All Methods

Methods for Experiment 071 -

Animal Sampling Methods

Pocket gophers are trapped out of E071 as soon as they appear (very seldom).

Field Operations: Cages

The 60cm x 60cm plots are enclosed by a cage of windowscreen which is 1.2m high.

Field Operations: Fencing

This experiment is within the fenced area of experiment E026 which is fenced to a height of 2m and to a depth of 1.3 m belowground to exclude all mammalian herbivores.

Field Operations: Mammal Trapping

Small mammals are trapped in the fall to discourage overwinter inhabitants. Pocket gophers are trapped out of the experiment as soon as they appear (very infrequent).

Field Operations: Watering

All plots are watered to receive at least 1.5cm/wk in April, May and October, and 2.5cm/wk in June through September.

Field Operations: Weeding

All plots and aisles are routinely weeded to keep the area free of unwanted plants and future seed sources.

Sampling

All grasshoppers in all cages are counted every 5 days during the experiment to determine the grasshopper "equilibrium" density. After the grasshoppers reached "equilibrium", vegetation was sampled by clipping a 50cm x 5cm strip. Soil samples were taken 5 times during the summer to determine the effect of grasshoppers on available soil nitrogen. In 1991, vegetation was sampled and sorted to species on June 24, 25 and 26. The clip strips were 60cm x 5cm. Vegetation was again sampled and sorted to species on September 3-5.

Treatment layout : trmte71

Additional Notes: Time Treatment: E=Early season=experiment done from last week of May to July 4 L=Late season=experiment done from last week of July to first week of September Vegetation Treatment: 1=SS 2=PP 3=LC 4=SS + PP 5=SS + LC 6=PP + LC where: SS=Schizachyrium scoparium, PP=Poa pratensis, LC=Lespedeza capitata Grasshopper Treatment: 1=none 2=MF 3=SC 4=MF + SC 5=PA 6=AC 7=AC + PA where MF=Pardalophora apiculata, SC=Arphia conspersa, PA=Melanoplus femur-rubrum,AC=Spharagemon collare

