This experiment is being conducted inside the fenced area (see E001 for fencing methods) of field B. The following six treatments are being tested:
1 (=A). Control : existing vegetation
2 (=B). Complete plant removal with roundup at a rate of 2.04g/m2
(1g of Isopropylamine salt of N (phosphonomethyl) Glycine). A plastic barrier 80cm high, was placed around each
plot before spraying to stop any drift that might occur
(plots may require several general sprays or localized
per season: check CALENDAR.DOC).
3 (=C). Clip the vegetation at the soil level every two
weeks.
4 (=D). Clip the entire plot to 10 cm every other week all
summer (starting June 1st).
5 (=E). Clip the entire plot to 10cm and rake every other
week all summer (starting June 1st).
Remove litter with raking, then disturb soil surface.
6 (=F). Add high density of herbivores (grasshoppers).
7 (=G). Aluminum screen without grasshoppers.
For treatment 6 (F) grasshoppers were kept inside aluminum screen cages. The same type of cages was used for treatment 7 (G). Each treatment is replicated 8 times, except for treatment 1 which was replicated 10 times and treatments 6 and 7 which were replicated 4 times each. Each plot is 1.4m by 1.4m. An alley of 0.6 meter wide was left between experimental units. Treatments were randomly assigned to experimental units. Roots from each plot are prevented from going to the surrounding plots by using galvanized sheet metal (gage 26, 12 inches deep into the ground) to enclose each plot. For a list of treatments, see the treatment layouts in file trmte37.