There Is No Evidence of Geographical Patterning among Invasive Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) Populations in the Northern Great Plains

Weed Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Dennhardt ◽  
Edward S. DeKeyser ◽  
Sarah A. Tennefos ◽  
Steven E. Travers
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
High Genetic Diversity

The study of colonizing and of dominant grass species is essential for prairie conservation efforts. We sought to answer how naturalized Kentucky bluegrass in the northern Great Plains has become successful in the last 20 yr despite its long history in the northern Great Plains. We tested for evidence of geographical differentiation using flow cytometry and microsatellite markers to ascertain the population genetics of Kentucky bluegrass. Across all tested wild populations, high levels of genetic diversity were detected along with moderate levels of structure. Mantel tests of geographical patterns were not significant. Using clonal assignment, we found two major clones that made up the majority of the tested wild populations. When we compared the wild individuals to pedigree cultivars, we found virtually no genetic overlap across all tests, which did not support our hypothesis of developed cultivars contributing to high genetic diversity in natural populations. Furthermore, DNA content tests indicated a narrow range in ploidy in wild populations compared with lawn cultivars, further supporting a hypothesis of divergence between wild and pedigree cultivars. These results indicate the recent invasion of Kentucky bluegrass in the northern Great Plains is not because of adaptation or propagule pressure, but rather likely an environmental or land use shift.

scholarly journals Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion in the Northern Great Plains and Prospective Management Approaches to Mitigate Its Spread

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 817
Author(s):  
Rakhi Palit ◽  
Greta Gramig ◽  
Edward S. DeKeyser
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Management Approaches

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is one of the most aggressive grasses invading Northern Great Plains (NGP) grasslands, resulting in substantial native species losses. Highly diverse grasslands dominated by native species are gradually transforming into rangelands largely dominated by non-native Kentucky bluegrass. Several factors potentially associated with Kentucky bluegrass invasions, including high propagule pressure, thatch formation, climate change, and increasing nitrogen deposition, could determine the future dominance and spread of Kentucky bluegrass in the NGP. Because atmospheric CO2 is amplifying rapidly, a C3 grass like Kentucky bluegrass might be photosynthetically more efficient than native C4 grasses. As this exotic species shares similar morphological and phenological traits with many native cool-season grasses, controlling it with traditional management practices such as prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, or combinations of these practices may also impair the growth of native species. Thus, developing effective management practices to combat Kentucky bluegrass spread while facilitating the native species cover is essential. Modifying traditional techniques and embracing science-based adaptive management tools that focus on the ecological interactions of Kentucky bluegrass with the surrounding native species could achieve these desired management goals. Enhancement of the competitiveness of surrounding native species could also be an important consideration for controlling this invasive species.

Controlling Kentucky Bluegrass with Herbicide and Burning Is Influenced by Invasion Level

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corie B. Ereth ◽  
John R. Hendrickson ◽  
Donald Kirby ◽  
E. Shawn DeKeyser ◽  
Kevin K. Sedivec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Native Grass ◽  
Sheyenne National Grassland ◽  
High Site ◽  
Restoration Strategies

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) invades northern Great Plains rangelands. On the Sheyenne National Grassland in southeastern North Dakota, three research sites, each with a different level of Kentucky bluegrass invasion, were chosen to evaluate effectiveness of burning and burning–herbicide combinations to control Kentucky bluegrass. Initial Kentucky bluegrass invasion levels were 37%, 77%, and 91% for LOW, MODERATE, and HIGH invaded sites, respectively. Within each invaded site, four replicated strips (20 by 60 m) were established, with half of each strip burned in late October 2005 and the other half burned in early May 2006. Herbicide treatments of (1) no herbicide, (2) 2.24 kg ha−1 of glyphosate, and (3) 0.43 kg ha−1 of imazapic were randomly assigned to 10 by 20 m subplots within each burn. Control plots were established at the same time. Relative basal cover of native grass, native forb, and Kentucky bluegrass was estimated annually using 50 10-point frames within each subplot. On the HIGH site in 2006, fall-burned plots with a spring glyphosate application had three times the native grass cover and only one fourth of the Kentucky bluegrass cover compared with controls. Similar results with the same treatment occurred at the MODERATE site. Native grasses became the most abundant plant community on these plots in the MODERATE and HIGH sites within 1 yr. Treatment differences were transitory, and the LOW site differed from the MODERATE and HIGH sites. In 2007, on fall-burned plots with spring glyphosate application, the amount of Kentucky bluegrass was 14% and 30%, and native grass species were 52% and 42% on the MODERATE and HIGH sites, respectively, which was similar to the initial values on the LOW site. These data emphasize the importance of initial invasion level in developing restoration strategies and provide evidence burning and herbicide combinations can be valuable management tools even on heavily invaded grasslands.

scholarly journals Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) Invasion in the Northern Great Plains: A Story of Rapid Dominance in an Endangered Ecosystem

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. DeKeyser ◽  
Lauren A. Dennhardt ◽  
John Hendrickson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
The United States ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Past Century ◽  
The Past

AbstractKentucky bluegrass was introduced into the present-day United States in the 1600s. Since that time, Kentucky bluegrass has spread throughout the United States and Canada becoming prolific in some areas. In the past century, Kentucky bluegrass has been a presence and often a dominant species in some prairies in the Northern Great Plains. Sometime within the past few decades, Kentucky bluegrass has become the most-common species on the untilled, native prairie sites of much of North and South Dakota. In this article, we hypothesize how Kentucky bluegrass has come to dominate one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America—the prairie—through a historical, ecological, and climatological lens. We urge others to start addressing the invasion of Kentucky bluegrass with both new research and management strategies.

