The goal of this experiment is to determine the effects of pocket gophers and deer on succesesional changes and the development of heterogeneity in soils and vegetation in an old-field. This is a long-term experiment and will be sampled through the year 2000.
Major herbivores are excluded from fifteen 12m x 12m plots in a newly abandoned old field. Main treatments include gopher removals, all large vertebrate removals, and controls. Smaller (3m x 12m) grasshopper removals are nested within main treatments. Gopher disturbance will be quantified throughout the summer season. Soils ( including N mineralization) and vegetation will be sampled regularly on 100-point grids within each plot. For a list of treatments, see the treatment layouts in file Link==>e064/treatment trmte64.