Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
20. Barker, W. T. 1983. Manipulations of plant species composition, animal
distribution, and herbage production by burning. Bull Ecol. Soc.
Am. 64:110. (abstract only)
A 56,658 ha southeastern North Dakota sandhill area characterized by typical sand dune topography supports a mixed-grass prairie community on the uplands, a tall-grass prairie community on the midsites, and a sedge meadow community in the lowlands. Most of the area is grazed using a three pasture deferred rotation grazing system. Without manipulation of lowlands, the lowlands are 10% utilized by livestock and the uplands are overutilized. Shrubs invade the lowlands under these conditions. Burning the lowlands and three year rotation increased lowland utilization to 50%-80%, reduced lowland shrub densities, and decreased overutilization of upland sites. [From author's abstract]