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Ecophysiological Responses of Herbaceous Plants to the Presence Or Absence of Amorpha Canescens in a Nebraska Sandhills Grassland

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Ecophysiological Responses of Herbaceous Plants to the Presence Or Absence of Amorpha Canescens in a Nebraska Sandhills Grassland University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations & Theses in Natural Resources Natural Resources, School of 12-2011 Ecophysiological Responses of Herbaceous Plants to the Presence or Absence of Amorpha canescens in a Nebraska Sandhills Grassland Jessica L. Milby University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natresdiss Part of the Natural Resources and Conservation Commons Milby, Jessica L., "Ecophysiological Responses of Herbaceous Plants to the Presence or Absence of Amorpha canescens in a Nebraska Sandhills Grassland" (2011). Dissertations & Theses in Natural Resources. 40. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natresdiss/40 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses in Natural Resources by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS TO THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AMORPHA CANESCENS IN A NEBRASKA SANDHILLS GRASSLAND by Jessica L. Milby A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Major: Natural Resource Sciences Under the Supervision of Professor Tala Awada and Professor Walter Schacht Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2011 ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS TO THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AMORPHA CANESCENS IN A NEBRASKA SANDHILLS GRASSLAND Jessica L. Milby, M.S. University of Nebraska, 2011 Advisers: Tala Awada and Walter Schacht Deeply-rooted shrubs are a common component of grasslands. This study investigated the ecophysiological role of Amorpha canescens , a common leguminous shrub, in Sandhills grassland, and response of herbaceous plants to the presence or absence of A. canescens . Two sites were selected for the study at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory near Whitman, Nebraska – one with A. canescens (G-L) and one without (G-NL) A. canescens . Plant canopy cover and aboveground biomass were characterized on both sites in June and August 2010. Seasonal trends in net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (g s), transpiration (E), water use efficiency (WUE), and predawn (Ψ pre ) and midday (Ψ mid ) water potentials of A. canescens and five representative herbaceous species were determined at 2-week intervals between June and September. The herbaceous species included two C3 grasses (Hesperostipa comata and Koeleria macrantha) , two C4 grasses ( Andropogon hallii and Calamovilfa longifolia) , and one forb ( Helianthus pauciflorus) . Differences in rates of A, g s, and WUE were species dependent and were not impacted by the presence of A. canescens . Net photosynthesis exhibited seasonal variability, increasing through the early growing season and peaking by midsummer. H. pauciflorus had the highest rates of A, E, and g s; and C 4 grasses had the greatest WUE. Significant site impact (G-L vs. G-NL) was only observed in E, which was likely related to higher soil water content in the G-L site. There were differences in Ψpre and Ψ mid among sampling dates and species, but not between sites. The C 3 grasses exhibited the lowest (most negative) Ψpre and Ψ mid . Soil nitrogen content was significantly greater on the G-L site, leading to higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) on the G-NL site, but lower plant leaf quality. A. canescens presence had positive impacts on soil and associated plants’ nitrogen content and soil water content, but did not have consistent effects on water status or gas exchange of associated herbaceous plants. Ecological significance of the results is discussed. Acknowledgements I want to thank my parents, Marty and Priscilla Milby, and my brother, Matt, for their support and encouragement. I also want to thank my co-advisers, Tala Awada and Walt Schacht, and committee member, Jerry Volesky. They provided guidance and numerous thesis edits. The last year has been a tough one, be we made it! I couldn’t have done this research without Adam Yarina. He kept me sane in the field and the office. Laura Snell helped with clipping, Jennifer Walker collected leaf samples for me at the end of the study, and Jeremy Hiller helped with the soil moisture sensors and things in the lab. Funding for this project was provided by the Anna Elliot Funds and the William J. Curtis Fellowship. A Larrick – Whitmore travel grant gave me the opportunity to present this research at the 2011 Society for Range Management meeting. Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 2 Sandhills Ecology ............................................................................................................ 2 Grassland Ecosystems ................................................................................................. 2 Location, Topography, and Climate of the Nebraska Sandhills .................................. 3 Botanical Composition ................................................................................................ 4 Economic and Ecological Importance of Sandhills ..................................................... 5 Role of Shrub Component ............................................................................................... 6 Plant Root Distribution and Water Availability .......................................................... 6 Effect of Shrubs ........................................................................................................... 8 Plant Functions and Differences between C 3 and C 4 Species ....................................... 11 Gas exchange ............................................................................................................. 11 Response of C 3 and C 4 Species to Environmental Conditions ................................... 13 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................... 16 Site Description and Species Selection ......................................................................... 16 Measured Environmental Parameters............................................................................ 17 Vegetation Measurements, Biomass, and Cover ........................................................... 18 Ecophysiological Parameters ........................................................................................ 18 Gas Exchange ............................................................................................................ 19 Water Potential .......................................................................................................... 19 Specific Leaf Area, Leaf Nitrogen and Carbon Content, and Stable Isotopes .......... 19 Statistical Analysis ........................................................................................................ 20 Results .............................................................................................................................. 20 Environmental Variables ............................................................................................... 20 Canopy Cover and Biomass .......................................................................................... 21 Gas Exchange ................................................................................................................ 22 Water Potential and δ 13 C ratio....................................................................................... 23 Specific Leaf Area, and Leaf Nitrogen and Carbon Contents....................................... 24 Principal Component Analysis ...................................................................................... 25 Discussion......................................................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 32 Literature Cited .............................................................................................................. 33 List of Figures and Tables Figure 1. a) Seasonal dynamics in precipitation (mm) and average volumetric soil water content (VSWC %) on grassland with Amorpha canescens (G-L) and without A. canescens (G-NL) at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory from June 3 to September 9, 2010 (DOY 154 to 252). Sampling dates are indicated with an arrow. b) Precipitation totals during the growing season (April through September) for the year 2010 compared to the 15 year average at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory in the Nebraska Sandhills. .............................................................................. 38 Figure 2. Daily volumetric soil water content (VSWC %) at 0.2, 0.4, and 1.0 m depths on grassland with Amorpha canescens (G-L) and without A. canescens (G-NL) at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory from June 3 to September 9, 2010 (DOY 154 to 252). No data was collected in the G-L sited at 1.0 m from June 3 through June 28 (DOY 154 to 179) because of sensor malfunction. ............................................................................
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