Effect of topographic position and fire on species composition in tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas.

Species richness was higher in upland than lowland communities. Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) was dominant on all sites (cover 70-96%) and was not significantly affected by topographic position or burn treatment, whereas, A. scoparius (little bluestem) and Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) increased with burning. Cover of Panicum virgatum (witchgrass) was higher on lowland soils, but burning differences were not significant. Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), the dominant cool-season grass, was not affected by topography but was greatly reduced by annual burning. Cover of most forb and woody species was reduced on burned areas but species were differentially affect by topography. One exception was the woody species Amorpha canescens (leadplant), which had its highest cover on burned lowland soils. -from Authors