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Viable grass seeds in herbivore dung from a semi‐arid grassland
Author(s) -
WICKLOW D. T.,
ZAK J. C.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1983.tb01617.x
Subject(s) - bouteloua gracilis , seedling , forb , biology , rangeland , herbivore , agronomy , grassland , grazing , ecology
Faeces of cattle, pronghorn and rabbit were collected from the Central Plains Experimental Range, Colorado, 6, 18 and 30 months after being excreted. The faecal material was placed in moistened potting soil and seedling emergence observed. Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama grass) and Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand drop seed), emerged in abundance from cattle dung. Emergence of B. gracilis decreased with increasing period of exposure before collection, but emergence of S. cryptandrus increased with exposure. Forbs dominated the seedling populations in pronghorn dung, and few seedling populations of any species emerged from rabbit dung. The results are discussed in relation to the effect of large herbivores on the establishment of species from seed in rangeland.