Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Fire in semi-arid grasslands releases nutrients bound up in organic matter and accelerates the rate of decomposition in the soil. This research experimentally tested effects of season and frequency of fire on nutrient cycling dynamics in shortgrass steppe. The objective was to identify if fire treatments have the ability to increase potential grassland productivity relative to untreated 'reference condition' grassland. Many such studies focus on short-term, direct effects of fire. However, this study is part of a long-term, 18-year study examining both direct, and indirect effects of fire in the growing vs. dormant season at return intervals of 3, 6 and 9 years.
Citation
Ford, Paulette L. and White, C. S., "Fire and Nutrient Cycling in Shortgrass Steppe of the Southern Great Plains, USA" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 85.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/20/themeB/85
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Fire and Nutrient Cycling in Shortgrass Steppe of the Southern Great Plains, USA
Fire in semi-arid grasslands releases nutrients bound up in organic matter and accelerates the rate of decomposition in the soil. This research experimentally tested effects of season and frequency of fire on nutrient cycling dynamics in shortgrass steppe. The objective was to identify if fire treatments have the ability to increase potential grassland productivity relative to untreated 'reference condition' grassland. Many such studies focus on short-term, direct effects of fire. However, this study is part of a long-term, 18-year study examining both direct, and indirect effects of fire in the growing vs. dormant season at return intervals of 3, 6 and 9 years.
