| dc.contributor.author | Gerhard, Leslie Marie | |
| dc.description.abstract | Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.; hereafter referred to as bluegrass) has rapidly invaded the northern Great Plains over the past three decades, leading to declines in native plant diversity. A knowledge gap exists regarding the below-ground impacts that bluegrass has on soil properties. To address this knowledge gap, we measured soil physical, chemical, and biological conditions associated with bluegrass dominance resulting from idle management. We compared these results to patch-burn grazed areas with greater native plant species expression. Our results indicate that bluegrass influences soil microclimate, promoting cooler and wetter soil conditions. However, this shift does not appear to alter soil microbial abundance or carbon and nitrogen pools. Additionally, patch-burn grazing has limited impact on measured soil properties. We concluded that patch-burn grazing may be a practical land management technique for controlling bluegrass invasions without negative impacts on soil, and for promoting biological heterogeneity. | en_US |
| dc.publisher | North Dakota State University | en_US |
| dc.rights | NDSU policy 190.6.2 | en_US |
| dc.title | Impacts of Kentucky Bluegrass and Patch-Burn Grazing Management on Soil Properties in the Northern Great Plains | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-10-06T20:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-10-06T20:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31567 | |
| dc.rights.uri | https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf | en_US |
| ndsu.degree | Master of Science (MS) | en_US |
| ndsu.college | Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources | en_US |
| ndsu.department | Natural Resource Sciences | en_US |
| ndsu.program | Soil Science | en_US |
| ndsu.advisor | Gasch, Caley | |
