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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
ABBREVIATION :
SCHSCO
SYNONYMS :
Andropogon divergens (Hack.) Anderss. ex A.S. Hitchc.
Andropogon littorale Nash
Andropogon scoparium Michx.
SCS PLANT CODE :
ANSC2
COMMON NAMES :
little bluestem
pinehill bluestem
prairie beardgrass
broom beardgrass
small feathergrass
seacoast bluestem
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of little bluestem is
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash [153]. The many varieties that freely
intergrade include [26,57,58]:
Schizachyrium scoparium var. divergens (Hack.) Gould
Schizachyrium scoparium var. frequens (Hubb.) Gould
Schizachyrium scoparium var. littoralis (Nash) Gould
Schizachyrium scoparium var. neomexicanum (Nash) Gould
Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium
Schizachyrium scoparium var. virile (Shinners) Gould
LIFE FORM :
Graminoid
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
Ronald Uchytil/January 1989
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Uchytil, Ronald J. 1989. Schizachyrium scoparium. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Little bluestem is distributed throughout North America except in the
states and provinces along the Pacific Coast. It occurs primarily in
the prairies and plains of the midwestern and western United States and
Canada. Its range extends from Alberta to Nova Scotia in Canada; from
southeastern Idaho, Utah, and Arizona eastward throughout the remaining
United States; and in Mexico [27,132,144,153].
The general distribution for five commonly recognized varieties is
as follows [28,58]:
S. s. var. divergens - Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, eastern Texas
S. s. var. frequens - central United States
S. s. var. littoralis - along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Nova
Scotia to Texas, and in Ohio and Indiana along
Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan
S. s. var. neomexicanum - western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
S. s. var. virile - eastern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
STATES :
AL AZ AR CO CT DE FL GA HI IL
ID IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI
MN MS MO MT NE NH NJ NM NY NC
ND OH OK PA RI SC SD TN TX UT
VT VA WV WI WY AB BC MB NS ON
PQ SK MEXICO
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
ACAD AGFO ALPO ARCH BADL BIBE
BITH CHCH CANY CACO CAHA CALO
CACA CAMO CHCU CHCH COLO CUGA
CUVA DEWA DETO EFMO FLFO FODO
GATE GWCA GLCA GRCA GUMO GUIS
INDU JECA LAME MACA MANA NATR
NABR NERI OBRI OZAR PAIS PIRO
PIPE ROCR ROMO SCBL SHEN SHIL
SLBE SUCR WACA WHSA WICA ZION
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K017 Black Hills pine forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K039 Blackbrush
K053 Grama - galleta steppe
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
K057 Galleta - three-awn shrubsteppe
K061 Mesquite - acacia savanna
K063 Foothills prairie
K064 Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
K065 Grama - buffalograss
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K067 Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
K068 Wheatgrass - grama - buffalograss
K069 Bluestem - grama prairie
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K071 Shinnery
K072 Sea oats prairie
K074 Bluestem prairie
K075 Nebraska sandhills prairie
K076 Blackland prairie
K077 Bluestem - sacahuista prairie
K081 Oak savanna
K083 Cedar glades
K084 Cross Timbers
K086 Juniper - oak savanna
K087 Mesquite - oak savanna
K088 Fayette prairie
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K115 Sand pine scrub
SAF COVER TYPES :
1 Jack pine
16 Aspen
63 Cottonwood
81 Loblolly pine
80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
210 Interior Douglas-fir
220 Rocky Mountain juniper
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Little bluestem is an indicator of climax grassland communities in
prairie and plains grasslands ecosystems, where it is characteristically
located on upland sites. It has been listed as a dominant or codominant
understory species in oak-woodland community types of Arizona and Rocky
Mountain juniper-bluebunch wheatgrass communities of southeastern
Montana [16,119]. It occurs to a lesser extent in other shrub and
woodland communities.
Published classification schemes listing little bluestem as a climax
indicator species or as a dominant part of the vegetation in community
types, habitat types, or plant associations are listed below.
(1) Analysis of grassland vegetation on selected key areas in
southwestern North Dakota. [155]
(2) Classification of deer habitat in the ponderosa pine forest of the
Black Hills, South Dakota. [135]
(3) Classification of native vegetation at the Woodworth Station, North
Dakota. [96]
(4) Floristic composition of plant communities in a western Minnesota
tallgrass prairie. [42]
(5) The habitat types of Region 2, U.S. Forest Service: a synthesis.
[144]
(6) The many faces of South Dakota rangelands: description and
classification. [52]
(7) A preliminary classification of the natural vegetation of Colorado.
