Managing for Biodiversity and Livestock: A scale-dependent approach for promoting vegetation heterogeneity in western Great Plains grasslands

Abstract

A scale-dependent approach for promoting vegetation heterogeneity in western Great Plains grasslands helps in improvement of the grassland bird habitat and recovers declining populations. Vegetation heterogeneity refers to variability in the structure and composition of plant communities over space and time. Grassland plant communities are inherently heterogeneous because of plant species diversity, which results from differences in physical characteristics (climate, soils, and topography) as well as disturbance processes. The scale-dependent approach can help land managers consider several grazing and other land management practices simultaneously at several spatial scales. Maintaining and improving vegetation heterogeneity in grasslands is important for biodiversity, ecosystem goods and services, long-term sustainability of ecosystems and wildlife populations, and contemporary concerns about potential conflicts between conservation and production goals.