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Effects of Short- and Long-Term Disturbance Resulting from Military Maneuvers on Vegetation and Soils in a Mixed Prairie Area

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ABSTRACT

Loss of grassland species resulting from activities such as off-road vehicle use increases the need for models that predict effects of anthropogenic disturbance. The relationship of disturbance by military training to plant species richness and composition on two soils (Foard and Lawton) in a mixed prairie area was investigated. Track cover (cover of vehicle disturbance to the soil) and soil organic carbon were selected as measures of short- and long-term disturbance, respectively. Soil and vegetation data, collected in 1-m2 quadrats, were analyzed at three spatial scales (60, 10, and 1 m2). Plant species richness peaked at intermediate levels of soil organic carbon at the 10-m2 and 1-m2 spatial scales on both the Lawton and Foard soils, and at intermediate levels of track cover at all three spatial scales on the Foard soil. Species composition differed across the disturbance gradient on the Foard soil but not on the Lawton soil. Disturbance increased total plant species richness on the Foard soil. The authors conclude that disturbance up to intermediate levels can be used to maintain biodiversity by enriching the plant species pool.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experimental Station, and administered through the U.S. Geological Survey, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Division, and Wildlife Management Institute cooperating). We thank Patricia Butler, who contributed immensely to data collection and data processing, and Justin Kretzer and Eric Webb for technical support at Fort Sill. Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Carla Goad, Ron Tyrl, and Michael W. Palmer provided invaluable input. Special thanks to personnel with the OSU Soil, Water, and Forage Laboratory for analyzing soil samples. Finally, we appreciate the thoughtful comments of two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Sherry A. Leis

    Present address: Sherry A. Leis, P.O. Box 368, Clinton, Missouri, 64735, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Soil Science, Oklahoma State University, 368 North Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA

    Sherry A. Leis & David M. Engle

  2. U.S. Geological Survey Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oklahoma State University, 404 Life Science West, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA

    David M. Leslie Jr

  3. U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Ecological Processes Branch, 2902 Newmark Drive, Champaign, IL, 61822, USA

    Jeffrey S. Fehmi

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  1. Sherry A. Leis
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Leis, S.A., Engle, D.M., Leslie, D.M. et al. Effects of Short- and Long-Term Disturbance Resulting from Military Maneuvers on Vegetation and Soils in a Mixed Prairie Area. Environmental Management 36, 849–861 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0373-6

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