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We evaluated the relationship between annual forage production and annual and seasonal precipitation and temperature at a shortgrass steppe site in north-central Colorado using a long-term data set (52 yr). We also constructed a relationship between forage production and aboveground net primary production (ANPP). Precipitation fluctuated randomly, but temperature had clear warming and cooling trends including a 17-yr warming trend from 1974 to 1990. Forage production was significantly related to both annual and seasonal precipitation but not temperature. Precipitation events between 15 and 30 mm accounted for most of the variability in production because they accounted for most of the variability in precipitation...
In the shortgrass steppe region of North America there is a controversy about the ability of the dominant species to recruit from seedlings. The prevailing view is that Bouteloua gracilis is incapable of recruitment from seedlings in areas receiving <380 mm of annual precipitation. A common explanation for this situation is that environmental conditions permitting seedling establishment are infrequent. To assess the frequency of environmental conditions appropriate for the recruitment of B. gracilis we used a soil water simulation model and long-term climatic data in conjunction with detailed information about the ecophysiological requirements for seed germination and growth of seminal and adventitious roots. We...