Response of a grassland cactus to frequency and size of rainfall events in a North American shortgrass steppe
1996
Dougherty, R.L. | Lauenroth, W.K. | Singh, J.S.
1. Field experiments were conducted to define the types of rainfall that most effectively contribute to the water resource of a grassland cactus, Opuntia polyacantha in a shortgrass steppe. 2. The study indicated that O. polyacantha is capable of responding to rain events as small as 2.5 cm although a 10-mm event has considerably more value than a 2.5-mm or a 5-mm event. 3. Water content of the cladodes was closely related to recent rainfall, and shoot growth was greatly influenced by cladode water content. 4. Results indicate that this cactus utilizes small rainfall events (2.5-5 mm), and that its success in the short term depends more on the frequency of usable rain than on rain amount.
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