[12]
(8) Remnant grassland vegetation and ecological affinities of the upper
coastal prairie of Texas [33]
(9) The vegetation of the Grand River/Cedar River, Sioux, and Ashland
Districts of the Custer National Forest: a habitat type
classification. [61]
(10) The vegetation of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota:
a habitat type classification. [62]
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Little bluestem provides food and cover for livestock and wildlife
species. It is an important component of upland hay, which is of good
quality if cut early [71,128,142]. Yields of little bluestem are lower
than associated grasses, such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), sand
bluestem (Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus), big bluestem (Andropogon
gerardii var. gerardii), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and
crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), but forage production remains
constant, showing little or no decline from year to year even under
drought conditions [55,115,154]. Stands dominated by little bluestem in
the Red River Valley of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba varied in
yield along a north-south gradient; stands in the northern Red River
Valley produced an average of 2,197 pounds per acre (2,462 kg/ha) of
forage, those from the central valley produced 3,355 pounds per acre
(3,760 kg/ha), while southern stands produced 4,210 pounds per acre
(4,719 kg/ha) of forage [115]. On the Limestone Prairie of Texas, good
condition range sites composed of 30 percent little bluestem, 25 percent
side-oats grama, and 20 percent tall dropseed (Sporobolus asper)
normally produce 2,500 to 3,300 pounds per acre (2,802-3,699 kg/ha) of
air dry herbage [118]. Excellent condition sites in the same area
composed of 40 percent little bluestem, 25 percent side-oats grama, and
10 percent indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) normally produce 3,500 to
4,000 pounds per acre (3,923-4,483 kg/ha) of air dry herbage.
Little bluestem seeds are of particular value as a food source for small
birds which spend the winter on grasslands. The seeds are also eaten by
upland game birds, such as prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse
[76].
PALATABILITY :
Little bluestem is highly palatable to most classes of livestock during
the plant's early growth period. The seed stalks, which appear by
midsummer, are generally avoided by livestock, but animals continue to
graze basal leaves until plants reach maturity [64,98,133]. Mature
plants are not heavily grazed. During the fall and winter months plants
are grazed only after more palatable species have been utilized
[53,68,127,144]. In southern latitudes, utilization may not be limited
by season. Dyksterhuis [41] reported that cattle consume little
bluestem year-round in Texas. The mild climate allowed the plant to
remain active throughout the year. There were some bluish-green new
shoots around the edges and in the interior where they were protected by
old foliage. As the season advanced, cattle selectively consumed only
the green leaves from the dense interior. In September, on lightly
grazed ranges in Texas, cattle were observed feeding almost exclusively
on immature inflorescences [41].
The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for little
bluestem is as follows [18,37,49,74,127,143,160]:
CO KS MT ND OK SD TX UT WY
Cattle good good fair fair ---- good good good good
Sheep good ---- fair fair good ---- good poor fair
Horses good ---- good good ---- ---- ---- good good
Pronghorn ---- fair poor poor ---- ---- good fair ----
Elk ---- ---- fair ---- ---- good ---- ---- ----
Mule deer ---- fair poor poor ---- ---- ---- fair ----
W.T. deer ---- fair poor poor ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
sm. mammals ---- good ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- fair ----
sm. nongame
birds ---- fair ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Upland game
birds ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- poor ----
Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- fair ---- ---- ---- poor ----
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
As with many warm-season grasses, the stage of maturity greatly
influences the nutrititive value of little bluestem. During spring and
summer, this grass provides medium- to high-quality forage, but as the
season advances, protein and phosphorous levels drop significantly and
become deficient by midsummer [60,124,154]. In Oklahoma, nitrogen,
potassium, and phosphorous levels in green tissue peaked in spring and
then dropped to their lowest levels in summer, closely paralleling
decreased soil moisture [113. Little bluestem forage in Oklahoma showed
the following changes in its nutritive content with season of growth
[124].
%Crude Protein %Fat %Crude Fiber %Phos %Calc
April-June 12 2.8 31.5 .31 .41
July-Sept 4 2.5 39 .14 .32
Oct-Dec 3 2.5 39 .12 .30
Jan-March 2.5 2.0 38 .06 .24
Little bluestem is not as nutritious as associated species such as sand
bluestem, crested wheatgrass, prairie sandreed (Calamovilfia
longifolia), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and blue grama
(Bouteloua gracilis) [70,102,154]. Protein content of little bluestem
is only about one-half that of blue grama at the same stage of growth
[68]. In vitro dry matter digestion (IVDMD) is low by midsummer, with
levels between 52 percent and 58 percent often reported [20,70,102,154].
Little bluestem should be cut for hay in early to midsummer, before
nutritive quality becomes deficient. Cutting no later than the late
bloom stage is recommended in Arizona [68]. Cutting should take place
from July 1 to July 15 in Kansas [71,110]. Although only 75 percent of
bluestem growth would occur by this time, resulting in a 25 percent
reduction of forage yields compared to later harvests, nutritive quality
would be higher.
COVER VALUE :
Little bluestem provides excellent nesting habitat and cover for upland
game birds [24,55,76,105,122,128]. In Missouri, little bluestem and
associated species (big bluestem and switchgrass), due to their
bunch-type growth habit, provide optimum shelter for nesting prairie
chickens [24]. In Oklahoma and Nebraska, little bluestem is one of the
principal grasses in which prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse nest
[76,128]. Seeding little bluestem in mixture with other warm-season
grasses is recommended to provide cover for prairie chickens and quail
[17], and for dabbling ducks in the prairie pothole region [40,80]. The
degree to which little bluestem provides environmental protection for
other wildlife species has been rated as follows [17,37,76,91,108]:
KS MT ND OK TX UT WY
Pronghorn ---- ---- fair ---- ---- poor poor
Elk ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- poor poor
Mule deer ---- ---- fair ---- ---- poor poor
White-tailed deer ---- ---- poor ---- ---- ---- poor
Small mammals ---- fair good ---- ---- good fair
Small nongame birds good fair good ---- ---- fair fair
Upland game birds good good good good good fair fair
Waterfowl ---- fair fair ---- ---- poor poor
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Little bluestem has been used extensively in prairie restoration
projects [9,128] and to establish prairie vegetation along highways
[29,103]. Little bluestem has been used successfully to reclaim mine
spoils in Montana where competition with other grass seedlings at the
time of seedling establishment and organic matter content of the spoil
were key factors affecting establishment of warm-season grasses [121].
