Invasive plants is problematic for their effects on forage quality, species diversity and timing, but their effects on carbon pools is unclear. Invasive species can be functionally different from native species, which may change the amount of carbon in four carbon pools (above ground biomass, litter, roots and soil). We measured carbon in each of these pools and plant community composition inside and outside of 120 long-term cattle exclosures located across a wide range of agroclimatic and soil zones in southern Alberta. Above and belowground carbon data was related to plant community composition, including the abundance and identity of invasive species. The variation in site characteristics allow us to pin point regions and conditions where invasive species are having more of an effect on the C and N. Results of this study could have management implications for maintaining carbon stores and conservation of grasslands.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.