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Title: Response of grassland phenology to burning and grazing in different climatic conditions in southern Oklahoma

Author
item FLYNN, K. COLTON - Oklahoma State University
item ZHOU, YUTING - Oklahoma State University
item Moffet, Corey
item Gowda, Prasanna
item Wagle, Pradeep
item Steiner, Jean

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2018
Publication Date: 12/10/2018
Citation: Flynn, K., Zhou, Y., Moffet, C., Gowda, P.H., Wagle, P., Steiner, J.L. 2018. Response of grassland phenology to burning and grazing in different climatic conditions in southern Oklahoma [abstract]. American Geophysical Union. Available at: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFM.B33H2777F.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only

Technical Abstract: Grasslands in the Great Plains provide forage for livestock grazing and other ecosystem services (e.g. carbon sequestration). Grassland phenology and productivity are heavily determined by management activities and climate conditions. This study aimed to investigate the responses of grassland phenology to burning and grazing, two common management practices in the tall grass prairie of the Great Plains. This study analyzed fields subject to rotational grazing and/or burning during a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. During this period the study area experienced varying climate conditions from dry to wet providing opportunity to investigate varying interactions among management practices (i.e., burning and grazing) and weather (e.g., drought). MODIS and Landsat imagery were used to investigate vegetation phenology. Using these data, the impacts of weather, burning, grazing, and their possible interactions on grassland phenology were analyzed. Pair-wise comparison (e.g., burned vs. unburned) was used to investigate the impacts of different managements. Time series analysis were used to show the impacts of weather and its interactions with managements.