Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Texas Today: A Sea of the Wrong Grasses
Author
Smith, Forrest S.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

Exotic grasses impact tens of millions of acres of rangelands in Texas. Though widely planted and lauded for their ability to increase forage for livestock and prevent soil erosion on degraded rangelands in the last half century, today exotic grasses are increasingly viewed negatively by rangeland managers focused on wildlife. Exotic grasses are still used in many land management activities in Texas, including for reclamation, forage provision, and because effective native seeds for restoration and reclamation plantings are lacking in many regions. Ecological effects of exotic grasses vary, but many species have been documented to be problematic for biodiversity, particularly at lower trophic levels as evidenced by measured effects on grassland birds, arthropods and native forbs. Exotic grasses also alter ecosystem function, particularly fire ecology, nutrient cycling, and vegetation succession. Problematic exotic grasses in Texas include buffelgrass, Old World bluestems, and guineagrass throughout southern Texas; yellow bluestem in central Texas; bermudagrass and bahiagrass in eastern Texas; and Lehmann lovegrass in western Texas. Despite concerns about exotic grasses, and negative perceptions, little change has been made from policy standpoints at the state or federal level to reduce their use. Even the most problematic exotic grasses continue to be used extensively in federally-subsidized conservation programs, and exotic grass use in industry and on private lands remains common. A few agencies, such as the Texas Department of Transportation, have made notable changes to reduce their use of exotic grasses, as have many conservation-focused private landowners. Exotic grass problems may be exuberated in coming years because of widespread present use of these plants on oil and gas pipeline and electricity transmission line right of ways. Perhaps most concerning, the removal of established exotic grasses and restoration of native plant communities remains a daunting and expensive endeavor on most Texas rangelands.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Presentation
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX