Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T20:50:26.344Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum) Control for Pipeline Restoration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Danielle B. Johnston*
Affiliation:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand Junction, CO, 81505 Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80526
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Energy-extraction disturbances entail soil handling and often have large edge-to-area ratios. These characteristics should be considered when designing weed-control strategies. In western North America, many energy developments coincide with infestations of downy brome, an annual grass that severely curtails productivity, diversity, and habitat value of invaded areas. Downy brome is sensitive to soil compaction and seed burial, both of which may occur when soil is handled. In this study, I examined the effect of soil-density manipulations and herbicide application (105 g ai ha−1 imazapic with 280 g ai ha−1 glyphosate) on six simulated pipeline disturbances in a Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystem invaded by downy brome. Disturbances occurred at the end of the growing season, after ambient downy brome seed rain in the study areas had abated. Treatments and seeding occurred shortly after disturbances. The following spring, downy brome seedling density was 10-fold lower within disturbances than in control areas, but seedling density quickly rebounded in disturbed areas where no herbicide had been applied. In herbicide plots, downy brome seedling density remained low during the first growing season, and shrub cover after 3 yr was eight times higher than in no-herbicide plots. Soil density manipulations via disking and rolling treatments had little effect on downy brome. Prior research has shown that imazapic is more effective when combined with disturbances, such as fire. This study demonstrates that imazapic may also be effective in combination with a disturbance that is timed to bury downy brome seeds.

