GROWTH OF PROSOPIS-CALDENIA SEEDLINGS IN THE FIELD AS RELATED TO GRAZING HISTORY OF THE SITE AND IN A GREENHOUSE AS RELATED TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPETITION FROM STIPA-TENUIS
Ra. Distel et al., GROWTH OF PROSOPIS-CALDENIA SEEDLINGS IN THE FIELD AS RELATED TO GRAZING HISTORY OF THE SITE AND IN A GREENHOUSE AS RELATED TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPETITION FROM STIPA-TENUIS, Journal of arid environments, 32(3), 1996, pp. 251-257
In temperate semi-arid rangelands of Argentina grazing by domestic liv
estock is apparently linked with the conversion of open grasslands to
dense shrublands. Prosopis caldenia and Stipa tenuis are dominant spec
ies of the shrub and grass life-forms, respectively. Research was cond
ucted to determine the growth responses of P. caldenia seedlings to gr
azing history of the site and competition from S. tenuis, at different
levels of water availability. The Prosopis seedlings grew better (p <
0.05) in long-term protected than in long-term grazed sites, and at l
ow rather than high levels of competition from S. tenuis. Both overgra
zing and high levels of grass competition may limit the establishment
of P. caldenia seedlings in grasslands, particularly under conditions
of water shortage. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited