Life Sciences Commons^™

Increase In Ponderosa Pine Density In The Nebraska Sandhills: Impacts On Grassland Plant Diversity And Productivity, Alexa Armstrong

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Increase in woody species encroachment into semi-arid grasslands and savannas has been of great concern at a global level. Temperature and precipitation are key factors determining vegetation cover; however other factors, such as fire regime and grazing may be at play in semi-arid ecosystems. Historically, in Nebraska’s semi-arid grasslands, woody species have been controlled by periodic fires. Changes in social values and land use, fire suppression, overgrazing, increased N deposition, and climate change, have attributed to the observed shift from grasslands to shrublands or woodlands. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the impacts of Ponderosa pine ( …