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America

References

Literature Cited

Abu-Sharar, TM (2006) The challenges of land and water resources degradation in Jordan: Diagnosis and solutions. Pages 201226 in Kepner, WG, Rubio, JL, Mouat, DA, Pedrazzini, F, eds. Desertification in the Mediterranean region: a security issue. Cham, Switzerland Springer Google Scholar
Anderson, JD, Ingram, LJ, Stahl, PD (2008) Influence of reclamation management practices on microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon accumulation in semiarid mined lands of Wyoming. Appl Soil Ecol 40:387397 Google Scholar
Baker, WL, Garner, J, Lyon, P (2009) Effect of imazapic on cheatgrass and native plants in Wyoming big sagebrush restoration for Gunnison sage-grouse. Nat Area J 29:204209 Google Scholar
Beckstead, J, Augspurger, CK (2004) An experimental test of resistance to cheatgrass invasion: limiting resources at different life stages. Biol Invasions 6:417432 Google Scholar
Bergquist, E, Evangelista, P, Stohlgren, TJ, Alley, N (2007) Invasive species and coal bed methane development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Environ Monit Assess 128:381394 Google Scholar
Bochet, E, Garcia-Fayos, P, Tormo, J (2007) Road slope revegetation in semiarid Mediterranean environments, part I: seed dispersal and spontaneous colonization. Restor Ecol 15:8896 Google Scholar
Bradford, JB, Lauenroth, WK (2006) Controls over invasion of Bromus tectorum: the importance of climate, soil, disturbance and seed availability. J Veg Sci 17:693704 Google Scholar
Davies, KW, Sheley, L (2011) Promoting native vegetation and diversity in exotic annual grass infestations. Restor Ecol 19:159165 Google Scholar
Davies, KW, Boyd, CS, Beck, JL, Bates, JD, Svejcar, TJ, Gregg, MA (2011) Saving the sagebrush sea: an ecosystem conservation plan for big sagebrush plant communities. Biol Conserv 144:25732584 Google Scholar
DiTomaso, JM (2000) Invasive weeds in rangelands: species, impacts, and management. Weed Sci 48:255265 Google Scholar
Durigan, G, de Siqueira, MF, Franco, G (2007) Threats to the cerrado remnants of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sci Agric (Piracicaba, Brazil) 64:355363 Google Scholar
Elseroad, AC, Rudd, NT (2011) Can imazapic increase native species abundance in cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invaded native plant communities? Rangeland Ecol Manag 64:641648 Google Scholar
Evans, RA (1961) Effects of different densities of downy brome (Bromus tectorum) on growth and survival of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum) in the greenhouse. Weeds 9:216223 Google Scholar
Harris, GA (1967) Some competitive relationships between Agropyron spicatum and Bromus tectorum . Ecol Monogr 37:89111 Google Scholar
Hempy-Mayer, K, Pyke, DA (2008) Defoliation effects on Bromus tectorum seed production: implications for grazing. Rangeland Ecol Manage 61:116123 Google Scholar
Herrick, JE, Jones, TL (2002) A dynamic cone penetrometer for measuring soil penetration resistance. Soil Sci Soc Am J 66:13201324 Google Scholar
Hulbert, LC (1955) Ecological studies of Bromus tectorum and other annual bromegrasses. Ecol Monogr 25:181213 Google Scholar
Humphrey, LD, Schupp, EW (2001) Seed banks of Bromus tectorum-dominated communities in the Great Basin. West N Am Nat 61:8592 Google Scholar
Johnston, DB (2011) Movement of weed seeds in reclamation areas. Restor Ecol 19:446449 Google Scholar
Kelrick, M (1991) Factors Affecting Seeds in a Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem and Implications for the Dispersion of an Annual Plant Species, Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.). Ph.D. dissertation. Logan, UT Utah State University. 206 pGoogle Scholar
Kyle, GP, Beard, KH, Kulmatiski, A (2007) Reduced soil compaction enhances establishment of non-native plant species. Plant Ecol 193:223232 Google Scholar
Kyser, GB, DiTomaso, JM, Doran, MP, Orloff, SB, Wilson, RG, Lancaster, DL, Lile, DF, Porath, ML (2007) Control of medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) and other annual grasses with imazapic. Weed Technol 21:6675 Google Scholar
Mangold, J, Parkinson, H, Duncan, C, Rice, P, Davis, E, Menalled, F (2013) Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) control with imazapic on Montana grasslands. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 6:554558 Google Scholar
Monty, A, Brown, CS, Johnston, DB (2013) Fire promotes downy brome (B. tectorum) seed dispersal. Biol Invasions 15:11131123 Google Scholar
Morris, C, Monaco, TA, Rigby, C (2009) Variable impacts of Imazapic on downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and seeded species in two rangeland communities. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 2:110119 Google Scholar
Ostlie, MH, Howatt, KA (2013) Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) competition and control in no-till spring wheat. Weed Technol 27:502508 Google Scholar
Owen, SM, Sieg, CH, Gehring, CA (2011) Rehabilitating downy brome (Bromus tectorum)-invaded shrublands using imazapic and seeding with native shrubs. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 4:223233 Google Scholar
Prevey, JS, Germino, MJ, Huntly, NJ, Inouye, RS (2010) Exotic plants increase and native plants decrease with loss of foundation species in sagebrush steppe. Plant Ecol 207:3951 Google Scholar
Reinsch, CH (1967) Smoothing by spline functions. Numer Math 10:177183 Google Scholar
Rivera, D, Jauregui, BM, Peco, B (2012) The fate of herbaceous seeds during topsoil stockpiling: restoration potential of seed banks. Ecol Eng 44:94101 Google Scholar
Roundy, BA, Hardegree, SP, Chambers, JC, Whittaker, A (2007) Prediction of cheatgrass field germination potential using wet thermal accumulation. Rangeland Ecol Manage 60:613623 Google Scholar
SAS Institute Inc (2012). SAS/GRAPH® 9.3: Reference, Third Edition. Cary, NC SAS Institute Inc. 2082 pGoogle Scholar
Sbatella, GM, Wilson, EG, Enloe, SF, Hicks, C (2011) Propoxycarbazone-sodium and imazapic effects on downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and newly seeded perennial grasses. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 4:7886 Google Scholar
Sheley, RL, Carpinelli, MF, Morghan, KJR (2007) Effects of imazapic on target and nontarget vegetation during revegetation. Weed Technol 21:10711081 Google Scholar
Thill, DC, Schirman, RD, Appleby, AP (1979) Influence of soil-moisture, temperature, and compaction on the germination and emergence of downy brome (Bromus tectorum). Weed Sci 27:625630 Google Scholar
Thompson, PJ, Jansen, IL, Hooks, CL (1987) Penetrometer resistance and bulk density as parameters for predicting root system performance in mine soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51:12881293 Google Scholar
Wick, AF, Stahl, PD, Ingram, LJ, Vicklund, L (2009) Soil aggregation and organic carbon in short-term stockpiles. Soil Use Manage 25:311319 Google Scholar
Wicks, GA (1997) Survival of downy brome (Bromus tectorum) seed in four environments. Weed Sci 45:225228 Google Scholar