Some Edaphic Changes Due to Overgrazing in the Agropyron-Poa Prairie of South-Eastern Washington
Daubenmire RF and Colwell WE. 1942. Some Edaphic Changes Due to Overgrazing in the Agropyron-Poa Prairie of South-Eastern Washington. Ecology. 23(1):32-40
The most evident effects of overgrazing in the Agropyron spicatum-Poa secunda prairie of southeastern Washington consist of the removal of the tall, dominant bunches of the perennial Agrogyron and their replacement by dwarf annuals. This change invloves a reduction in the mass of aerial shoots which would otherwise intercept precipitation as well as draw considerable water from the soil. Also, beneath the soil surface, plant succession involves the replacement of the coarse perennial roots of Agropyron by a tangle of shallow root systems produced by the annual plants. The above data were obtained by an intensive study of a small and hence are only indicative. The extent to which they are generally applicable will be known only after similar investigations have been made in other regions.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Daubenmire, R.; Colwell, W.
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Agropyron-Poa prairie, over grazing, Plant Succession, Soil Science, Washington