Predicting Buffelgrass Survival across a Geographical and Environmental Gradient

Abstract

Thii research was designed to identify relationships between T-4464 buffelgrass (Ce&zrus ciliaris L.) survival and climatic and soil characteristics. At 167 buffelgrass seeding sites in North America we collected climatic and soils data where the grass: 1) persisted over time and increased in area covered (spreads), 2) persisted over time but does not increase in area covered (persists), and 3) declined over time and all plants eventually died (dies). At 30 sites in Kenya we collected climatic and soils data in the area where T4464 seed was originally collected. Only total soil nitrogen and organic carbon differed among survival regimes. Total soil nitrogen and organic carbon concentrations were least where buffelgrass spreads, intermediate where the grass persists and greatest where the grass dies. To predict buffelgrass survival among the 3 survival regimes, and between areas where the grass spreads or dies, we used discriminant function analyses. A model including organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, sand, clay, potassium and cation exchange capacity correctly classified 78% (13=0.8) of the seeding sites in the 3 survival regimes. A model including sand, total soil nitrogen, calcium, mean minimum temperature in the coldest month, annual pre-The authors acknowledge the financial suppon provided by USDA-Agricultural Research Service (Drs. Plowman. Knipling and Child). We thank Dr. N.J. Chatterton (USDA-ARS) for laboratory f&ilitk. Drs. Gary Richardson (USDA-ARS) and D.V. Sisson (Utah State University) for statistical advice. We also appreciate support and financial assistance provided by Consejo National de Ciencia y Tecnologia,

Community and Ecosystem Effects of Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) and Nitrogen Deposition in the Sonoran Desert

“…There were no significant effects of the interaction term for buffelgrass removal by nitrogen on any measures of nitrogen (Table 3 and 4). These results support the findings of Ibarra-F et al (1995Ibarra-F et al ( , 1999 and suggest that higher levels of soil nutrients where buffelgrass is absent or dying are likely due to lower levels of soil resource competition. We attribute the lack of statistical significance in the nitrogen data to high variability and the number of soil replicates analyzed.…”

“…In the arid northwest of Mexico, Ibarra-F. et al (1995) assessed the survival of USDA T-4464 buffelgrass as a function of climatic and soil characteristics. Buffelgrass success was determined by categorization into one of three categories: spreads, persists or dies.…”

Genotypic diversity among pasture and roadside populations of the invasive buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare L. Link) in north-western Mexico

“…In this region, buffelgrass colonizes and spreads into roadside shoulders, city lots, hillsides and unconverted desert habitats (Bú rquez et al, 2002), whose ecological consequences are yet to be documented. The spread of pasture plant stands to adjacent non-planted sites by P. ciliare has been reported only in some regions of the world (Cox et al, 1988;Ibarra-F et al, 1995). Therefore, the invasion of adjacent habitats from pasture populations in north-western Mexico offers a good system to explore whether genetic and genotypic variation plays an important role in the invasion success.…”

Impact of irrigation water salinity on agronomical and quality attributes of Cenchrus ciliaris L. accessions

“…Buffel grass seed may survive for up to an estimated 4 years in the soil, but plants can live for many years (Winkworth, 1971). C. ciliaris plants are constantly confronted with various biotic and abiotic stress factors like high temperature, salt, drought, flooding, heat, oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity (Ibarra-Flores et al, 1995;Ward et al, 2006). Improved salinity tolerance permits the conservation of fresh water and its use for high value purposes, providing both ecological and economic benefits essential for sustainable agriculture in dry lands (Keating et al, 2010).…”