Theme 1: Grassland Ecology
Description
William Bray stated in his 1904 report, The Timber of the Edwards Plateau of Texas, "This struggle of the timberlands to capture the grasslands is an old warfare....it spreads like infection.” This trend is true today and especially pronounced in the Great Plains, where only 1/4 of the Great Plains’ original grasslands remains intact. Species like honey mesquite, honey locust, black locust, sumac, dogwood, post oak, winged elm, Siberian elm, salt cedar, huisache, Eastern redcedar, Ashe and redberry juniper, pricklypear, sericea lespedeza, and many other species represent alarming rates of spread and rapid establishment throughout Great Plains grasslands. Although, these species and others represent a significant challenge, they also present great opportunity for managers, researchers, and Extension specialists. Now, more than ever, grasslands, working lands, need collaborative research efforts conducting sound and applied science that is just as relevant to the rancher as it is the peer-reviewed journal. This presentation will highlight the value of managing weeds and brush to build grassland from the soil up, enhance livestock performance through biodiversity, increase forage productivity, integrate new technology, and communicate results and strategies more effectively so that stakeholders understand approaches well enough to implement on their own.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Beyond the Boom: Integrated Approaches to Managing Weeds and Brush
William Bray stated in his 1904 report, The Timber of the Edwards Plateau of Texas, "This struggle of the timberlands to capture the grasslands is an old warfare....it spreads like infection.” This trend is true today and especially pronounced in the Great Plains, where only 1/4 of the Great Plains’ original grasslands remains intact. Species like honey mesquite, honey locust, black locust, sumac, dogwood, post oak, winged elm, Siberian elm, salt cedar, huisache, Eastern redcedar, Ashe and redberry juniper, pricklypear, sericea lespedeza, and many other species represent alarming rates of spread and rapid establishment throughout Great Plains grasslands. Although, these species and others represent a significant challenge, they also present great opportunity for managers, researchers, and Extension specialists. Now, more than ever, grasslands, working lands, need collaborative research efforts conducting sound and applied science that is just as relevant to the rancher as it is the peer-reviewed journal. This presentation will highlight the value of managing weeds and brush to build grassland from the soil up, enhance livestock performance through biodiversity, increase forage productivity, integrate new technology, and communicate results and strategies more effectively so that stakeholders understand approaches well enough to implement on their own.
