1. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass annually burned control Necromass annually burned control Soil organic matter annually burned control Grass do (grasses/(forbs + grasses)) annually burned control Shoot density annually burned control Predicted fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Above-ground RGR annually burned control Below-ground biomass Below-ground RGR Above-ground respiration Soil respiration annually burned control Soil water annually burned control Soil temperature annually burned control ? ? ?

2. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass (gm -2 ) annually burned 2.5  1.1 control1.4  0.4 Necromass (gm -2 ) * annually burned3.9  1.2 control 75.1  6.2 Soil organic matter (% weight) annually burned5.8  1.0 control5.8  0.4 Plant diversity (forb fraction) annually burned0.18  0.09 control0.36  0.14 Shoot density (stems m -2 ) annually burned189  41 control126  54 Above-ground RGR (wk -1 ) annually burned 0.71 control 0.15 Below-groundbiomass Below-ground RGR Above-groundrespiration Soil respiration (gm -2 d -1 ) annually burned6.6  1.8 control5.9  0.4 Soil H 2 0 (% by vol. at 10 cm, wks 1, 2) annually burned50.1  1.346.2  1.7 control50.0  2.049.3  1.4 Soil temp. (°C at 10 cm, wks 1, 2) * annually burned12.8  0.214.0  0.1 control10.8  0.111.1  0.2 Fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Bio 252 - 2002

3. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass (gm -2 ) W* annually burned0.19  0.04 control 0.51  0.12 Necromass (gm -2 ) W*** annually burned 4.1  0.9 control 39.4  3.3 Soil organic matter (% dry wt.) W* annually burned 7.0  0.3 control 5.0  0.2 Plant diversity (forb fraction) annually burned 0.55 ± 0.44 0.54 ±0.13 control 0.38 ± 0.38 0.35 ± 0.12 Shoot density (shoots/m -2 ) annually burned 340 ± 80 460 ± 210 control 840 ± 50 680 ± 270 Fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Bio 252 - 2003 Above-ground RGR annually burned ???? control ???? Below-groundbiomass Below-ground RGR Above-groundrespiration Soil respiration (gm -2 d -1 )W** annually burned 10.9  1.2 control 7.5  0.5 Soil waterwk1 Twk2 T annually burned46.6 ± 2.149.2 ±1.0 control46.0 ± 1.652.3 ±1.5 Soil temp. (°C) wk1 T* wk2 T* annually burned13.8±0.212.5±0.2 control10.5±0.311.0±0.1 T = Tuesday data; W = Wednesday data (Diversity + density display both.) * P < 0.05; *** P < 0.001

4. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass (gm -2 ) T annually burned 21.0  5.4 control 16.2  4.1 Necromass (gm -2 ) T*** ?? annually burned 59  control 717  Soil organic matter (% dry wt.) T annually burned 5.1  0.2 control 5.2  0.2 Forb dominance (forb fraction) annually burned 0.20 ± 0.06 control 0.19 ± 0.05 Shoot density (shoots/m -2 ) annually burned 1055 ± 169 control 781 ± 178 Fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Bio 252-02 – 2004 Above-ground RGR (wk-1) annually burned control Below-groundbiomass Below-ground RGR Above-groundrespiration Soil respiration (gm -2 d -1 ) annually burned 3.8 ± 0.2 control 4.3 ± 0.3 Soil waterwk1wk2 T annually burned42.9 ± 1.2 control45.4 ± 1.3 Soil temp. (°C) wk1 wk2 T*** annually burned 14.9 ± 0.3 control 11.9 ± 0.5 T = Tuesday data * P < 0.05; *** P < 0.001

5. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass (gm -2 ) annually burned 1.3  0.5 control 1.9  0.3 Necromass (gm -2 ) *** annually burned 3.4  0.8 control 54.7  9.6 Soil organic matter (% dry wt.) annually burned 6.1  0.3 control 6.1  0.2 Forb? dominance (forb? fraction) annually burned 0.72 ± 0.05 control 0.67 ± 0.11 Shoot density (shoots m -2 ) ** annually burned 71.6 ± 9.5 control 26.2 ± 3.2 Fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Bio 252-01 – 2004 Above-ground RGR annually burned 0.33 ± 0.12 ** control -0.09 ± 0.03 Below-groundbiomass Below-ground RGR Above-groundrespiration Soil respiration (gm -2 d -1 ) annually burned 4.5 ± 0.6 * control 2.9 ± 0.3 Soil waterwk1 wk2 annually burned21.4 ± 0.542.5 ± 1.5 control22.0 ± 0.442.6 ± 1.6 Soil temp. (°C) wk1 *** wk2 *** annually burned 14.6 ± 0.2 17.6 ± 0.3 control 12.3 ± 0.1 13.0 ± 0.2 * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01 *** P < 0.001

6. Atmosphere Above-ground biomass (gm -2 ) Wks 1, 2 annually burned 1.27 ±.20 (1) 4.65 ± 1.94 control 2.17 ±.52 (1) 1.14 ± 0.19 Necromass (gm -2 ) *** annually burned 3.52 ±.72 control 41.55 ± 4.3 Soil organic matter (% dry wt.) annually burned 5.77 ±.19 control 5.98 ±.27 Forb dominance (forb fraction) annually burned.16 ±.08 Control.35 ±.12 Shoot density (shoots/m -2 ) annually burned 44.2 ±9.3 (G) 5.4 ±2.1 (F) control 36.5 ± 98.0 (G) 9.9 ± 4.6 (F) Fire-frequency effects on carbon dynamics in tallgrass prairie Bio 252-01 – 2005 Above-ground RGR (wk-1) annually burned 0.16 ±.35 control -0.04 ±.07 Below-ground biomass (gm -2) annually burned 547 ± 185 control 830 ± 140 Below-ground RGR Above-groundrespiration Soil respiration (gm -2 d -1 ) annually burned control Soil waterwk1**wk2 annually burned 21.4 ± 0.2 16.5 ± 1.0 control 22.2 ± 0.2 16.4 ± 0.9 Soil temp. (°C) wk1 wk2 ** annually burned13.4 ±. 614.6 ± 0.9 control13.1 ± 0.811.1 ± 0.5

7. Biomass in Burned and Unburned Plots P-Value is 0.053, which is marginally significant Reiersgaard, Scott and Worzalla 2004

8. Data for Necromass The amount of necromass in burned and unburned plots was not significantly different Reiersgaard, Scott and Worzalla 2004

9. Findings for Grasses and Forbs Although the t-test didn’t show a significant difference in mass of grasses and forbs, the mass for both was higher in burned plots Reiersgaard, Scott and Worzalla 2004

10. Big Bluestem has clear advantage in burned prairie Indian Grass results inconclusive Density Fowler, Langseth and Sipfle 2004

11. Big Bluestem on burned plots was 123% the height of plant height on not burned Indian Grass on burned plots 108% the height of plant height on not burned Height Fowler, Langseth and Sipfle 2004