Incorporating Biodiversity Into Rangeland Health: Plant Species Richness and Diversity in Great Plains Grasslands

摘要: Indicators of rangeland health generally do not include a measure biodiversity. Increasing attention to maintaining biodiversity in rangelands suggests that this omission should be reconsidered, and plant species richness diversity are two metrics may useful appropriate. Ideally, their response variety anthropogenic natural drivers the ecosystem interest would clearly understood, thereby providing means diagnose cause decline an ecosystem. Conceptual ecological models based on principles hypotheses provide framework for understanding, but these must supported by empirical evidence if they used decision making. To end, we synthesize results from published studies regarding responses management concern Great Plains grasslands, one North America's most imperiled ecosystems. In literature, moderate grazing has positive effect tallgrass prairie neutral negative shortgrass prairie. The largest effects were caused prairies nitrogen fertilization prairies. Although weather is often cited as reason considerable annual fluctuations diversity, little information about available. Responses diverged, reflecting differences sensitivity different types changes community. sufficient yet been meet all criteria good indicator Grasslands, augmenting current methods evaluating with reduce shortcomings critical managing