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Canopy coverage of all vascular plant species were estimated in 20 circular 10 sq m plots for each of the topographic positions within each included watershed at Konza Prairie.
Canopy coverage of all vascular plant species were estimated in 20 circular 10 sq m plots for each of the topographic positions within each included watershed at Konza Prairie.
This data set relates effects of soil, grazing intensity and burning treatments on the establishment and subsequent expansion of woody plants in prairie communities. The locations of woody vegetation are marked on a mylar overlay of an aerial photograph of the area being surveyed with an unique symbol for each species and a number for the size. For trees, size is the height to the nearest meter. For shrubs, the number of stems is recorded as a measure of size if the number is less than 25.
The effects of herbivores and their interactions with nutrient availability on primary production and plant community composition in grassland systems is expected to vary with herbivore type. Although nutrient additions are known to affect plant species diversity and primary productivity, the role of herbivores in mediating the strength of these effects also remains unclear. Herbivores may alter plant responses to nutrient additions in several ways.
Herbivores of varying size classes exist with the grassland biome (large mammals, small mammals, insects), however their independent and interactive effects on grassland plant species composition and function are understudied. Here we aim to tease apart the effects of three size classes of herbivores within the Konza Prairie system, and whether these effects vary across fire regimes.