Little bluestem performed best when spoils were covered with 8 inches
(20 cm) of topsoil. On mined lands in the arid Southwest, establishing
test plots to see if plants will grow under local conditions is
recommended. On arid sites irrigation increases the probability of
establishment of seeded grasses, so that seeding rates may be reduced by
50 percent [104]. In the Central Great Plains, McGuinnes and Hassell
[92] recommend seeding in stubble to reduce wind erosion and the
evaporation of moisture from the soil surface. Further guidelines for
cultivar selection, seeding rates, and planting procedures are available
in the literature [35,117,152].
Little bluestem cultivars available for use in revegetating disturbed
areas and for range seeding are described below [73,92,101,102].
'Aldous' -- Originates from the Flint Hills of Kansas. Recommended for
seeding in Kansas and Nebraska. Characteristics include
moderately late maturity, leafiness, and rust resistance.
'Blaze' -- Originates from Nebraska. Recommended for range seeding,
critical area stabilization, and native landscaping in Kansas
and Nebraska. This is a bright green to dull green
late-maturing cultivar.
'Camper' -- Originates from Nebraska and recommended for use there. It
is relatively late maturing.
'Cimarron' -- Originates from seed collected from western Kansas,
southeast Colorado, northeast New Mexico, and the Oklahoma
panhandle.
'Pastura' -- Originates near Rowe and Pacos, New Mexico. Suited for
range plantings in light- to medium-textured soils in the
foothills and plains of central and eastern New Mexico and
eastern Colorado.
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Little bluestem and other native grasses and forbs have been used to
develop small prairie plantings for use in residential landscaping. In
these small plantings, plants are seeded in mixtures to approximate the
temporal and physical structure of regional native prairie communities
[36].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Little bluestem is an indicator of range in good condition. In the true
prairie, where it occurs with tall warm-season grasses, it is an
increaser [74,133]; farther west it is considered a decreaser [64].
Little bluestem tends to decrease under spring-summer grazing and
increase under fall-winter grazing [133,144]. Heavy grazing tends to
reduce vigor and abundance, allowing grama (Bouteloua spp.) grasses to
replace it [53,77,139]. Continuous and deferred rotation grazing
systems have both been used effectively [87]. In Kansas, vigorous
stands were maintained from season to season with continuous, moderate
grazing which left 40 to 60 percent of the current year's growth
ungrazed at the end of the season [87]. In Montana, stands will persist
for many years if 2 to 5 inches (5-13 cm) of stubble are left for
regrowth at the end of the grazing season.
In the tall-grass prairie of Kansas, intensive-early stocking, with
twice the recommended stocking density for the first half of the growing
season and no grazing during the second half of the season, allows
little bluestem forage to regrow and replenish carbogydrate reserves.
This system results in higher animal gains per acre without sacrificing
individual animal performance [111]
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Little bluestem is an erect, native, warm-season, perennial,
solid-stemmed grass; it exhibits both a bunch and sod-forming habit
[5,74,144,146,149]. On wet sites it may form an open or loose sod from
short rhizomes connecting small tufts which are close together. More
often though, it is found under dry conditions where it forms distinct
clumps, usually 4 to 10 inches (10.1-25.4 cm) in diameter and 5 to 10
inches (12.7-25.4 cm) apart [5,146,150]. Even in pure stands on upland
sites, it will maintain this bunch type appearance with bare spaces
between the plants [74]. In Nebraska, plants commonly have 100 to 300
stems crowded into a 4-inch (10.1 cm) diameter bunch [149]. The flat,
slender leaves are 8 to 14 inches long (20.3-35.5 cm) at maturity and
spread to twice the area of the base [69,146]. Leaf height depends on
soil fertility and available water. Leaves may reach a height of 20
inches (50.8 cm) on southern wet sites, but only 3 to 5 inches (7.6-12.7
cm) on southern xeric sites [69,146]. During dry years height may be
reduced by two-thirds [150]. On low mesic sites in the tallgrass
prairie, where it is often in competition with tallgrasses, little
bluestem can reach a height of 2 to 3.5 feet (0.5-1.5 m) [69,132,133].
The inflorescence is a slender raceme 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long;
several racemes occur on each stem [59,77,133,149]. Spikelets occur in
pairs on a central unbranched axis. One is sessile and contains a bent
awn about 0.5 inch (1.2 cm) long; the other is pedicellate and sterile.
Raceme axis joints and spikelet stalks are fringed with white, silvery
hairs, which give the seed stalks a fluffy white appearance at maturity
[59,74]. With the many culms thickly grouped, these silvery hairs make
the whole top of the plant resemble a man's gray beard (hence the old
common name of prairie beardgrass). The leaves are light green during
spring and summer, but at maturity both leaves and stems turn a
reddish-brown [5,150].
