02359nas a2200181   4500008004100000245008800041210006900129300000900198490000700207520178200214100001801996700001702014700001802031700001602049700002102065700001802086856007302104       2015                        eng d00aPatch-burn grazing effects on the ecological integrity of tallgrass prairie streams0 aPatchburn grazing effects on the ecological integrity of tallgra  a11480 v443 a<p>Conversion to agriculture, habitat fragmentation, and the loss of native grazers have made tallgrass prairie one of the most endangered ecosystems. One management option for the remaining prairie parcels, patch-burn grazing (PBG), applies a controlled burn to a portion of the prairie to attract cattle, creating a mosaic of more- and less-grazed patches. Although beneficial to cattle and grassland birds, the potential impacts of PBG on streams have not been studied, and a holistic approach is needed to ensure against adverse effects. We used a Before-After-Control-Impact design to assess potential impacts of PBG with and without riparian protection on tallgrass prairie headwater streams. We sampled stream macroinvertebrates and benthic organic matter 2 yr before and 2 yr during PBG treatments on two grazed watersheds with riparian fencing (fenced), two unfenced grazed watersheds (unfenced), and two ungrazed (control) watersheds. Very fine benthic organic matter increased significantly (51%) in unfenced streams compared with controls ( &lt; 0.007), and fine particulate organic matter (&lt;1 mm and &gt;250 &micro;m) increased 3-fold in the unfenced streams compared with controls ( = 0.008). The contribution of fine inorganic sediments to total substrata increased 28% in unfenced streams during PBG, which was significantly different from controls ( = 0.03). Additionally, the abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa decreased from 7635 to 687 individuals m in unfenced streams, which was significantly lower than in control streams ( = 0.008). Our results indicate that PBG adversely influences prairie streams through sediment inputs and reductions in sensitive invertebrate taxa, but riparian fencing can alleviate these impacts.</p>1 aJackson, K.E.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aDodds, W., K.1 aReeve, J.D.1 aVandermyde, J.M.1 aRantala, H.M.  uhttps://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/jeq/abstracts/44/4/1148