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Alien plant invasion in relation to site characteristics and disturbance: Eragrostic lehmanniana on the Santa Rita Experimental Range, Arizona, 1937-1989

Presence and composition of Eragrostis Lehmanniana was measured on 75 permanent transects every 3-8 years between 1958-1989 on the Santa Rita Experimental Range, Arizona. The number of transects occupied and average composition increased rapidly over this period. A repeated measures analysis of two soil groups with different water holding capacity and permeability revealed that the rate of increase of E. Lehmanniana was different between the groups. Repeated measures analysis of five grazing intensities revealed that the rate of E. Lehmanniana increase was different among intensities. It appears that the highest intensity had the highest rate of increase. The influence of grazing on E. Lehmanniana spread was also expressed by the lack of difference in relative composition measured in 1989 between ten livestock enclosures and adjacent grazed areas. This research suggests that E. Lehmanniana will spread and dominate with an average of 89 mm of summer precipitation in 40 days; a lower regime than estimated by other research.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/277285
Date January 1990
CreatorsAnable, Michael Edward, 1965-
ContributorsMcClaran, Mitchel P.
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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