Roots are relatively fine. Diameters range from 0.004 to 0.04 inch
(0.1-1 mm). Roots extend laterally from the base of the crown, but the
bulk run almost vertically downwards to depths of 4.5 to 5.5 feet
(1.3-1.75 m) [146,149].
The growing points (apical meristem) reach a height of slightly over 1
inch (2.54 cm) above the soil surface [15]. Little bluestem has a very
high ratio of fertile to vegetative stems. Plants with growing points
higher than 1 inch (2.54 cm) above the ground are more succeptible to
grazing damage than plants with growing points at or near the ground
surface. At 1 inch the growing point may be removed by grazing, and
therefore no new leaves reproduced by the stems. This in part explains
why under heavy grazing little bluestem is replaced by the common
associate side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), which has a growing
point at or near the soil surface.
Due to its broad distribution, little bluestem exibits varying degrees
of ecotypic variation. Plants vary in height, length of leaves, time of
flowering, and clump diameter. Miller [97] observed that the maximum
growth height and the amount of herbage produced was greater in plants
originating from areas with a longer growing season. Little bluestem
plants (var. frequens) in Kansas subjected to long-term grazing by
cattle were observed to have shorter and narrower leaf blades, and
tillers of lower weights than plants from ungrazed populations [22].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Hemicryptophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Little bluestem reproduces sexually by means of seeds, and vegetatively
by tiller expansion or through the initiation of new growth via short
inconspicuous rhizomes [146].
Branson [15] reported that about 75 percent of little bluestem stems
produce flowers, the highest of eight grasses studied. Seeding habits
appear to be good, except during drought years when inflorescences may
fail to develop [15,137,150]. On Nebraska prairie sites under intense
competition from tallgrasses, little bluestem flowered regularly only
during wet years [131]. On uplands where competition was less severe,
little bluestem flowered more regularly [131]. Germination in the field
appears to be low, with seedling numbers low or absent. In the
northeastern United States, buried viable seeds have been found in
37-year-old pine plantations where no parent plants occurred [89]. In
the West, however, no viable seeds have been found buried in the soil
[1,88,114]. Seed is generally dispersed only short distances from the
parent plant. A maximum dispersal of only 5 to 6 feet (1.5-1,8 m) was
observed with wind speeds reaching 18 miles per hour (30 k/h)
[72,147,148]. Roos and Quinn [123] reported that insect predation of
spikelets was high in New Jersey. Many fertile spikelets contained
insect larvae or were empty with no larvae or caryopsis.
Pure seed averages approximately 225,000 to 250,000 per pound
(496,000-551,000/kg) [50,127,144]. Optimum germination occurs at
temperatures from 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20-30 deg C) [127].
Under laboratory conditions, seeds germinated in 28 days after
prechilling [144].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Little bluestem is most abundant in prairie and plains grasslands
ecosystems. It typically occurs on dry upland sites including
hillcrests, drier midslopes, level uplands, shallow ravines, and along
ridges and hillsides [5,7,28,38,39,136,137,145,147,151,155]. Little
bluestem also occurs in prairie fens where it is a codominant with big
bluestem [108]. These are areas of sapric peat soil constantly
saturated with artesian groundwater and are typically dominated by
prairie grasses. Prairie fens occur across glaciated terrain in
northeastern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin, southwestern Michigan,
Indiana, western Ohio, and Missouri.
Climate: Little bluestem occurs in areas receiving 10 to 40 inches
(250-1020 mm) of mean annual precipitation (MAP). Optimal growth occurs
in areas with 20 inches (510 mm) of MAP, with good growth in areas with
15 to 20 inches (340-510 mm) of MAP [144].
Soils: Little bluestem is adapted to soils ranging from sandy to
clay-loam in texture [10,37,127,136,154,155]. In eastern Kansas, little
bluestem made up 28 percent of the vegetation on uplands with a medium
or loamy soil texture, 16.5 percent on very shallow clay uplands, and
only 6.4 percent on upland clay pan soils [7]. Farther west, it occurs
on weakly developed soils of xeric uplands [127]. In western Kansas,
little bluestem communities are apparently partially restricted by
shallow soils [5].
Water relations: Little bluestem is indicative of dry habitats and is
moderately drought resistant [144]. It can adjust osmotically to water
stress better than mesic species can. Knapp [81] observed that little
bluestem experienced lower predawn and midday leaf osmotic potentials
than both switchgrass (a low elevation mesic grass) and big bluestem ( a
low to mid elevation mesic grass), indicating that little bluestem is
able to remain physiologically active longer under low soil moisture
than either of these grasses. This is consistant with Mueller and
Weaver [100] who found that seedlings of little bluestem were less
drought resistant than seedlings of grama grasses (Bouteloua spp.), but
more drought resistant than seedlings of big bluestem, switchgrass,
indiangrass, junegrass (Koeleria cristata), wild rye (Leymus cinereus),
and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii). Extended periods of
drought, however, appear to be detrimental to little bluestem. In
Kansas during severe drought years in the 1930's, it was largely
replaced by sideoats grama [5,151].
