The 2008 Joint Meeting of the Society for Range Management and the America Forage and Grassland Council. |
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 9:00 AM
Lehmann Lovegrass Population Changes Following A 20 Year Period on Central Rangelands in Chihuahua, Mexico
Alfonso Sanchez-Munoz1, Mario H. Royo2, Alicia Melgoza3, Socorro Gonzalez4, and Karen R. Hickman1. (1) Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, (2) Pastizales, Campana-Madera, INIFAP, Avenida Homero 3744, Chihuahua, Mexico, (3) Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Zootecnia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Km1. Fco. R Almada, Chihuahua, Chih, Mexico, (4) Herbario, CIDIR Durango, IPN, Durango, Dgo., Mexico
In the mid-1960’s Lehmann lovegrass (Africano; Eragrostis lehmanniana. Nees) was introduced for reseeding and erosion control in fields at the La Campana Experiment Station located within the central rangelands of Chihuahua , Mexico . Lehmann lovegrass is an introduced forage, controversial in that it is viewed positively for perceived soil erosion control benefits, whereas it is viewed negatively due to the ecological changes which have been observed to occur following invasion of a site. Prior to the introduction of Lehmann, vegetation monitoring was established on permanent transects located parallel to the highway which runs through La Campana. Placement of the 30 m transects (n = 47) at increasing distances from the highway, allowed researchers to follow long-term changes in the plant community. Our objectives were to quantify changes in the plant community following the spread of Lehmann lovegrass from the original introductions at La Campana. Specifically, we compared plant community composition following a 20 year period (1985 to 2005) in order to detect changes in basal cover of the non-native Lehmann lovegrass, and the common natives (e.g.Bouteloua curtipendula, Leptoloma cognatum, Lycurus phleoides, Elyonurus barbiculmis, and Muhlenbergia lanata). Preliminary analyses showed a significant increase in basal cover of Lehmann lovegrass and a decrease in basal cover of most native grasses. Our results also indicate there has been encroachment by the invasive species, Prosopsis glandulosa, mesquite.