Exam 1 Flashcards
What plant has the most money been spent on to control?
Honey mesquite
What effects what plants animals choose to eat?
Need, availability / associated plants, water content, secondary chemicals, taste, accessibility, digestibility, nutrient content, texture, nutrient content, stage of growth, plant part, learned behavior
How many kg of dry forage does a cow need each day?
13
How many kg dry forage does a sheep need in a day?
2.6
Compare sheep and cow grazing strategies
sheep have faster pass-through than cows
sheep are more selective, have a narrow mouth and can eat plants to the ground. Cows are generalists, wrapping their tongue around forage and breaking it off
What is the #1 killer of mountain range cattle?
Tall larkspur
What is the #1 killer of sheep?
halogeton
What % crude protein content is required for ruminants and why?
7%, because that is the minimum required for their rumen to function properly
What kind of plant textures deter animals?
awns, spines, stickers and hairs
Described learned behavior in animals
Young animals learn to eat from what their parents eat
What’s the difference between browsers and grazers?
Browsers will select for browse (forbs and shrubs), grazers select for grasses
What abiotic factors effect plant growth?
Water, temperature, soil, light and wind
What qualities of water effect plant growth?
amount, seasonality, intensity
What qualities of temperature effect plant growth?
Average temperature, range (extremes)
what qualities of soil effect plant growth?
○ Structure ○ Nutrient availability ○ Depth ○ Salinity ○ pH ○ Rockiness Topography
what qualities of topography effect plant growth?
aspect, exposure, drainage
what qualities of light effect plant growth?
amount, intensity, duration
what qualities of wind effect plant growth?
relative humidity, potential for evaporation, soil erosion
Mojave desert facts
- Hottest desert
- Death valley
○ Lowest, driest, hottest desert - Home of the Joshua tree
○ And creosote bush - Has not traditionally supported fire
Blackbrush very common
Found in UT, California, Nevada, AZ
- Death valley
Sonoran desert facts
- Intermediate precipitation and heat
- Most well-developed cacti
- Creosote bush also present
AZ, California, Mexico
Chihuahuan desert facts
- Highest desert
- Most productive (grazeland)
- Most rainfall
- Lowest temp
- Honey mesquite most problematic weed
NM, TX, MEX
Name the five plant indices
Life form, season of growth, origin, response to grazing, forage value
Name the different plant life forms
grasses, forbs, trees/shrubs, annual / perennial
what are the three possible seasons of growth?
Warm season, cool season, evergreen
What are the three responses to grazing?
increasers, decreasers, invaders
Name some of the different uses for grass
- Food
- Fuel
- Landscaping (turf)
- Erosion control
- Construction (bamboo)
- Grazing
- Carbon sequestration
- Wildlife habitat
California Chaparral climate
Hot, dry summers and rainy, mild winters. 12-40 inches annual
precipitation, which increases with elevation.
Burns a lot. Hard, waxy evergreen leaves
California annual grassland vegetation
Once dominated by native bunchgrasses like a mixed-grass prairie. Principally Stipa species. Natives eliminated by plowing, grazing,
and fires. Today it has introduced annual grasses such as Bromus,
Festucas, and Hordeums.
burns a lot
Riparian and wetlands characteristics
Found throughout the US wherever water is found.
Many invasives aided through water dispersal.
Can no longer cultivate without creating new wetland
Although covers a small area, it is an extremely important area for ecological health, soil erosion, etc
