Invasive plants such as cheatgrass (shown here) have overtaken sizeable tracts on American prairies, fueling wildfires and depleting the plants that livestock depend upon for grazing. But now, scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) report progress in helping native plants regain areas lost to invasive invaders.
Ecologist Roger Sheley and colleagues tested new techniques at the Kicking Horse Wildlife Mitigation Area in Montana. "Killing a weed is like treating a symptom," said Sheley. He added that his research is focused on understanding why some plants are able to invade in specific areas and not in others. "We want to find the cause," he said, to find out "what has changed in the ecology of the system and how can we change it back."
Sheley and team found that in areas where the ground was bare, soil was dry and native plants were few, it was effective to seed the bare sites with native plants species and water them. At sites where there were invasive plants, the team first killed the invasives with herbicides, then tilled the soil, opening up space for natives to spread. At a third site, where native plants were few, the team simply tilled the soil and seeded it -- permitting a nearby wetland to provide the moisture required for the seeds to take off.
According to the ARS, it's important to determine what kind of conditions exist on the site, and then it's possible to use the best technique available to give native plants the best chance of survival. You may read the full report here.
photos: ARS
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