The Effects of Cattle Grazing on Vegetation in a Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem
Ken L. Driese and Nancy L. Stanton
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 1992, Volume 13
Abstract
Grazing by large herbivores has profound effects on both the structure and function of shortgrass prairie ecosystems. In this exercise a grazed section of prairie on a working cattle ranch is compared to a less grazed section on an adjacent wildlife refuge. The Daubenmire canopy-coverage method is used to measure percent cover by plant species and bare ground. Vegetation within the Daubenmire quadrat frame is clipped and weighed to assess biomass by species. In addition, relative soil compaction and cowpie frequency are measured to characterize grazing intensity. Calculations of plant biomass diversity are made using the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H). Sampling methods and hypothesis testing are introduced.
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