Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of clipping and soil compaction on growth, morphology and mycorrhizal colonization of Schizachyrium scoparium, a C4 bunchgrass

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A factorial design of clipping and compaction was used to study the responses of Schizachyrium scoparium and its mycorrhizal symbionts to these stresses. All treatment combinations significantly reduced the growth and biomass of plants relative to controls. Compaction significantly reduced tillering and crown expansion while clipping increased tillering early in the growing season and reduced it later. Mycorrhizal colonization of roots was highest in the clipped plots and lowest in compacted plots. Spore number was highest in compacted plots and lowest in clipped plots. It appears that spore number may be negatively correlated with root growth since any treatment that reduced plant growth yielded higher spore numbers. The combination of clipping and compaction reduced plant growth the most, but had intermediate effects on mycorrhizal colonization and spore number.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agnew MI, Carrow RN (1985a) Soil compaction and moisture stress preconditioning in Kentucky Bluegrass I. Soil aeration, water use, and root responses. Agron J 77:872–878

    Google Scholar 

  • Agnew MI, Carrow RN (1985b) Soil compaction and moisture stress preconditioning in Kentucky Bluegrass. II. Stomatal resistance, leaf water potential, and canopy temperature. Agron J 77:878–884

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen EB, Allen MF (1980) Natural establishment of vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizae following stripmine reclamation in Wyoming. J Appl Ecol 17:139–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen EB, Allen MF (1984) Competition between plants of different successional stages: mycorrhizae as regulators. Can J Bot 62:2625–2629

    Google Scholar 

  • Asady GH, Smucker AJM, Adams MW (1985) Seedling test for the quantitative measurement of root tolerances to compacted soil. Crop Sci 25:802–806

    Google Scholar 

  • Balph DF, Malecheck JC (1985) Cattle trampling of crested wheatgrass under short-duration grazing. J Range Manage 38:226–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Bethlenfalvay GJ, Dakessian S (1984) Grazing effects on mycorrhizal colonization and floristic composition of the vegetation on a semiarid range in Northern Nevada. J Range Manage 37:312–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Bethlenfalvay GJ, Evans RA, Lesperance AL (1985) Mycorrhizal colonization of crested wheatgrass as influenced by grazing. Agron J 77:233–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Biermann B, Linderman RG (1981) Quantifying vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae: a proposed method towards standardization. New Phytol 87:63–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr MKV, Dodds SM (1983) Some effects of soil compaction on root growth and water use of lettuce. Exp Agric 19:117–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Crider FJ (1955) Root-growth stoppage resulting from defoliation of grass. USDA Tech Bull Number 1102

  • Daniels BA, Trappe JM (1980) Factors affecting spore germination of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus epigaeus. Mycol 72:457–471

    Google Scholar 

  • Doerr TR, Redente EF, Reeves FB (1984) Effects of soil disturbance on plant succession and levels of mycorrhizal fungi in a sagebrush-grassland community. J Range Manage 37:135–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Dooley KL, Collins SL (1984) Ordination and classification of western oak forests in Oklahoma. Am J Bot 71:1221–1227

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullen MA (1985) Compaction, hydrological processes and soil erosion on loamy sands in East Shropshire, England. Soil Till Res 6:17–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Gould AB, Liberta AE (1981) Effects of topsoil storage during surface mining on the viability of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza. Mycol 73:914–922

    Google Scholar 

  • Harley JL, Smith SE (1983) Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayman DS (1982) Influence of soils and fertility on activity and survival of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Phytopath 72:1119–1125

    Google Scholar 

  • Ianson DC, Allen MF (1986) The effects of soil texture on extraction of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal spores from acid sites. Mycol 78:164–168

    Google Scholar 

  • McCalla GR, Blackburn WH, Merrill LB (1984) Effects of livestock grazing on infiltration rates. Edwards Plateau of Texas. J Range Manage 37:265–269

    Google Scholar 

  • McGraw AC, Hendrix JW (1984) Host and soil fumigation effects on spore population densities of species of endogonaceous mycorrhizal fungi. Mycol 76:122–131

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton SJ (1985) Ecology of a grazing ecosystem: The Serengeti. Ecol Mono 55:259–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Ojala JC, Jarrell WM, Menge JA, Johnson ELV (1983) Comparison of soil phosphorus extractants as predictors of mycorrhizal dependency. Soil Sci Soc Amer J 47:958–962

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen SR, Dean LA (1965) Phosphorus. In: CA Black (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 2. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 1035–1049

    Google Scholar 

  • Philips JM, Hayman DS (1970) Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Trans Brit Mycol Soc 55:158–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Saif SR (1983) Influence of soil aeration on the efficiency of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas. II. Effects of soil oxygen on growth and mineral uptake in Eupatorium odoratum L., Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass. inoculated with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytol 95:405–417

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS (1982) SAS User's Guide: Statistics. 1982 ed. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholefield D, Hall DM (1985) Constricted growth of grass roots through rigid pores. Plant Soil 85:153–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholefield D, Patto PM, Hall DM (1985) Laboratory research on the compressibility of four topsoils from grassland. Soil Till Res 6:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Shearman RC, Watkins JE (1985) Kentucky bluegrass lateral growth and stem rust response to soil compaction stress. Hort Sci 20:388–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Shierlaw J, Alston AM (1984) Effect of soil compaction on root growth and uptake of phosphorus. Plant Soil 77:15–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Skujins J, Allen MF (1986) Use of mycorrhizae for land rehabilitation. Mikeem J 2:161–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith DLO (1985) Compaction by wheels: a numerical model for agricultural soils. J Soil Sci 36:621–632

    Google Scholar 

  • Ssemakula J (1983) A comparative study of hoof pressures of wild and domestic ungulates. Afr J Ecol 21:325–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Tommerup IC (1984) Effect of soil water potential on spore germination by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Trans Brit Mycol Soc 83:193–202

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA (1967) Soil Survey Comanche County, Oklahoma, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Haveren BP (1983) Soil bulk density as influenced by grazing intensity and soil type on a shortgrass prairie site. J Range Manage 36:586–588

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace LL (1987) Mycorrhizae in grasslands: Interactions of ungulates, fungi and drought. New Phytol (in press)

  • Wallace LL, McNaughton SJ, Coughenour MB (1984) Compensatory photosynthetic responses of three African graminoids to different fertilization, watering and clipping regimes. Bot Gaz 145:151–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace LL, McNaughton SJ, Coughenour MB (1985) Effects of clipping and four levels of nitrogen on the gas exchange, growth and production of two East African graminoids. Am J Bot 72:222–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Youngner VB (1972) Physiology of defoliation and regrowth. In: Youngner VB, McKell CK (eds) The biology and utilization of grasses. Academic Press, London, pp 292–303

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, 73019, Norman, OK, USA

    L. L. Wallace

Authors
  1. L. L. Wallace
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wallace, L.L. Effects of clipping and soil compaction on growth, morphology and mycorrhizal colonization of Schizachyrium scoparium, a C4 bunchgrass. Oecologia 72, 423–428 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377574

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377574

Key words

Search

Navigation