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Grassland restoration in the face of invasive species: A British Columbia, Canada case study
Author
Gardner, WC
Robinson, MJ
Gordon, K
Publisher
XII International Rangeland Congress
Publication Year
2025
Body

The preservation and ecological integrity of temperate grasslands globally are under threat, making the effective control of invasive species crucial. The spread of spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe, spp. Micranthos) endangers native plant biodiversity and the functioning of grassland ecosystems in British Columbia, Canada, where temperate grasslands cover less than 1% of the province's total area but contain more than 30% of the province's threatened species. To combat this threat, a project was launched in 2022 on Red Hill within Lac du Bois, the second-largest protected grassland area in British Columbia, to test various knapweed treatments and evaluate grassland restoration success. This project employed a randomized block design to compare six treatments: a control, hand pulling, mowing using a weed whacker, spraying MilestoneTM (broadleaf selective herbicide with active ingredient aminopyralid) at high (0.5 l/ha) and low (0.29 L/ha) concentrations during the bolting (just prior to flowering) stage of knapweed, and spraying MilestoneTM in the fall at a high (0.5 L/ha) concentration. Percent cover data were collected and analyzed using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test, with a post hoc pairwise comparison to furth er investigate differences between treatments. Variables examined included the cover of knapweed, bare ground, native and non-native forbs, native and non-native grasses, native shrubs, and species richness. Spray treatments proved highly effective in eliminating spotted knapweed, significantly decreasing both non-native and native forbs while increasing native grass cover. Hand pulling and mowing were less effective in reducing knapweed and had limited effect on native grass cover. These findings offer valuable insights for efforts to restore native grassland by managing invasive species. Ongoing data collection at this site will continue, making it an effective demonstration site for raising awareness about grassland restoration.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Additional Information
This paper is part of the larger XII International Rangelands Congress Proceedings. Page Numbers: 1080-1083. Theme: Theme 4 / Poster presentations – Theme 4
ISSN
978-0-646-72121-7
Conference Name
International Rangeland Congress
Collection
International Rangelands Congress
Keywords
invasive species management
spotted knapweed
grassland restoration
temperate grasslands