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PERENNIAL GRASS COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO SEVERE DROUGHT, TOPO- EDAPHIC VARIATION, AND LONG-TERM HERBIVORY ON THE EDWARDS PLATEAU OF TEXAS A Thesis by COLIN SCOTT SHACKELFORD Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE August 2004 Major Subject: Rangeland Ecology and Management PERENNIAL GRASS COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO SEVERE DROUGHT, TOPO- EDAPHIC VARIATION, AND LONG-TERM HERBIVORY ON THE EDWARDS PLATEAU OF TEXAS A Thesis by COLIN SCOTT SHACKELFORD Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved as to style and content by: ________________________ ________________________ Fred Smeins Raghavan Srinivasan (Chair of Committee) (Member) ________________________ ________________________ Charles Taylor Larry White (Member) (Member) ________________________ Steve Whisenant (Head of Department) August 2004 Major Subject: Rangeland Ecology and Management iii ABSTRACT Perennial Grass Community Response to Severe Drought, Topo-Edaphic Variation, and Long Term Herbivory on the Edwards Plateau of Texas. (August 2004) Colin Scott Shackelford, B.A., Austin College Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Fred Smeins Perennial grass vegetation dynamics of heavy grazing, moderate grazing and ungrazed treatments were analyzed during two extreme drought events: the drought of 1951 to 1956 and the drought events centered on the year 2000. Analysis of each drought event from weather records and Palmer Drought Severity Index values showed that the intensity, duration and pattern of each drought event were structurally unique. Grazing intensity was the primary driver of perennial grass species composition and community structure both during and between each drought event. Total basal area for each drought event was driven primarily by variation in precipitation pattern. Basal area per plant dynamics were significantly influenced by grazing intensity while plant density was driven by both precipitation and grazing intensity. Topo-edaphic variation significantly influenced the persistence and distribution of perennial grass species during an extreme drought event centered on the year 2000. The presence of large or abundant surface rock features facilitated the survival of perennial grasses during this drought event by creating a positive soil microenvironment. Sites with large surface rock features acted as drought refugia for perennial grass populations. Sites with abundant surface rock features had 10 times greater perennial grass basal area and 5 times greater plant density than sites with few surface rock features. Grazing intensity was the primary driver of species composition and community structure within both refugia and non-refugia sites. Grazing intensity had no effect on perennial grass basal area. However, grazed treatments had two times greater perennial grass density than non-grazed treatments. Species response to grazing intensity and surface rock cover was individualistic. Grazing response groups (intolerant, intermediate, and tolerant) separated along a gradient of surface rock cover iv and grazing intensity. Abundant surface rock features act as refugia for perennial grasses by facilitating their persistence during extreme drought events on the Edwards Plateau. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the invaluable input, time, energy, effort, small kindnesses and support from many people. I would like to first thank my parents for their support throughout this endeavor. Their patience and friendship endured through many dinner conversations where I waxed academic about things they didn’t understand or necessarily want to understand and yet in the end they still served me pie. Sincere thanks goes to my committee chair, Dr. Fred Smeins, for his insight, guidance and friendship over the last three years. His curiosity, good nature, and passion for ecology have been an inspiration. I am grateful to the other members of my committee, Dr. Charles “Butch” Taylor, Dr. Larry White, and Dr. Raghavan Srinivasan for their guidance, input and support throughout this project. Special thanks go to my friends, John and Jeanne Anne, whose home acted as my own private B&B and respite during the stressful moments of my graduate career. Extra thanks goes to Jeanne Anne for coming out to Sonora, braving the summer heat and acting as my GPS wrangler, gate monkey and goat herder. You truly are a dangerous woman and no, you’re wrong, the shade index is a 2 and not a 3, so quit arguing. Thanks to Isaac, Adam, Peter, Eric and Katie as well. Support from my Houston cohort has been invaluable and the friendship and generosity from each of you knows no end. I am grateful for the friendships with the faculty and my fellow graduate students in the Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management. These friendships contributed significantly to my professional education, broadened my understanding of ecology, and enriched my life while here at Texas A&M. Thanks to all who made my graduate career at Texas A&M the important and worthwhile learning experience it has been. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 1 Justification .......................................................................................... 1 Hypothesis and Objectives................................................................... 2 Literature Review................................................................................. 3 Semi-Arid Environments................................................................ 3 Herbivory, Climate Variation and Vegetation Response ............... 4 Patch Specific Response to Herbivory and Drought...................... 5 Grazing and Drought Refugia........................................................ 6 II STUDY AREA........................................................................................... 9 III LONG TERM WEATHER AND VEGETATION DYNAMICS: PERENNIAL GRASS COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO TWO DROUGHT EVENTS................................................................................ 13 Introduction .......................................................................................... 13 Methods................................................................................................ 13 Analysis of Drought Pattern and Intensity ..................................... 13 Vegetation Sampling ...................................................................... 17 Vegetation Data Analysis............................................................... 18 Results .................................................................................................. 19 vii CHAPTER Page Drought Pattern and Intensity........................................................ 19 Grazing Influence and Species Composition Between Drought Events................................................................ 24 Perennial Grass Community Structure Between Drought Events................................................................ 33 Discussion ............................................................................................ 40 IV PATCH SPECIFIC RESPONSE TO DROUGHT AND HERBIVORY ON THE EDWARDS PLATEAU: TOPO-EDAPHIC VARIATION AND PERENNIAL GRASS SURVIVAL.................................................................................. 48 Introduction .......................................................................................... 48 Methods................................................................................................ 48 Vegetation and Plot Sampling........................................................ 48 Data Analysis................................................................................. 52 Perennial Grass Community Structure..................................... 52 Driving Parameters................................................................... 53 Species Relationships............................................................... 54 Results .................................................................................................. 56 Perennial Grass Community Structure........................................... 56 Driving Variables........................................................................... 64 Species Relationships..................................................................... 70 Discussion ............................................................................................ 81 Perennial Grass Population Structure............................................. 81 Species Relationships..................................................................... 82 Driving Variables........................................................................... 83 V CONCLUSION .........................................................................................
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