Master's Theses

Department

Biology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare vegetation and soils occurring on breaks-sites overlying three distinct limestone formations. Three limestone formations, Ogallala, Niobrara, and Greenhorn outcrop in Ellis County, Kansas, as the Ash Hollow, Fort Hays and Fencepost limestone members, respectively. Three line transects were established across each breaks-site. Vegetative composition and basal cover were determined by taking points along each transect. Each breaks-site was divided into smaller units termed edaphic communities. These edaphic communities were named according to the dominant grasses present, Forage yields were determined for each edaphic community by clipping six one-square-foot plots in each community at the end of the growing season, Forage yields were divided into forbs, shortgrass and mid-grass and calculated as total grass and total vegetation, soil samples were taken from each edaphic community and mechanical analysis, pH, and chemical analyses for total exchangeable metallic cations and exchange capacity were run on each sample. Analysis of variance was used to compare grass yields from each edaphic community while the Fisher T Test was used to compare vegetative composition on the breaks-sites.

Keywords

Range management, Grassland ecology, Soil conservation, Prairiess, Ellis County (Kan.), Limestone

Advisor

Dr. Gerald Wayne Tomanek

Date of Award

Spring 1963

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

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