| Authors | Porensky, LM; McGee, R; Pellatz, DW |
| Author Full Name | Porensky, Lauren M.; McGee, Rachel; Pellatz, David W. |
| Title | Long-term grazing removal increased invasion and reduced native plant abundance and diversity in a sagebrush grassland |
| Source | GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION |
| Language | English |
| Document Type | Article |
| Author Keywords | Artemisia tridentata; Bouteloua gracilis; Bromus tectorum; Northern mixed-grass prairie; Pascopyrum smithii; Sagebrush steppe |
| Keywords Plus | NORTH-AMERICAN; COMMUNITY COMPOSITION; LARGE HERBIVORES; CHEATGRASS INVASION; VEGETATION CHANGE; AFRICAN SAVANNA; SHRUB-STEPPE; SOIL CRUSTS; LIVESTOCK; FIRE |
| Abstract | Effects of long-term grazing removal on vegetation are highly variable across ecosystems and grazing contexts. In some cases, long-term exclosures can be used to enhance vegetation production, plant diversity, or wildlife habitat. In other situations, exclosures can become more invaded by undesirable species, less drought-tolerant, or less diverse than grazed sites. Grasslands in North America's semi-arid Great Plains prairies can tolerate large herbivore grazing and resist invasion, while cold desert shrublands of the Intermountain West are more invisible and sensitive to grazing. These major ecoregions intersect in northeast Wyoming, where a diverse ecotonal plant community supports a wide array of sensitive wildlife. The effects of grazing removal on vegetation and invasive species in this ecotone are poorly understood, despite clear implications for conservation and management. In 2016, we measured effects of long-term (>49 year-old) livestock exclosures on vegetation and soil properties in the ecotone. Compared to adjacent grazed sites, exclosures had 72% less foliar cover of drought-resistant, warm-season perennial grasses, fewer native species, and nearly three times as much invasive annual grass cover. Long-term livestock removal did not affect live sagebrush shrub cover, density or size, but led to taller herbaceous vegetation structure. Findings suggest that although long-term grazing removal may be useful for achieving taller structure, light to moderate levels of large herbivore grazing may be necessary to resist invasion and maintain ecosystem integrity in this ecotone. In the context of ongoing global change, it will be critical to maintain natural disturbance regimes such as grazing in ecosystems that evolved with disturbance. In these systems, a total lack of natural disturbance does not represent a reasonable target or reference state. Instead, management for a range of disturbance frequencies and intensities across the landscape will likely support high vegetation heterogeneity, which in turn will help conserve high biodiversity and ecosystem function. Published by Elsevier B.V. |
| Author Address | [Porensky, Lauren M.] ARS, Rangeland Resources & Syst Res Unit, USDA, 1701 Ctr Ave, Ft Collins, CO 80526 USA; [McGee, Rachel] Douglas Ranger Dist, 2250 E Richards St, Douglas, WY 82633 USA; [Pellatz, David W.] Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosyst Assoc, 671 Steinle Rd, Douglas, WY 82633 USA |
| Reprint Address | Porensky, LM (corresponding author), ARS, Rangeland Resources & Syst Res Unit, USDA, 1701 Ctr Ave, Ft Collins, CO 80526 USA. |
| E-mail Address | lauren.porensky@usda.gov |
| ORCID Number | Pellatz, David/0000-0003-4751-1150 |
| Funding Agency and Grant Number | Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association; USDA ARSUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)USDA Agricultural Research Service |
| Funding Text | We thank members of the USFS Douglas Ranger District, particularly Moriah Moore, Geri Proctor and Tim Byer, for sharing the experimental setup and permitting us to sample the long-term exclosures. Catherine Estep, Sarah Newton, Savannah Eidse, Lauren Connell, JessicaWeathers, Spencer Good and Ellen Badger Hanson collected the field data and historical records. Billy Armstrong and Rowan Gaffney assisted with site selection and maps. We thank the Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association for supporting our collaborative research program, the Thunder Basin Research Initiative. Financial support for this researchwas provided by the USDA ARS and the Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association. Kari Veblen, Dana Blumenthal, and two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments on the manuscript. |
| Times Cited | 0 |
| Total Times Cited Count (WoS, BCI, and CSCD) | 0 |
| Publisher | ELSEVIER |
| Publisher City | AMSTERDAM |
| Publisher Address | RADARWEG 29, 1043 NX AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS |
| ISSN | 2351-9894 |
| 29-Character Source Abbreviation | GLOB ECOL CONSERV |
| ISO Source Abbreviation | Glob. Ecol. Conserv. |
| Publication Date | DEC |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Article Number | e01267 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01267 |
| Page Count | 13 |
| Web of Science Category | Biodiversity Conservation; Ecology |
| Subject Category | Biodiversity & Conservation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| Document Delivery Number | PT2WN |
| Unique Article Identifier | WOS:000608479200017 |