Field Identification	Experiment Number	Plot Number	Vegetation Treatment	Time	Grasshopper Treatment
E	71	1	2	L	2
E	71	2	1	L	2
E	71	3	1	L	1
E	71	4	2	L	3
E	71	5	1	L	4
E	71	6	4	L	1
E	71	7	4	L	3
E	71	8	3	L	1
E	71	9	6	L	4
E	71	10	3	L	3
E	71	11	1	L	2
E	71	12	1	E	5
E	71	13	3	E	6
E	71	14	4	E	6
E	71	15	5	E	5
E	71	16	2	E	5
E	71	17	5	L	2
E	71	18	3	L	2
E	71	19	6	E	5
E	71	20	2	L	2
E	71	21	6	L	2
E	71	22	6	E	7
E	71	23	2	L	3
E	71	24	1	E	7
E	71	25	1	E	1
E	71	26	5	L	4
E	71	27	2	E	1
E	71	28	-2	-2	-2
E	71	29	2	L	4
E	71	30	3	E	1
E	71	31	1	E	6
E	71	32	3	E	7
E	71	33	4	L	2
E	71	34	3	L	4
E	71	35	3	L	2
E	71	36	4	L	4
E	71	37	3	E	5
E	71	38	6	E	1
E	71	39	5	L	1
E	71	40	4	L	3
E	71	41	1	L	3
E	71	42	3	L	4
E	71	43	5	E	6
E	71	44	2	E	7
E	71	45	2	L	1
E	71	46	6	L	3
E	71	47	3	L	3
E	71	48	3	L	1
E	71	49	4	E	5
E	71	50	4	L	4
E	71	51	6	L	1
E	71	52	5	E	7
E	71	53	1	L	3
E	71	54	2	L	4
E	71	55	5	E	5
E	71	56	4	E	1
E	71	57	6	E	6
E	71	58	5	E	1
E	71	59	2	E	6
E	71	60	3	L	3
E	71	61	6	L	3
E	71	62	1	L	4
E	71	63	6	E	7
E	71	64	1	L	4
E	71	65	6	L	4
E	71	66	2	L	2
E	71	67	4	L	1
E	71	68	3	L	2
E	71	69	2	L	4
E	71	70	2	L	1
E	71	71	5	E	1
E	71	72	4	L	2
E	71	73	4	E	7
E	71	74	5	E	6
E	71	75	6	E	6
E	71	76	2	E	5
E	71	77	1	E	5
E	71	78	2	E	6
E	71	79	6	L	2
E	71	80	1	E	6
E	71	81	6	L	2
E	71	82	5	L	3
E	71	83	4	L	2
E	71	84	6	E	1
E	71	85	6	E	5
E	71	86	2	E	7
E	71	87	1	E	1
E	71	88	3	E	7
E	71	89	4	L	4
E	71	90	3	L	1
E	71	91	6	E	7
E	71	92	1	E	7
E	71	93	5	E	7
E	71	94	4	L	1
E	71	95	6	L	1
E	71	96	2	L	3
E	71	97	3	E	5
E	71	98	5	L	2
E	71	99	1	L	1
E	71	100	4	E	5
E	71	101	5	L	4
E	71	102	2	E	7
E	71	103	3	L	4
E	71	104	2	E	6
E	71	105	5	E	6
E	71	106	2	E	1
E	71	107	4	E	7
E	71	108	2	L	3
E	71	109	2	E	5
E	71	110	6	E	1
E	71	111	2	E	1
E	71	112	1	L	3
E	71	113	5	L	1
E	71	114	6	L	3
E	71	115	2	E	1
E	71	116	5	E	5
E	71	117	3	L	2
E	71	118	6	E	6
E	71	119	5	E	1
E	71	120	6	L	4
E	71	121	3	E	6
E	71	122	2	L	4
E	71	123	2	L	1
E	71	124	6	E	5
E	71	125	2	L	2
E	71	126	1	E	1
E	71	127	4	E	6
E	71	128	4	L	3
E	71	129	2	L	1
E	71	130	4	L	4
E	71	131	5	L	1
E	71	132	3	L	1
E	71	133	4	E	1
E	71	134	5	L	4
E	71	135	3	E	1
E	71	136	5	E	7
E	71	137	3	E	5
E	71	138	2	E	6
E	71	139	4	E	1
E	71	140	6	E	6
E	71	141	4	E	7
E	71	142	1	L	4
E	71	143	4	E	5
E	71	144	4	L	1
E	71	145	1	L	4
E	71	146	4	L	4
E	71	147	2	L	4
E	71	148	1	E	1
E	71	149	4	L	3
E	71	150	1	L	1
E	71	151	6	L	4
E	71	152	5	E	7
E	71	153	5	E	1
E	71	154	3	L	4
E	71	155	2	L	4
E	71	156	4	E	6
E	71	157	6	E	5
E	71	158	1	E	5
E	71	159	3	E	6
E	71	160	2	E	5
E	71	161	3	E	7
E	71	162	2	E	5
E	71	163	2	L	1
E	71	164	4	L	4
E	71	165	6	L	2
E	71	166	3	E	1
E	71	167	1	E	6
E	71	168	6	E	1
E	71	169	3	E	7
E	71	170	1	E	7
E	71	171	4	E	6
E	71	172	4	L	3
E	71	173	3	E	6
E	71	174	4	E	6
E	71	175	6	E	7
E	71	176	2	E	7
E	71	177	6	E	7
E	71	178	5	L	2
E	71	179	1	L	2
E	71	180	3	E	5
E	71	181	3	L	3
E	71	182	6	E	5
E	71	183	4	E	1
E	71	184	3	L	4
E	71	185	4	L	1
E	71	186	5	L	3
E	71	187	2	L	3
E	71	188	5	E	6
E	71	189	1	E	7
E	71	190	3	E	5
E	71	191	4	E	5
E	71	192	3	L	2
E	71	193	5	L	4
E	71	194	4	E	7
E	71	195	6	L	3
E	71	196	4	L	2
E	71	197	1	E	7
E	71	198	5	L	2
E	71	199	5	E	5
E	71	200	2	E	1
E	71	201	5	L	1
E	71	202	?	?	?
E	71	203	4	E	7
E	71	204	5	E	6
E	71	205	3	E	7
E	71	206	4	E	1
E	71	207	1	L	3
E	71	208	1	L	2
E	71	209	3	E	1
E	71	210	6	E	6
E	71	211	1	L	1
E	71	212	6	L	2
E	71	213	4	E	5
E	71	214	2	E	1
E	71	215	3	L	1
E	71	216	5	L	3
E	71	217	6	L	3
E	71	218	1	L	4
E	71	219	1	E	6
E	71	220	5	L	1
E	71	221	6	E	1
E	71	222	1	L	3
E	71	223	1	E	6
E	71	224	3	E	1
E	71	225	5	L	4
E	71	226	2	E	6
E	71	227	3	E	6
E	71	228	1	E	5
E	71	229	3	L	3
E	71	230	1	L	1
E	71	231	5	E	7
E	71	232	1	E	5
E	71	233	5	E	1
E	71	234	5	L	3
E	71	235	6	L	1
E	71	236	5	L	2
E	71	237	6	L	4
E	71	238	5	L	3
E	71	239	5	E	5
E	71	240	1	E	1

Watering Methods

All plots receive at least 1.5cm/week of water in April, May and October and 2.5cm/week in June through September. If the plots receive this water from natural rainfall, then no supplemental watering is needed. When watering is needed, it is done using a system of hoses set up in the field. A black irrigation pipe, 3 inches in diameter, is hooked up to the pump. This extends out to the E026 area where the 3-inch hose is divided into two 2-inch hoses. One part goes toward the E026 (and E071) plots (the other toward E055, E069, E070). From this hose, several regular garden hoses are connected. Gardena Excellent Oscillating Sprinklers, model 6968, are attached to these hoses. These sprinklers are purchased at Sears and made at Gardena, Inc., 6031 Culligan Way, Minnetonka, MN 55345. Three or four hoses/sprinklers are used at one time. Any more than this reduces the water pressure enough so the sprinklers will not work. The sprinklers are rotated in order to reach all of the plots.