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Using Sheep to Control Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

G. S. Kleppel  and
Erin LaBarge
G. S. Kleppel*
Affiliation:
Biodiversity Conservation and Policy Program, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
Erin LaBarge
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: gkleppel@albany.edu
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Abstract

We investigated the use of sheep for controlling the spread of purple loosestrife in a wet meadow in upstate New York from June to August 2008. Changes in the purple loosestrife population and vascular plant community structure were monitored as a function of the grazing of two ewes, “rotated” through four “experimental” paddocks at 2- to 3-d intervals. Comparative data were collected in “reference” paddocks from which sheep were excluded. Purple loosestrife was heavily grazed and most plants did not flower in experimental paddocks. Purple loosestrife cover declined by 40.7% in the experimental paddocks but did not change significantly in the reference paddocks. After grazing, species richness was 20% higher in experimental than reference paddocks.

Keywords

Purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L.Targeted grazingintensive rotational grazinginvasive speciesspecies richnessnuisance species management
Type
Research
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , March 2011 , pp. 50 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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