Plant associates: Common associates include big bluestem, indiangrass,
sideoats grama, porcupine grass (Stipa spartea), prairie dropseed
(Sporobolus heterolepis), blue grama, needle-and-thread (Stipa comata),
Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), sand bluestem, and prairie
sandreed [7,140,144,147,148].
Elevation: Elevational ranges for several western states are presented
below [37,53,68,135,153].
above 4,000 feet (1,219 m) in AZ
from 3,500 to 9,500 feet (1,067-2,896 m) in CO
from 2,100 to 4,800 feet (640-1,463 m) in MT
from 3,000 to 9,000 feet (914-2,743 m) in NM
below 5,475 feet (1,668 m) in SD
from 3,500-7,500 feet (1,067-2,290 m) in UT
from 3,400-7,400 feet (1,036-2,256 m) in WY
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Facultative Seral Species
Little bluestem commonly occurs as a climax species on xeric sites in a
number of grassland communities in the western United States. It can
also occur in seral stages. It is a midseral species on sand blowouts,
often following sand bluestem [19]. It is one of the first plants to
invade cattle trails and road cuts bared by step erosion [63].
In the eastern United States, little bluestem is often a component of
early seral stages of deciduous or pine-deciduous forests, where it has
been found in oldfields 1 to 60 years old [123]. As woody vegetation
increases and dominates these sites, increased shading causes a rapid
decrease in the number and vigor of bluestem plants. Little bluestem
seeds may remain viable in the understory of forests for decades; plants
may also persist. Livingston and Allessio [89] found viable buried
seeds of little bluestem in 37-year-old pine plantations of the
northeastern United States where no parent plants occurred. In areas of
savannah or prairie-forest ecotones, such as in Wisconsin and Ohio,
little bluestem is a climax dominant in the prairie areas. Some of
these areas have now become overgrown with trees due to fire
suppression, yet little bluestem has persisted in very low numbers in
the understory. In Ohio, Knoop [83] observed little bluestem growing in
oak woodlands adjacent to prairie remnants, where it had a frequency of
4.5 percent. Holtz and Howell [65] observed that when the trees were
removed from a 70-year-old woodland in south-central Wisconsin dominated
by black oak (Quercus velutina) and black cherry (Prunus serotina),
little bluestem, which was in the understory, became a dominant part of
the prairie vegetation that followed. Generally little bluestem plants
survive fire and become part of the early postfire community [159].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Little bluestem begins growth in late spring after cool-season grasses
have already developed. In Oklahoma, little bluestem began growth about
20 days earlier than big bluestem [4]. Little bluestem begins growth in
early april in Oklahoma, late April in South Dakota, early May in North
Dakota, and late May in Montana [56,74,127].
Using stored carbohydrates, new shoots develop from axillary buds below
the ground surface. Little bluestem starts growth in the spring with
only a few leaves but then fills out rapidly. Culms initiating flower
development in Oklahoma had seven to eight leaves about 75 days after
initiation of new growth in the spring [120]. After 75 days, culms had
up to 17 leaves. Shoots and inflorescences develop rapidly.
Little bluestem shows considerable ecotypic variation in relation to the
time of flowering [68,78,93,94]. Miller [97] observed that little
bluestem phenology follows a well-defined pattern, in which the date of
anthesis and the period of active growth are directly related to the
length of the growing season. This pattern was also noted by McMillan
[93,94], who found that plants of northern and western origin flowered
earliest (usually July), while plants of southern and eastern origin
flowered later (around October). Plants are genetically programmed to
flower with a particular photoperiod. Plants from northern origins
mature under long day lengths and a short frost-free period. Plants
from southern origin are adapted to shorter day lengths and a long
frost-free period. This requirement remains constant, even when a
variety is moved from its original location. The time of flowering in
several states is as follows [4,5,37,56,74,120,131,137]:
Location Begining of Flowering End of Flowering
KS August September
MT July August
ND early August September
NE August September
OK August September
SD August ------
TX August December
WY August September
Earliest observed dates for different phenological events in North
Dakota are given below [56]:
Phenological Stage Date
Initiation of fruiting stalk 6/30
Seed head emergence 7/19
Anthesis 8/2
Leaf tip drying 7/24
Leaves 0-25% dry 9/5
Leaves 25-50% dry 8/26
Leaves 50-75% dry 9/7
Seed reaches maturity 8/18
Seed begins to shed 8/30
Severe frost ends the growing season and causes dormancy [5]. However,
in southern latitudes plants may not go completely dormant. In Texas,
Dyksterhuis [41] observed that although plants appeared dormant, new
shoots continued to originate at the base from October to December, and
portions of the plant remained green throughout the winter. During fall
and winter, a portion of total nitrogen is translocated belowground.
Adams and Wallace [3] found that at the time of flowering, aboveground
plant parts had 55.6 percent nitrogen compared with 44.4 percent in
belowground organs. After the growing season, these values changed to
35.6 percent in aboveground parts, and 64.4 percent in belowground
organs.
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Historically, fire played a major role in the ecology of grasslands in
which little bluestem occurs [32]. Little bluestem is well adapted to
fire when dormant, since food reserves are stored in belowground roots
and crowns. Dormant plants burned in the spring resprout from buds
within the insulated crowns, thereby revegetating the burned community.
