The Impact of 3 exotic, invasive grasses in the Southeastern United States on wildlife

Barnes, Thomas G.; Bahm, Matt A.

doi:10.1002/wsb.316

Cited by 20 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Introduced forages, such as bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] and BAH, are widely established (Ball, Hoveland, & Lacefield, 2007; Barnes, DeMaso, & Bahm, 2013) for pasture and are often continuously stocked with moderate to high stocking rates (>890 kg ha –1 ) and considerable amounts of fertilizer are applied (Hoveland, 2000; Phillips & Coleman, 1995). These introduced species are able to persist on marginal soils, in general, and respond favorable to good management practices (Robinson, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early‐season grazing of native grasses offers potential profitable benefit

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A grazing trial was conducted in Mississippi during 2016 and 2017 to compare pasture, animal, and economic performance of three perennial, warm-season grass systems. Grass treatments included: (i) Argentine bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge; BAH); (ii) KY Ecotype big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman; BBS); and (iii), KY Ecotype indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash], big bluestem and little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash; MIX]. Paddocks were continuously stocked using weaned beef (Bos taurus) steers across three grazing intervals (I, II, and III) during late spring and summer. Pasture measurements included forage mass (FM) and nutritive value. Greatest FM was observed during grazing interval II in 2016 (931.70 kg ha -1 ). Nutritive values declined as the season progressed. The BAH had greater CP and TDN, and lower ADF and NDF concentrations than BBS and MIX in 2016. Differences were not as discernable in 2017. Greatest ADG were observed for BBS interval I in 2017 (1.34 kg d -1 ), MIX interval I 2017 (1.21 kg d -1 ), and BBS interval I 2016 (1.19 kg d -1 ). Beef yield per hectare (GAIN) was greatest for interval I across both years (464.78 kg ha-1). By species, GAIN was greatest for BBS in interval I (451.32 kg ha -1 ). For economic analysis, BBS had the lowest total annual pasture cost (US$142.65 ha -1 ), and had the greatest NET returns for 2016 ($268.96 ha -1 ) and 2017 ($249.98 ha -1 ). Implementing native warm-season grasses (NWSG) in stocker cattle systems for early-season grazing can be productive in Mississippi.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early‐season grazing of native grasses offers potential profitable benefit

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition to providing preferred forages, increasing plant diversity on pastures may increase forage production under variable environmental conditions, as well as resilience to invasive plants (Sanderson et al., ). Reducing tall fescue could also provide ecological benefits, given that the grass has been shown to reduce habitat suitability for wildlife (Barnes et al., ; Osborne et al., ). If tall fescue reduction is not an option, however, our finding that cattle increase use of tall fescue and other cool‐season grasses following burning indicates that prescribed fire may increase the value of tall fescue as livestock forage in the summer following a burn.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dumort.) is an introduced, cool‐season grass considered invasive in multiple states because of its increasing dominance on millions of grassland hectares (Barnes, DeMaso, & Bahm, ) and its negative effects on wildlife, such as small mammals (Coley, Fribourg, Pelton, & Gwinn, ), northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ; Osborne, Sparling, & Hopkins, ), and grassland songbirds (Lyons, Miller, Debinski, & Engle, ; Maresh Nelson et al., ). Even so, it is one of the most widely used livestock forages in the country due to its high herbage production and drought tolerance—benefits conferred by a mutualistic relationship with a fungal endophyte, Epichloë coenophiala (Arachevaleta, Bacon, Hoveland, & Radcliffe, ; Ball, Lacefield, & Hoveland, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cattle select against the invasive grass tall fescue in heterogeneous pastures managed with prescribed fire

Nelson

Coon

Schacht

et al. 2019

Grass and Forage Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a Eurasian forage grass extensively planted in the United States. However, an endophytic fungus in tall fescue, Epichloë coenophiala, causes health problems in cattle. We predicted that cattle prefer to graze alternative forages when available. We also predicted that cattle use tall fescue more intensively in recently burned areas, as fire can increase forage quality. We tested these predictions in four diverse‐forage pastures in Iowa, comparing use by cattle of tall fescue and four alternative forages (non‐fescue cool‐season grasses, native warm‐season grasses, non‐leguminous forbs and legumes) to their availabilities at the pasture scale. We also examined how tall fescue influences the distribution of grazing at a fine scale (0.1‐m2 quadrats). Tall fescue was the most abundant forage (46% of plants), but composed only 26% of grazed vegetation. In contrast, legumes composed 12% of available forage but 25% of grazed vegetation. Other forages were used in proportion to availability. At a fine scale, total grazing frequency (proportion of plants grazed) was lower in quadrats containing abundant tall fescue, and higher in quadrats with abundant warm‐season grasses. Grazing frequency of tall fescue and other cool‐season grasses was greatest in recently burned quadrats, but total grazing frequency did not increase after burning. Our results show that although cattle graze tall fescue, particularly following burns, they limit their use of this grass. Given that tall fescue is underused, creates health risks for cattle, and degrades wildlife habitat quality, it may be advisable to reduce tall fescue in pastures.

show abstract

“…Consequently, invasion of bermudagrass could affect insect communities that might otherwise benefit from native grass establishment in this region. Bermudagrass spread also could have implications for other wildlife such as birds (Barnes et al ; Martin ; Monroe et al ), and for producers if additional herbicide applications, plantings, and removal of livestock are needed to renovate pastures. Producers may consider additional herbicide spraying (Barnes ; Harper et al ) and delaying grazing for additional years during establishment to improve NWSG establishment success, but these options also will increase costs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spread of exotic grass in grazed native grass pastures and responses of insect communities

Monroe

Hill

Martin

2016

Restoration Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exotic grasses are widely established across the Southeastern United States for livestock forage, resulting in the structural and compositional simplification of grasslands. Replacing exotic forages with native warm‐season grasses (NWSG) could benefit insects due to increased complexity of plant structure and composition, but livestock grazing also may facilitate spread of remnant exotic grasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) by reducing height and coverage of NWSG. We investigated these relationships among 12 operational‐scale pastures (6.4–10.5 ha) in Mississippi, U.S.A., during May–July (2011–2012). We quantified changes in bermudagrass coverage from one treatment of grazed exotic forages and three treatments of recently established NWSG, including a grazed mixed NWSG polyculture, a grazed Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) monoculture to evaluate the effects of stand‐type richness among NWSG pastures, and a non‐grazed NWSG polyculture to evaluate the effects of grazing. We also assessed responses of two insect orders, Orthoptera and Hemiptera, to treatment and bermudagrass coverage. We estimated a 101–190% average increase in coverage of bermudagrass in grazed native grass pastures (NWSG polyculture and Indian grass monoculture), but not in non‐grazed NWSG, suggesting that grazing facilitated the spread of this grass. Composition of Orthopteran and Hemipteran communities was correlated with bermudagrass coverage, and inter‐year differences in composition for both communities in grazed mixed NWSG, and for Hemiptera in grazed Indian grass, corresponded with increasing bermudagrass coverage in those treatments. Our results suggest that incomplete eradication of exotic forages prior to establishment of NWSG may be exacerbated by grazing, which could then impact stand condition and insect communities.

show abstract

The Impact of 3 exotic, invasive grasses in the Southeastern United States on wildlife

Cited by 20 publications

References 51 publications

Early‐season grazing of native grasses offers potential profitable benefit

Early‐season grazing of native grasses offers potential profitable benefit

Cattle select against the invasive grass tall fescue in heterogeneous pastures managed with prescribed fire

Spread of exotic grass in grazed native grass pastures and responses of insect communities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About