Some effects of carbamate insecticide on primary producers in a desert grassland ecosystem

Title	Some effects of carbamate insecticide on primary producers in a desert grassland ecosystem
Publication Type	Thesis
Year of Publication	1974
Authors	Hickman GWayne
Number of Pages	24
Date Published	1974
University	New Mexico State University
City	Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thesis Type	M.S. Thesispp
Call Number	00136
Keywords	Bouteloua, germination, dissertation, dissertations, grassland, insecticide effects, insecticide, carbamate, insecticide, primary production, insecticide, Sevin, primary production, insecticide, theses, thesis
Abstract	Field and greenhouse studies were undertaken to determine some effects of a carbamate insecticide on primary producers in a desert grassland ecosystem. A 2500 m2 field area was sprayed with Sevin and periodically sampled over a period of one year to obtain density, cover and biomass data. These results were compared to an untreated control area. Over the study period, no significant differences developed in the above parameters between treatment and control areas. In the greenhouse, field transplanted Boutelua eriopoda plants received various concentrations of insecticide and were sampled over a period equivalent to the growing season for vegetative and reproductive biomass. No significant differences developed among the various treatments and control. The only study that produced significantly different results was the germination experiment. B. eriopoda seeds were soaked in various concentrations of insecticide and allowed to germinate in moistened petri plates. The medium concentration tested, 0.01%, produced significantly higher germination percentages than the water only control.