Does fire and herbicide benefit cattle production in invaded grassland landscapes?

McMillan, Nicholas A.; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D.; Goodman, Laura E.; Davis, Craig A.; Luttbeg, Barney; Hamilton, Robert G.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108163

Cited by 5 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…For example, high‐cost control efforts like herbicide treatment can limit the dominance of L. cuneata , but often require annually repeated treatments to maintain effectiveness (Sherrill et al, 2022). Herbicide‐based control efforts also may not increase livestock productivity across those same landscapes—a central management justification for landowners in the tallgrass prairie region (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022)—and increases the risk of collateral negative effects on biodiversity (Rinella et al, 2009; Sheley et al, 2011). It is likely that L. cuneata will indeed become more abundant throughout the region, but data confirming a strong or consistent negative effect of its spread are lacking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lespedeza cuneata can be successfully managed using pyric herbivory—that is the recoupling of fire and grazing disturbances (Cummings et al, 2007; Fuhlendorf & Engle, 2001; Sherrill et al, 2022)—while promoting landscape heterogeneity critical to grassland biodiversity maintenance (Fuhlendorf, Engle, Kerby, & Hamilton, 2009). Grazers heavily select for recently burned areas relative to those with longer time‐since‐fire (Allred et al, 2011), and this process—pyric herbivory—has been shown to relax foraging preferences (Cummings et al, 2007), neutralize the effect of L. cuneata on livestock grazers (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022) and restrict further invasion (Cummings et al, 2007; Sherrill et al, 2022). However, much of the research on L. cuneata , including its effects on biodiversity, has been conducted using small‐scale experiments that are not readily transferrable to large complex landscapes (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grazers heavily select for recently burned areas relative to those with longer time‐since‐fire (Allred et al, 2011), and this process—pyric herbivory—has been shown to relax foraging preferences (Cummings et al, 2007), neutralize the effect of L. cuneata on livestock grazers (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022) and restrict further invasion (Cummings et al, 2007; Sherrill et al, 2022). However, much of the research on L. cuneata , including its effects on biodiversity, has been conducted using small‐scale experiments that are not readily transferrable to large complex landscapes (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022). How the effect of invasive species—including L. cuneata —might change with spatial scale is unknown across large heterogeneous grasslands managed with pyric herbivory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…is broadly managed across the tallgrass prairie ecosystem in North America due to its presumed negative effects on biodiversity and livestock production (Cummings et al, 2007; McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022; Sherrill et al, 2022). Management actions to suppress L. cuneata invasion across the region often include prescribed fire and aerial herbicide application (McMillan, Fuhlendorf, Goodman, et al, 2022). Lespedeza cuneata is thought to reduce biodiversity through interspecies competition for light and other resources (Allred et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A plea for scale, and why it matters for invasive species management, biodiversity and conservation

McMillan

Fuhlendorf

Davis

et al. 2023

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Invasive species are suspected to be major contributors to biodiversity declines worldwide. Counterintuitively, however, invasive species effects are likely scale dependent and are hypothesized to be positively related to biodiversity at large spatial scales. Past studies investigating the effect of invasion on biodiversity have been mostly conducted at small scales (<100 m2) that cannot represent large dynamic landscapes by design. Therefore, replicated experimental evidence supporting a negative effect of invasive plants on biodiversity is lacking across many landscape types, including large grasslands. We collected data across eight large (333–809 ha) grassland landscapes managed with pyric herbivory—that is the recoupling of fire and grazing—to test how an invasive legume Lespedeza cuneata affected plant and bird communities at spatial grains ranging from 0.1 m2 to >3,000,000 m2. Lespedeza cuneata invasion effects on grassland plant diversity and composition changed with scale, being negative at small spatial grains (0.1 m2) and neutral or positive at large spatial grains (>3,000,000 m2). Lespedeza cuneata abundance did not significantly affect bird diversity at any spatial grain measured. Lespedeza cuneata may negatively affect biodiversity if abundances are greater than those observed in this study. However, previous research suggests that Lespedeza cuneata may not be capable of exceeding 20% canopy cover across large landscapes (>400 ha). Control and eradication strategies can be costly and are fraught with risk. If data do not clearly support a negative Lespedeza cuneata abundance–biodiversity relationship, and if invasion is spatially limited across large landscapes, ongoing control and eradication efforts may be unwarranted and ineffective. Synthesis and applications: Invasive species effects gleaned from small‐scale studies may not reliably predict their effects at larger scales. Although we recognize the importance of small‐scale studies in potentially isolating individual mechanisms, management strategies based solely on results from small‐scale studies of invasion are unlikely to increase or conserve biodiversity across large landscapes. Rather, processes that generate landscape heterogeneity—like pyric herbivory—are probably more important for promoting biodiversity across all scales. Scale is a central problem in ecology, and defining scale in management objectives is essential for effective biodiversity conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A plea for scale, and why it matters for invasive species management, biodiversity and conservation

McMillan

Fuhlendorf

Davis

et al. 2023

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…Additionally, pastures that had both fire and our conservation-oriented herbicide application (i.e., integrated management with a low-concentration herbicide) did not have lower L. cuneata cover compared with pastures that were left unsprayed. Pyric herbivory alone may be sufficient for rangeland managers to mitigate the effects of L. cuneata invasion ( Cummings et al 2007 ;McMillan et al 2022 ;Sherrill et al 2022 ). More than half of the extant literature on invasive species effects are from small-scale studies ( > 50% with treatments of 100 m 2 or less) where treatments are applied to homogenously invaded (or planted) plots ( Kettenring and Adams 2011 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growing Season Fires and Herbicide May not Be the Silver Bullet to Lespedeza cuneata Management

McMillan,

Fuhlendorf,

Davis

et al. 2023

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Vegetation and animal production in pastures sprayed for western ragweed control

Harmoney,

Jaeger,

Hadle

2024

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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Western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya DC) is one of the most common perennial, native forbs of western US rangelands. Cattle consume small quantities of western ragweed in their diets when present in the forage sward, and forage nutritive value tends to be greater than the associated grass component in those swards. Yet, many producers view western ragweed as an undesirable forb in rangelands. We conducted a study over two years to compare vegetative and stocker animal productivity in pastures that were either sprayed with dicamba at 6 oz/acre (0.19 lb a.i./acre) for western ragweed control or were left unsprayed. Pastures started the study with high western ragweed densities (>9 western ragweed plants/ft2) before pasture treatment, and spraying with dicamba significantly reduced western ragweed density and yield compared to unsprayed pastures (0.2 vs. 3.5 ragweed plants/ft2, and 0 vs. 206 lb/acre, respectively). Grass production and total vegetation production were similar between treatments. Crude protein and total digestible nutrients of western ragweed was greater than grass at all mid‐season and end of season sampling dates both years. Stocker animal gain was not different between pastures sprayed for ragweed control and pastures left unsprayed in either year, nor when averaged over the two years (189 vs. 188 lb/head, sprayed vs. unsprayed, respectively). Beef production per acre was also similar. The spray treatment was an added expense that did not result in greater total forage, grass, or animal production. With natural fluctuations in western ragweed population densities due to weather patterns, producers will likely experience little benefit from spraying for western ragweed alone in pasture.

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Does fire and herbicide benefit cattle production in invaded grassland landscapes?

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

A plea for scale, and why it matters for invasive species management, biodiversity and conservation

A plea for scale, and why it matters for invasive species management, biodiversity and conservation

Growing Season Fires and Herbicide May not Be the Silver Bullet to Lespedeza cuneata Management

Vegetation and animal production in pastures sprayed for western ragweed control

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