Topoedaphic Variability and Patch Burning in Sand Sagebrush Shrubland
Topoedaphic Variability and Patch Burning in Sand Sagebrush Shrubland
复制标题
沙蒿灌丛地形变异与斑块燃烧
DOI：
10.2111/rem-d-11-00068.1
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发表时间：
2011
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
K. Hickman
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
S. L. Winter;S. Fuhlendorf;C. Goad;C. Davis;K. Hickman
摘要 斑块焚烧是指以异质的方式故意对管理单元施火，导致放牧动物影响的异质分布。斑块燃烧的应用通常是在对同质景观或管理单元施加异质性的框架内讨论的，但大多数景观和管理单元实际上是通过固有的异质性水平来区分的。在景观和管理单元内，不同的地形和土壤相互作用，形成对比鲜明的斑块图案，也称为地形地块。因此，引入异质干扰（例如景观或管理单元上的斑块燃烧）更准确地描述为将一层异质性强加到预先存在的异质性层上。我们研究了北美大平原南部沙蒿 (Artemisia filifolia Torr.) 灌木丛中斑块燃烧对植被结构和动物分布的影响。由于地形地点的可变性，我们研究地点的景观具有固有的植被结构异质性，而斑块燃烧处理叠加了受地形特征限制的额外异质性。与以短草为主的地点相比，以灌木为主的地点更依赖斑块燃烧来实现植被结构的异质性。牛（Bos taurus）的分布模式在不同处理之间没有显着差异，尽管它们遵循与之前研究相似的模式。我们证明，异质性取决于地形模式，而针对异质性的斑块燃烧管理的应用取决于景观的固有变异性。
Abstract Patch burning is the deliberate application of fire to a management unit in a heterogeneous manner, resulting in the heterogeneous distribution of grazing animal impact. The application of patch burning typically has been discussed within a framework of imposing heterogeneity on a homogeneous landscape or management unit, yet most landscapes and management units are actually distinguished by an inherent level of heterogeneity. Within landscapes and management units, differing topography and soils interact to create patterns of contrasting patches, also known as topoedaphic sites. Thus, introduction of a heterogeneous disturbance such as patch burning on a landscape or management unit is more accurately described as the imposition of one layer of heterogeneity onto a pre-existing layer of heterogeneity. We examined effects of patch burning on vegetation structure and animal distribution across contrasting topographical sites in sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia Torr.) shrubland of the southern Great Plains in North America. Landscapes at our study site were characterized by an inherent amount of heterogeneity in vegetation structure due to variability in topoedaphic sites, and the patch burning treatment superimposed additional heterogeneity that was constrained by topoedaphic characteristics. Shrub-dominated sites were more dependent on patch burning for heterogeneity of vegetation structure than sites dominated by short grasses. Distribution patterns of cattle (Bos taurus) were not significantly different across treatments, though they followed patterns similar to previous studies. We demonstrated that heterogeneity was dependent on topoedaphic patterns and the application of patch burning management for heterogeneity was dependent on the inherent variability of a landscape.