TIM TEETAERT - Graduate Student, NRI, University of Manitoba and Field Manager
Multiple scale effects of cattle grazing on plant community heterogeneity in the mixed-grass prairies of Grasslands National Park of Canada (GNPC) Cattle grazing has the potential to increase plant community heterogeneity at a variety of spatial scales thus supporting a greater biological diversity. My research compares plant community heterogeneity between the pastures within the ungrazed East Block of GNPC, and those within the adjacent conventionally grazed Mankota Community Pasture. Plant community heterogeneity is examined at two scales: the quadrat scale (0.1 m2) within the sampling plot, and at the sampling plot scale (1000 m2). Spatially, plant community heterogeneity is compared between the grazed and ungrazed pastures, upland and lowland plots within each pasture, and within sampling plots of each pasture. My research examines plant community structure (vegetation height, litter height and depth, amount of bare ground, biomass), and plant community composition (species richness). Data was collected during summer research (May to September) of 2007 as part of the baseline study for the East Block Grazing Experiment.