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Role of Size and Nitrogen in Competition between Annual and Perennial Grasses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

L. Noelle Orloff ,
Jane M. Mangold  and
Fabian D. Menalled
L. Noelle Orloff*
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715
Jane M. Mangold
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715
Fabian D. Menalled
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: noelleorloff@gmail.com
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Abstract

Differing life histories contribute to difficulties establishing perennial grasses on lands dominated by exotic annual grasses. In a greenhouse study, we investigated to what extent allowing the perennial grass bluebunch wheatgrass to emerge before the exotic annual grass downy brome would increase its competitive ability and whether modifying nitrogen (N) would affect competition. We conducted an addition-series factorial experiment. In three cohort treatments, the two species were seeded concurrently or bluebunch wheatgrass was at the two- or four-leaf stage when downy brome was planted. N treatments were low (ambient) or high (N added to maintain 10 mg kg−1 [0.1286 oz lb−1]). Larger bluebunch wheatgrass avoided suppression by downy brome regardless of N. Under concurrent sowing, doubling downy brome density decreased bluebunch wheatgrass biomass by 22.6% ± 2.38 SE. In contrast, when bluebunch wheatgrass had a four-leaf size advantage, the same increase in downy brome density decreased bluebunch wheatgrass biomass by 4.14% ± 2.31. Larger bluebunch wheatgrass also suppressed downy brome more effectively, but N enrichment decreased the suppressive ability of bluebunch wheatgrass.

Keywords

Bluebunch wheatgrass, Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Á. Lövedowny brome, Bromus tectorum L.Addition series designexotic annual grasspriority effectsrevegetation
Type
Research
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 87 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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