Burning little bluestem during summer when plants are actively growing
significantly reduces basal cover [47]. Plants are particularly
sensitive to summer fires because apical meristems are 1 inch (2.54 cm)
above the soil surface, and hence easily consumed by fire [2,7].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Tussock graminoid
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Little bluestem is minimally affected by fire if burned dormant. It
increases or only slightly decreases in frequency following
dormant-season fires [8,45,84,157]. Spring and winter fires consume
aboveground plant parts in proportion to the amount of moisture in the
standing dead material and in the soil. In Nebraska, Bragg [14]
reported that about 98 percent of aboveground biomass was consumed by
April fires, while 84 percent of aboveground biomass was consumed by
fire in June when plants were moist and actively growing. Results from
prescribed fire in late spring in South Dakota indicate that as soil and
fuel moisture content at the time of ignition increases, the amount of
aboveground vegetation consumed decreases [156]. Fires in areas with a
soil moisture content of 33 percent and a fuel moisture content of 30
percent consumed 47.2 percent of little bluestem aboveground biomass.
However, fire in areas with a soil moisture content of 46 percent and a
fuel moisture content of 45.6 percent consumed only 31.4 percent of
aboveground biomass.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
Most often exhibiting a bunch habit, the plant crown of little bluestem
is relatively resistant to fire under moist conditions [141]. Under dry
conditions, fire can burn the crowns more easily, injuring basal buds
that are below the soil surface during dormancy [159]. During summer
little bluestem is particularly succeptible to fire damage because
apical meristems are elevated about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the soil
surface [15] and therefore exposed to the fire's flames and heat [159].
Late summer fires in Oklahoma resulted in little bluestem suffering 58
percent basal area reduction on plots with low fuel quantities and 95
percent reduction on plots with high fuel quantities [47]. Within 2
months, regrowth, which was minimal, came from surviving tillers. Few
new tillers were initiated. Although some ecotypes have small
inconspicous rhizomes, information concerning sprouting via rhizomes
following fire is lacking.
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Fires occurring during fall or spring when plants are dormant generally
consume aboveground foliage, but new growth resumes in the spring as
usual. The extent to which seed contributes to revegetating postburn
stands is unknown, but Ehrenreich and Aikman [42] reported that seeds
from burned stands have higher germination percentages than seeds from
nearby unburned stands. Little bluestem plants burned when dormant
generally start growth earlier in the spring and produce more herbage
than plants on nearby unburned areas. Early resumption of spring growth
has been observed during the first growing season following late spring
burns in Iowa [43] and South Dakota [156], an early spring burn in
Missouri [84], and an October lightning-caused fire in Nebraska [99].
Earlier and increased growth is most often attributed to increased solar
radiation reaching the soil following the removal of standing dead
material [45,67,106]. As a result of increased solar radiation, soil
temperatures on burned areas are higher than on unburned areas [32].
Following spring burning in native bluestem prairie in Missouri, soil
surface temperatures on burned areas compared with unburned areas
averaged 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 deg C) warmer in April, 11.4
degrees Fahrenheit (6.3 deg C) warmer in May, 8.3 degrees Fahrenheit
(4.6 deg C) warmer in June, and 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 deg C)
warmer in July [84]. Increased soil temperatures promote earlier root
growth and activity, and thus earlier emergence of shoots.
Numerous authors have reported increases in flowerstalk abundance (up to
1200 percent) following spring burning in tallgrass prairie
[30,45,67,84,112]. These increases are attributed to increased nitrogen
availability and to the removal of the litter layer around the growing
points, which increases the amount solar radiation received [67,106].
Long-term observations indicate that increases in flowerstalk and
herbage production are short-lived. Following spring burning in Iowa,
flowerstalk production increased dramatically the first growing season
but returned to normal by the third growing season [45]. Stem density
declines as the amount of standing dead material increases. In eastern
Kansas, little bluestem shows a linear decrease in abundance with time
since burning [54]. When little bluestem's abundance was compared on
grasslands with different burning frequencies, its greatest abundance
was on stands annually burned. In the Kansas Flint Hills, Towne and
Owensby [141] observed that on plots burned annually 48 out of 56 years
before 1982, total herbage production of little bluestem was greatest in
1981 (compared to the previous 56 years), indicating long-term annual
burning is not detrimental to little bluestem.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
Postburn frequencies indicate that little bluestem's response to fire is
influenced most by the season of burn and by the mean annual
precipitation (MAP) of the burned area. When precipitation is normal or
above normal, little bluestem generally increases after spring burns in
the tallgrass prairie where precipitation is normally greater than 20
inches annually. An exception is the Flint Hills of Kansas, which
receive about 30 inches (75 cm) of MAP. Here late spring burning
neither increased nor decreased yields, but mid or early spring burning
reduced yields significantly [8,109]. In other areas of the tallgrass
prairie, yield increases greater than 100 percent have been observed the
first year following late spring burns in North Dakota [79], Minnesota
[134], Missouri [84], and Iowa [44]. Farther west in the mixed-grass
prairie, little bluestem is stimulated by fires only in areas receiving
over 16 to 20 inches (40-50 cm) of MAP during years with above normal
precipitation [11,158]. In the Black Hills of South Dakota, which
receive 15 to 17 inches (38-43 cm) of MAP, a late spring burn (May 27)
increased little bluestem yields by 31 percent [126]. In the
mixed-grass prairie, burning followed by periods of below normal
precipitation decreases yields compared to unburned stands [9,157].
