Date of Award

2019

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Science (MS)

Program

Soil Science

Department

Natural Resource Sciences

College

Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources

Faculty Advisor

Gasch, Caley

Description

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.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31567

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