Spatial Patterns of Mesquite and Associated Herbaceous Species in an Arizona Desert Grassland
Yavitt JB and Smith EL. 1983. Spatial Patterns of Mesquite and Associated Herbaceous Species in an Arizona Desert Grassland. The American Midland Naturalist. 109(1):89-93
Effect of mesquite ocurrence on the spatial paterns of grass and forb species was studied in southern Arizona on 3 desert grassland sites with contrasting mesquite density. Pattern was determined from the spatial arrangement of species presence in a grid of 400 regularly spaced quadrats (40 .timx. 40 cm). On a site with no mesquite, individuals of most herbaceous species had broadly continuous distribution across the site, but individuals of comparable species on grass-mesquite sites generally had clumped spatial patterns. Tests of association indicated that most perennial bunch grasses were positively assciated with mesquite canopy presence, whereas summer annuals occurred entirely in the interspaces between mesquite trees and shrubs. The results show that mesquite has created patches in otherwise uniform desert grassland vegetation.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Yavitt, Joseph; Smith, E
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Ecology, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Plant Studies