Cool‐Season Turfgrass Colony and Seed Survival in a Restored Prairie

Abstract

Nonnative cool‐season turfgrasses are sometimes considered to be invasive species in restored prairies. The method of their invasiveness is poorly understood, as in many cases prairie restoration projects occur where the grasses were formerly planted. Colonies of 10 turfgrass species were placed into two anthropogenic prairies and monitored over a 2‐yr period. Colonies of most species, including Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), and tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort = Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.., formerly Festuca arundinacea Schreb. var. arundinacea], decreased in size or died due to herbivory and environmental stresses. At one location, fine fescues (Festuca spp.) and colonial bentgrass (A. capillaris L.) colonies remained relatively constant or slightly increased in size, while native velvet bentgrass (A. canina L.) nearly tripled in diameter. A second study compared the seed survival of six turfgrass and three native grass species at the same sites. Germination and dormancy tests were conducted following exhumation at 6, 12, and 22 mo. All the turfgrass seeds, with the exception of tall fescue, retained better viability (12–34%) than native grasses (0–1%) after 22 mo in the soil. Our results indicate that nonnative turfgrasses may be poor competitors in restored Upper Midwest prairies and their presence in prairie renovations may be due to previous, intentional introductions.

Local gardening practices shape urban lawn floristic communities

“…The lawns we studied had similar communities to temperate semi-natural grasslands. Like in other studies (Richmond, Grewal, & Cardina, 2006;Garrison and Stier, 2010), the observed patterns in plant cover and density mainly reflected establishment and growth characteristics of the grass species planted. The most abundant species we observed, i.e.…”

Turfgrass Benefits and Issues

“…The ability of turfgrasses to be outcompeted may depend on the surrounding species and other factors. Vegetative plugs of 10 C 3 turfgrass species failed to thrive when placed in two prairie ecosystems due to herbivory, environmental stress, and competition from the larger prairie plants (Garrison and Stier, 2010). Surveys of natural areas surrounding 12 largely rural golf courses ranging in age from 4 to 112 yr showed a relative lack of turfgrass ingress (Garrison, 2009).…”

Low-Input Turfgrass Species for the North Central United States

“…The Wisconsin location was a dormant seeding, and lack of moisture during 2005 seemed to affect growth more than any potential winter injury. Seed that did not germinate in spring 2005 would have been unlikely to survive until more favorable conditions arose (7). In North Dakota, the trial was seeded in the early fall, and first year quality was inadequate (4.7), which may have been caused by stand loss caused by the death of young tall fescue plants during the winter of 2005-2006.…”