Effects of topography on the relationship between soil conditions and the vigor of <em>Andropogon gerardii</em> and <em>Sorghastrum nutans</em>

Abstract

An understanding of topography is important to prairie management and ecological science.Spatial variability of resources impacts the success of plants in micro-environments. We studied thevigor of Big Bluestem and Indian Grass and the soil conditions on three hills in CERA prairies.Our results indicated increased vigor of Indian Grass with decreased elevation, as we hypothesized.The general absence of any relationship between elevation with soil conditions and plant vigorcould have been a result of differences between the two plants, infrequent burnings, andirregularities. However, our results may also point toward the inherent complexity of resourcevariability in an ecosystem.