Effects of simulated storm sizes and nitrogen on three Chihuahuan Desert perennial herbs and a grass
نویسنده
چکیده
Establishment and growth of three perennial herbs and a small tussock grass were studied in an experiment that provided simulated rainfall of 6 mm week 1 or 25 mm once per month and nitrogen fertilization in combination with the different simulated rainfall regimes. Wild onion, Allium macropetalum, failed to establish in plots receiving 25 mm month 1 simulated rainfall. The perennial composite, Bahia absinthifolia, occurred at higher densities in plots that were not irrigated but there were no differences in biomass in any of the irrigation or fertilization treatments. Desert holly, Perezia nana, failed to establish in nitrogen fertilized plots and developed higher abundance and biomass in plots receiving 25 mm month 1. Nitrogen fertilization had either no effect or an adverse effect on the perennial herbs. The tussock grass, Dasychloa pulchella exhibited highest abundance and biomass with 6 mm week 1 added water plus nitrogen. Since global climate change will affect both rain storm frequency and size and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, the results of this study are applicable to understanding vegetation responses climate change. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Population and clonal level responses of a perennial grass following Wre in the northern Chihuahuan Desert
Relationships involving Wre and perennial grasses are controversial in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of southern New Mexico, USA. Research suggests that Wre delays the resprouting of perennial grasses well after two growing seasons. However, such results are confounded by livestock grazing, soil erosion, and drought. Additionally, post-Wre grass responses may depend on initial clone size. We eva...
متن کاملAtmospheric nitrogen deposition in the northern Chihuahuan desert: Temporal trends and potential consequences
Rates and impacts of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition are poorly understood in arid land ecosystems where soils are typically low in plant available N. To address this issue, we quantified long-term trends in N deposition and estimated its impact on plant community structure in the northern Chihuahuan desert of Central New Mexico, USA. Annual and seasonal rates of N deposition were strongly ...
متن کاملStudying the effects of mycorrhiza and vermicompost fertilizers on the growth and physiological traits of Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.)
As an herbaceous, perennial, and evergreen plant, Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) can be used for the improvement and development of arid and semi-arid rangelands. To assess the interaction effect of organic and biological fertilizers on the growth and physiological traits of Vetiver grass, the dry weight of shoots and roots, essential oils, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and proline...
متن کاملRegional signatures of plant response to drought and elevated temperature across a desert ecosystem.
The performance of many desert plant species in North America may decline with the warmer and drier conditions predicted by climate change models, thereby accelerating land degradation and reducing ecosystem productivity. We paired repeat measurements of plant canopy cover with climate at multiple sites across the Chihuahuan Desert over the last century to determine which plant species and func...
متن کاملModeling the reflectance anisotropy of Chihuahuan Desert grass-shrub transition canopy-soil complexes
The goal of the research presented here is to understand better the factors controlling the remotely sensed signal returned in the solar wavelengths from Chihuahuan Desert grass-shrub transition canopy-soil complexes. The specific objectives were twofold: to evaluate the importance of the different elements (overstory, understory, soil) in the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (B...
متن کامل