Browsing by Author "Hamel, Michael Charles"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Application of Pyric-Herbivory in the Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie to Enhance Biodiversity
    (North Dakota State University, 2021) Hamel, Michael Charles
    Pyric-herbivory is a naturally occurring disturbance that historically created shifting mosaics of heterogeneous plant communities and vegetation structure, supporting a biodiverse Great Plains ecosystem. Present land management has decoupled this interactive disturbance leading to homogenous grasslands, resulting in a reduction of biodiversity, which is exasperated by the dominance of non-native grasses. We believe reintroducing this disturbance will increase heterogeneity and enhance biodiversity. First, we compared the effects of a season-long grazing and two patch-burn grazing systems on plant communities. Second, we evaluated how small mammal communities were affected by each grazing system. Our findings show re-establishing pyric-herbivory, via patch-burn grazing, can enhance biodiversity compared to season-long grazing. We hypothesize further implementation of patch-burn grazing will continue to enhance biodiversity, as thatch and basal litter are further reduced. In conclusion, our findings support re-establishing pyric-herbivory to enhance biodiversity though further study is needed to determine what effect continued implementation will have.