Plant size variation and vertebrate herbivory: winter wheat grazed by rabbits

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Shoot-weight distributions of ungrazed Triticum aestivum changed significantly over the growing season, with size inequality between plants increasing rapidly at first, peaking in mid-winter, and remaining high thereafter. Variance:mean relationships for shoot-weight distributions conformed to Taylor's Power Law throughout the growing season, becoming Poisson by harvest time. Continuous Oryctolagus cuniculus grazing reduced mean plant size and consistently increased size inequality. The largest plants in populations grazed in winter and then allowed to recover were typically larger than the largest plants from ungrazed populations, probably due to a reduction in competition from mortality caused by grazing. Weight distributions of grazed populations tended to show increased skewness and kurtosis compared with ungrazed populations. -from Authors

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of Applied Ecology
Vol/bind28
Udgave nummer1
Sider (fra-til)154-172
Antal sider19
ISSN0021-8901
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 1 jan. 1991

ID: 224652911