REU: Effects of Bison Herbivory on Two Tallgrass Prairie Species: The Influence of Fire, Neighbors, and Pattern of Defoliation on Plant Response

食草动物可以强烈地影响植物的适合度，种群 动态和社区结构。 植物对食草动物的反应 沿着连续体变化，取决于空间/时间模式 落叶和竞争的邻居或物理 落叶植物的环境。 拟议的研究将 1)评估野牛食草对分蘖生长的影响， 高秆草的繁殖、克隆扩散和存活 （柳枝稷和天竺葵）和2）确定 竞争者的相互作用，空间和时间模式 落叶和火灾对植物的反应对野牛食草动物的影响 大草原 这些研究将检验以下假设： 火灾和生物邻居变化的影响 对放牧的反应， 不同的物种在不同的火制度下发生变化。 营养生长、种子繁殖和克隆生长 在两个生长季节的表现和植物的反应将 测量以确定草食动物对 个体和种群，以及是否一个单一的草食动物可以 对不同的植物有相反或一致的影响 历史分期 这些实验将检查近端 食草动物对草本植物和植物生长的影响 以及非生物和生物相互作用如何影响植物 对草食动物的反应 他们还将提供洞察力， 放牧和火对高草草原影响的相互作用 多年生植物，以及它对个体克隆成功的影响， 物种相对丰度 该项目是一个 长期研究计划，将更全面地解决 物种间对草食性反应的变化模式， 多年来。

Herbivores can strongly influence plant fitness, population dynamics, and community structure. Plant responses to herbivory vary along a continuum depending on the spatial/temporal patterns of defoliation and the competitive neighborhood or physical environment of the defoliated plant. The proposed research will 1) assess the consequences of bison herbivory on tiller growth, reproduction, clonal spread, and survivorship of tallgrasses (Panicum virgatum and Andropogon gerardii) and 2) determine the interacting effects of competitors, spatial and temporal patterns of defoliation, and fire on plant responses to bison herbivory on a prairie. The studies will test the hypothesis that the effects of fire and biotic neighborhood variation alter responses to grazing and that the relative grazing tolerances of different species change under different fire regimes. Vegetative growth, seed reproduction, and clonal growth performance, and plant responses over two growing seasons will be measured to determine long-term effects of herbivory on individuals and populations and whether a single herbivore may have opposite or congruent effects on different plant life history stages. These experiments will examine proximal consequences of herbivory on herbaceous plants and plant growth form and how abiotic and biotic interactions influence plant responses to herbivory. They will also provide insight into the interactions of grazing and fire effects on tallgrass prairie perennials, and its consequences for individual clone success and species relative abundances. This proposed project is part of a longer-term research program that will more fully address patterns of variation in responses to herbivory among species and among years.