A study of the growth and phenological development of fourteen species of plants on the Jornada Experimental Range during 1979 and 1980
By: by R. P. Gibbens, John T. Hennessy and Jack W. Coupland
Contributors: Hennessy, John T. (John Thomas), 1948-; Coupland, Jack W.; United States. Agricultural Research Service. Southern Regional Research Center; United States. Bureau of Land Management
Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Agricultural Research
Published: 1981
Place of publication: Las Cruces, N.M
Language: eng
Number of pages: 118
Subjects: Range plants; Vegetation and climate; Jornada Experimental Range; Plant ecology; Plant phenology
Description: Knowledge of the phenological development of forage species can be very useful in the management of desert rangelands. During 1979 and 1980 observations and measurements were made at weekly intervals on 14 plant species, including annual forbs, perennial forbs, perennial grasses and shrubs. Growth curves of all species showed a very high correlation with summer precipitation and in most cases precipitation dictated the timing and magnitude of expression of reproductive phenophases. Regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between dimensional of volumetric measurements and plant biomass. Few good predictors of plant biomass were found. The wide variation in phenological expression and biomass accumulation among years prevents the use of any species specific factor for the adjustment of biomass determinations made prior to the peak standing crop.
Notes: "Report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management by the Science and Education Administration - Agriculture Research in fulfillment of Interagency Agreement No. 12-14-5005-6459 (NMSO-99)."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-118).

Also available online via Internet Archive.
Table of contents: title: Description of study area --; title: Description of phenological observation sites --; title: Methods and procedures -- -- Results and discussion.; title: Precipitation patterns --; title: Desert baileya (Baileya multiradiata) --; title: Wislizenus spectaclepod (Dithyrea wislizenus) --; title: Purple rollleaf (Nama hispidum) --; title: Two-leaf senna (Cassia bauhinoides) --; title: Big globemallow (Sphaeralcea incana) --; title: Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) --; title: Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) --; title: Broom snakeweed (Xanthocephalum sarothrae) --; title: Fluffgrass (Erioneuron pulchellum) --; title: Plains bristlegrass (Setaria macrostachya) --; title: Bush muhly (Muhlenbergia porteri) --; title: Tobosa (Hilaria mutica) --; title: Black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) --; title: Spike dropseed (Sporobolus contractus) --; title: Mesa dropseed (Sporobolus flexuosus) --; title: Microenvironment and phenological events --; title: Phenological adjustment factor --; title: Conclusions --; title: Literature cited.