prescription on the Agua Fria National Monument within central Arizona: 1) Juniper thinning with pile burning; 2) Broadcast burning.
The Agua Fria National Monument upland ecosystem has limited research focusing on semi-arid grassland and juniper stand’s response to implemented treatments over time. The four year monitoring duration of this study aids in assessing the outcome of treatments and reaching the objectives of the management plan.
Vegetation in 981 quadrats was measured for species richness, cover, densities, height, and biomass during the fire prescription period from 2009 through 2013. The study was divided into two treatment types: 1) Juniper cutting and pile burn; 2) Broadcast burn areas in open grasslands.
Results of this study provide consistent examples of vegetative change and community movement towards positive response. Percent composition of overall vegetation is 5 – 30% with >50% of litter, bare ground and rock cover. Juniper sites have immediate consequences from tree thinning activities that may be beneficial to wildlife, particularly as connective corridors pronghorn antelope. Grass height was significantly reduced as well as forb density. Forbs that are highly responsive to environmental factors indicate an increase after the second year. Analysis results from grasslands indicated that cactus and unpalatable shrubs are reduced by fire but a return to pre-burn conditions occur by the third year after fire disturbance. Percent cover of perennial grasses has shown a slow increase. Wright’s buckwheat, a palatable shrub, has increased in density and height, indicating fire adaptations in the species. Species richness was reduced in the first year but increase in density continues into the third year after burn.
Modern management techniques to maintain rangelands and deter encroachment of juniper into grassland habitats currently includes fire prescription. Additionally, a large body of research has indicated that fire has multiple benefits to grasslands resulting in increased diversity of flora and fauna. In the semi-arid grassland of the Agua Fria National Monument, fire treatments may be able to provide similar advantages. This study considers two methods of fire prescription on the Agua Fria National Monument within central Arizona: 1) Juniper thinning with pile burning; 2) Broadcast burning.
The Agua Fria National Monument upland ecosystem has limited research focusing on semi-arid grassland and juniper stand’s response to implemented treatments over time. The four year monitoring duration of this study aids in assessing the outcome of treatments and reaching the objectives of the management plan.
Vegetation in 981 quadrats was measured for species richness, cover, densities, height, and biomass during the fire prescription period from 2009 through 2013. The study was divided into two treatment types: 1) Juniper cutting and pile burn; 2) Broadcast burn areas in open grasslands.
Results of this study provide consistent examples of vegetative change and community movement towards positive response. Percent composition of overall vegetation is 5 – 30% with >50% of litter, bare ground and rock cover. Juniper sites have immediate consequences from tree thinning activities that may be beneficial to wildlife, particularly as connective corridors pronghorn antelope. Grass height was significantly reduced as well as forb density. Forbs that are highly responsive to environmental factors indicate an increase after the second year. Analysis results from grasslands indicated that cactus and unpalatable shrubs are reduced by fire but a return to pre-burn conditions occur by the third year after fire disturbance. Percent cover of perennial grasses has shown a slow increase. Wright’s buckwheat, a palatable shrub, has increased in density and height, indicating fire adaptations in the species. Species richness was reduced in the first year but increase in density continues into the third year after burn.
Date Created
2015
Contributors
- Cole-Snow, Kimberly Sue (Author)
- Alford, Eddie (Thesis advisor)
- Miller, William (Committee member)
- Green, Douglas (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
- Natural Resource Management
- Botany
- broadcast burn
- Junipers
- Restoration
- Tobosa grass
- vegetative responses
- Slashburning--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Slashburning
- Prescribed burning--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Prescribed burning
- Junipers--Control--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Junipers
- Tobosa grass--Ecology--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Tobosa grass
- Grassland restoration--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Grassland restoration
- Vegetation management--Arizona--Agua Fria National Monument.
- Vegetation management
Resource Type
Extent
ix, 100 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color)
Language
eng
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.36453
Statement of Responsibility
by Kimberly Sue Cole-Snow
Description Source
Viewed on February 5, 2016
Level of coding
full
Note
thesis
Partial requirement for: M.S., Arizona State University, 2015
bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 35-40)
Field of study: Applied biological sciences
System Created
- 2016-02-01 07:05:53
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:25:44
- 3 years 2 months ago
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