Late spring burning, when warm-season grasses are about to resume
growth, appears to be most beneficial to little bluestem.
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Late spring appears to be the best time for burning little bluestem
stands. Late spring fires have yielded the greatest increases in little
bluestem abundance [6,8,15,79,84]. The later the burn occurs in the
spring (just prior to the emergence of green shoots), the greater the
herbage production will be following burning. If burning is too early,
lower production may result, due to increased evaporation of soil
moisture in the interval between the fire and the resumption of new
growth. Soil is exposed for least amount of time following late spring
fires; therefore soil moisture levels over the growing season are
reduced less after late spring burns than after winter, early spring, or
mid-spring burns [6,95].
For grazing purposes, late spring burning can be used to increase grass
productivity and improve cattle use in areas receiving over 16 to 20
inches (40-50 cm) of annual precipitation. Grazing distribution may be
improved because cattle prefer grasses on burned areas over grasses on
unburned areas [87]. Anderson and others [8] observed increased steer
weight gains on late spring burns in Kansas, and improved range
condition due to an increase in warm-season grasses. Chemical analysis
of little bluestem following annual spring burning on April 10 in Kansas
shows that its nutrient value increased slightly. When sampled in July,
plants from burned stands had a protein content of 6.3 percent compared
to 5.7 percent for plants from unburned stands [130]. Chapin and
Van Cleve [23] observed a 10 percent increase in nitrogen, 11 percent in
phosphorus, and 10 percent in calcium 3 months after burning.
Late spring burning can be used to increase little bluestem and other
warm-season grass composition in warm-season pastures or rangelands
infested with undesirable cool-season grasses such as Kentucky
bluegrass. Late spring burning favors warm-season grasses because they
are dormant at the time of ignition, resuming growth from stored food
reserves held in underground organs. Cool-season grasses are harmed,
since they begin spring growth earlier and are actively growing at the
time of burning.
FIRE CASE STUDIES
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
FIRE CASE STUDIES :
1. Oklahoma fuel load study burn
2. Wind Cave National Park-Gobler's Ridge Fuel Moisture Treatments
1st CASE NAME :
Oklahoma fuel load study burn
REFERENCE :
Ewing, L. L.; Engle, D. M. 1988 [47]
SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION :
late summer/severe
STUDY LOCATION :
The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Agronomy Research Range,
approximately 9 miles (15 km) southwest of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY :
Tall-grass prairie dominated by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii var.
gerardii), indiangrass (Sorhgastrum nutans), switchgrass (Panicum
virgatum), little bluestem, and side-oats grama (Bouteloua
curtipendula).
TARGET SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE :
Little bluestem was in active growth stage at the time of the September
5 burn.
SITE DESCRIPTION :
Two similar upland study sites approximately 2.1 miles (3.5 km) apart
were burned to represent different grazing intensities. One site was
moderately grazed in recent years including the year of burning
(considered the low fuel site), while the other had not been grazed for
at least 3 years (considered the high fuel site). Mean annual
precipitation is 32.7 inches (83.1 cm) with 75 percent falling between
April and October.
FIRE DESCRIPTION :
The fire was a line head fire ignited by driptorch on September 5, 1985.
Precipitation was 17 percent above average during the 1985 growing
season. Weather conditions were typical of wildfire conditions--hot and
dry. Fire intensity and fire temperatures demonstrate that fire on the
high fuel plot was roughly four times as intense at the soil surface as
that on the low fuel plot. Fire intensity and duration was measured in
degree seconds. Degree seconds is the amount of time the sampled area
differs from the ambient postburn temperature by more than 2 degrees C
(sampled at 2-second intervals). Data on fire intensity and duration
are presented below:
Area Sampled degree seconds
low fuel high fuel
soil surface 10,400 +or- 1,900 43,600 +or- 3,200
6 in (15 cm) above soil surface 6,300 +or- 40 29,000 +or- 2,100
12 in (30 cm) above soil surface 3,900 +or- 180 20,300 +or- 1,400
Conditions reported:
Air temp. = 98.6 deg. F (37 deg. C)
RH = 36%
Wind speed = 13.8-24 mph (23-40 kph), low fuel plot
7.8-18 mph (13-30 kph), high fuel plot
Fuel load = 443 plus or minus 74 g/m2, low fuel plot
1,032 plus or minus 60 g/m2, high fuel plot
FIRE EFFECTS ON TARGET SPECIES :
This late summer fire resulted in a nearly complete combustion of
biomass, with the plots generally having blackened and bare soil with a
dusting of ash. Regrowth following the fire was primarily from
surviving tillers; few new tillers were initiated on either burned plot.
Regrowth was minimal on the low fuel plot and very slight on the high
fuel plot. Basal area was significantly reduced by both fires. A 58
percent reduction in basal area occurred on the low fuel plot, and a 95
percent reduction in basal area occurred on the high fuel plot. The
following growing season, peak biomass production of little bluestem on
the low fuel plot showed no significant decrease compared to the
unburned low fuel plot. However biomass production on the burned high
fuel plot was only 5 percent of that on the unburned high fuel plot.
FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS :
During the summer little bluestem has growing points which are not as
well protected as those of warm-season rhizomatous grasses. This late
summer fire demonstrates that little bluestem may be damaged or killed
outright by intense fires during the summer. Since little bluestem
elevates a high proportion of its apical meristems above the ground
surface, where they are vulnerable to a fire;s flames and heat, it is
sensitive to summer burning. This study also demonstrated that reduced
fuel loads from moderate grazing kept fire intensity low so that plants
had almost fully recovered 1 year later.
FIRE CASE STUDIES
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
2nd CASE NAME :
Wind Cave National Park-Gobler's Ridge Fuel Moisture Treatments
REFERENCE :
Worchester, L. L. 1979 [156]
SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION :
Dry Treatment - Late Spring/Severe
Medium Treatment - Late Spring/Severe
Wet Treatment - Late Spring/Moderate
STUDY LOCATION :
Gobler's Ridge in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, approximately
50 miles (80 km) south of Rapid City, South Dakota, in the southern
Black Hills.
PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY :
Burned communities were dominated by little bluestem and big bluestem
(Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii). The area was protected from
grazing for 15 years prior to burning. Preburn mean basal coverage and
preburn fuel quantities of little bluestem communities were:
Basal Coverage Dead Fuel Live Fuel
(gm/m2) (gm/m2)
dry treatment 38% 369 10.2
medium treatment 48% 353 13.5
wet treatment 44% 390.2 9.7
TARGET SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE :
Early vegetative growth stage. New growth comprised about 3 percent of
biomass.
SITE DESCRIPTION :
Treatments on the Gobler's Ridge study area occured on plots between
3,084 and 3,349 feet (940 and 1,018 m). Four replications of each
treatment including a control were applied on a west facing slope with
376 feet (114.5 m) of relief. The dry and medium burns took place under
naturally occurring moisture conditions, while the surface soil and
mulch were artificially moistened for the wet burn. The mean annual
precipitation is 18 inches (46 cm), with 70 percent falling between May
1 and September 30. The frost-free period averages 120 days.
FIRE DESCRIPTION :
Dry Treatment - burns on the dry treatment plots were rapid, producing
intense heat and very little smoke. Consumption of vegetation took 3
minutes per 4x4 meter plot. Flame height was 39 to 69 inches (100-174
cm) above ground level. Flames appeared dense and covered the entire
plot rapidly. Mineral soil was visible after burning. The prescribed
burns took place on May 27, 1978. Burning conditions were as follows:
Mulch moisture content: 30%
Soil moisture from 0 to.4 inches (0-1 cm): 33%
Air temperature: 70 degrees F (21.1 C)
Relative humidity: 37%
Wind speed: 3 mph (4.8 kph)
Maximum mean burn temperature: 1000 degrees F (538 C)
Medium Treatment - the general fire characteristics were the same as for
the dry burn treatment. The prescribed burns took place on June 1,
1978. Burning conditions were as follows:
Mulch moisture content: 37.6%
Soil moisture from 0 to .4 inches (0-1 cm): 41%
Air temperature: 51 degrees F (10.6 C)
Relative humidity: 61%
Wind speed: 2.6 mph (4.2 kph)
Maximum mean burn temperature: 962.6 degrees F (517 C)
Wet Treatment - burns were slow to ignite, leaving a mosaic pattern with
much smoke produced. Flame height was difficult to record due to the
intense smoke, which was apparently attributed to the high moisture
level of the mulch. The prescribed burns took place on June 2, 1978.
Burning conditions were as follows:
Mulch moisture content: 45.6%
Soil moisture from 0 to .4 inches (0-1 cm): 46%
Air temperature: 55 degrees F (12.8 C)
Relative humidity: 50%
Wind speed: 2.6 mph (4.2 kph)
Maximum mean burn temperature: 905 degrees F (485 C)
FIRE EFFECTS ON TARGET SPECIES :
Initial consumption by weight was 47.2 percent for the dry burn, 30.2
percent for the medium burn, and 31.4 percent for the wet burn.
Vegetative recovery began within 2 weeks after burning. Within a month
plants were green and succulent. Wet burn treatments had slightly
taller vegetation, greater biomass, and faster growth during early
recovery stages. Culm heights were taller after burning compared to
preburn measurements, but unburned controls had consistently taller
vegetation than burned areas. Yield data showed no significant
differences in yield due to treatment. Mean yields of little bluestem
in treatment plots are as follows:
Treatment Yield
(gm/m2)
Control (unburned plots) 106.5
Wet burn (45.6% mulch moisture) 117.1
Medium burn (37.6% mulch moisture) 116.9
Dry burn (30% mulch moisture) 114.9
FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS :
Fuel moisture content at the time of ignition showed a significant
negative correlation to burn temperature and to percent consumption. As
fuel mosisture content increased, more protective cover remained over
the soil after burning. However, preburn and postburn vegetation
measurements indicate that fuel moisture levels did not have an adverse
effect on vegetive recovery, yield, or species composition. All plots
showed rapid recovery.
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem
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Index
Related categories for Species: Schizachyrium scoparium
| Little Bluestem
|
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