Abstract
Prescribed burning and livestock grazing can increase plant diversity by reducing the competitive ability of some invasive plants. The research objectives of this study were: to quantify vegetation response to patch burning, to determine cattle grazing distribution patterns following patch burning, and to quantify performance of grazing heifers following patch burning. Ten percent of 3 pastures was patch-burned. The remaining 3 pastures were not patch burned. All pastures were exposed to cattle grazing at a moderate stocking rate. Vegetation and livestock response were monitored. In addition, we monitored cattle grazing patterns. Pricklypear cover decreased, and pricklypear density tended to decrease. Patch burning increased mesquite mortality. Bitterweed densities were similar between burned and non-burned patches, while annual broomweed densities were reduced by fire. Forage production on the burned patches was similar to non-burned controls, but decreased following burning and grazing by heifers. Heifer weights were greater, but only during certain times post-fire. Heifers grazing in pastures spent more time grazing in burned patches especially early in the grazing season. Patch burning can be used to improve livestock distribution while reducing the cover and density of some invasive plants.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Patch burning decreased pricklypear cover relative to unburned pastures.
Verbatim
e1“Ten percent of 3 pastures was patch-burned”
e2“The remaining 3 pastures were not patch burned”
e3“Pricklypear cover decreased, and pricklypear density tended to decrease”
Claim · model-written summary
Patch burning tended to decrease pricklypear density relative to unburned pastures.
Verbatim
e1“Ten percent of 3 pastures was patch-burned”
e2“The remaining 3 pastures were not patch burned”
e3“Pricklypear cover decreased, and pricklypear density tended to decrease”
Claim · model-written summary
Patch burning increased mesquite mortality.
_Druce_(45661099651).jpg?width=60){kind=small}
ProsopisOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Druce_(45661099651).jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e2“The remaining 3 pastures were not patch burned”
e4“Patch burning increased mesquite mortality”
Claim · model-written summary
Bitterweed densities were similar in burned and non-burned patches.
Verbatim
e5“Bitterweed densities were similar between burned and non-burned patches, while annual broomweed densities were reduced by fire”
Claim · model-written summary
Annual broomweed densities were reduced by fire.
Verbatim
e5“Bitterweed densities were similar between burned and non-burned patches, while annual broomweed densities were reduced by fire”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage production on burned patches was similar to non-burned controls.
Verbatim
e6“Forage production on the burned patches was similar to non-burned controls, but decreased following burning and grazing by heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage production decreased following burning and grazing by heifers.
Verbatim
e2“The remaining 3 pastures were not patch burned”
e6“Forage production on the burned patches was similar to non-burned controls, but decreased following burning and grazing by heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
Heifer weights were greater only during certain times after the fire.
- Taxon
- Foragee6
- Treatment
- post-firee7
- Interactor
- heiferse6herbivore
- Outcome
- Heifer weightse7
- Direction
- greatere7
- Qualifier
- only during certain times post-firee7
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e6“Forage production on the burned patches was similar to non-burned controls, but decreased following burning and grazing by heifers”
e7“Heifer weights were greater, but only during certain times post-fire”
Claim · model-written summary
Heifers spent more time grazing in burned patches, especially early in the grazing season.
- Taxon
- Foragee6
- Treatment
- burned patchese4
- Interactor
- Heiferse4herbivore
- Outcome
- time grazinge4
- Direction
- moree4
- Qualifier
- especially early in the grazing seasone4
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e6“Forage production on the burned patches was similar to non-burned controls, but decreased following burning and grazing by heifers”
e4“Heifers grazing in pastures spent more time grazing in burned patches especially early in the grazing season”
Claim · model-written summary
Patch burning may be used to improve livestock distribution while reducing the cover and density of invasive plants.
Verbatim
e0“Patch burning can be used to improve livestock distribution while reducing the cover and density of some invasive plants”