scholarly journals Additional Host Plants of Four Species of Billbug Found on New Jersey Turfgrasses

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Johnson-Cicalese ◽  
C.R. Funk
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Red Fescue

Studies were conducted on the host plants of four billbug species (Coleoptera:Curculionidae: Sphenophorus parvulus Gyllenhal, S. venatus Chitt., S. inaequalis Say, and S. minimus Hart) found on New Jersey turfgrasses. A collection of 4803 adults from pure stands of various turfgrasses revealed all four billbugs on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and S. parvulus, S. venatus, and S. minimus on Chewings fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.). Since the presence of larvae, pupae, or teneral adults more accurately indicates the host status of a grass species, immature billbugs were collected from plugs of the various grass species and reared to adults for identification. All four species were reared from immature billbugs found in Kentucky bluegrass turf; immatures of S. venatus, S. inaequalis, and S. minimus were found in tall fescue; S. venatus and S. minimus in perennial ryegrass; and S. inaequalis in strong creeping red fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. rubra). A laboratory experiment was also conducted in which billbug adults were confined in petri dishes with either Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, or bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers.). Only minor differences were found between the four grasses in billbug survival, number of eggs laid, and amount of feeding. In general, bermudagrass was the least favored host and the other grasses were equally adequate hosts. The results of this study indicate a need for updating host-plant lists of these four billbug species.

Genealogical relationship inference to identify areas of intensive poaching of the Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis)

BMC Zoology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Padilla-Jacobo ◽  
Tiberio C. Monterrubio-Rico ◽  
Horacio Cano-Camacho ◽  
María Guadalupe Zavala-Páramo
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Central American ◽  
Illegal Trade ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genealogical Relationship ◽  
Genetic Pool

Abstract Background The Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis) is the Mexican psittacine that is most captured for the illegal pet trade. However, as for most wildlife exploited by illegal trade, the genetic diversity that is extracted from species and areas of intensive poaching is unknown. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity of 80 E. canicularis parakeets confiscated from the illegal trade and estimated the level of extraction of genetic diversity by poaching using the mitochondrial DNA sequences of cytochrome b (Cytb). In addition, we analyzed the genealogical and haplotypic relationships of the poached parakeets and sampled wild populations in Mexico, as a strategy for identifying the places of origin of poached parakeets. Results Poached parakeets showed high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.842) and low nucleotide diversity (Pi = 0.00182). Among 22 haplotypes identified, 18 were found exclusively in 37 individuals, while four were detected in the remaining 43 individuals and shared with the wild populations. A rarefaction and extrapolation curve revealed that 240 poached individuals can include up to 47 haplotypes and suggested that the actual haplotype richness of poached parakeets is higher than our analyses indicate. The geographic locations of the four haplotypes shared between poached and wild parakeets ranged from Michoacan to Sinaloa, Mexico. However, the rare haplotypes detected in poached parakeets were derived from a recent genetic expansion of the species that has occurred between the northwest of Michoacan and the coastal region of Colima, Jalisco and southern Nayarit, Mexico. Conclusions Poached parakeets showed high genetic diversity, suggesting high extraction of the genetic pool of the species in central Mexico. Rarefaction and extrapolation analyses suggest that the actual haplotype richness in poached parakeets is higher than reflected by our analyses. The poached parakeets belong mainly to a very diverse genetic group of the species, and their most likely origin is between northern Michoacan and southern Nayarit, Mexico. We found no evidence that poachers included individuals from Central American international trafficking with individuals from Mexico in the sample.

Wind-mediated seed dispersal of invasive forage grasses from agricultural grasslands in Hokkaido, Japan

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 133-141
Author(s):  
Chika Egawa ◽  
Atsushi Shoji ◽  
Hiroyuki Shibaike
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Forage Grass ◽  
Forage Grasses ◽  
Number Of Seeds

AbstractAlthough introduced pasture grasses are essential for forage production in current livestock farming, some species cause serious impacts on native biodiversity when naturalized. Information on the seed dispersal of invasive forage grasses from cultivated settings to surrounding environments can inform management efforts to prevent their naturalization. In this case study, we quantified the wind-mediated seed dispersal distance and amount of dispersed seed of invasive forage grasses from agricultural grasslands in Hokkaido, northern Japan. In total, 200 funnel seed traps were installed around three regularly mown grasslands and one unmown grassland where various forage grass species were grown in mixture. Seeds of each species dispersed outside the grasslands were captured from May to October 2017. Based on the trapped distances of seeds, the 99th percentile dispersal distance from the grasslands was estimated for six species, including timothy (Phleum pratense L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). For two dominant species, P. pratense and D. glomerata, the numbers of seeds dispersed outside the field under mown and unmown conditions were determined under various plant cover situations. The estimated dispersal distances ranged from 2.3 m (P. pratense) to 31.5 m (P. pratensis), suggesting that areas within approximately 32 m of the grasslands are exposed to the invasion risk of some forage grass species. For both P. pratense and D. glomerata, the number of seeds dispersed outside the unmown grassland exceeded 100 seeds m−2 under high plant cover situations, while the number of seeds dispersed from the mown grasslands at the same plant cover level was less than one-third of that number. The results suggest that local land managers focus their efforts on frequent mowing of grasslands and monitoring of the areas within approximately 32 m of the grasslands to substantially reduce the naturalization of invasive forage grasses.

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity and Population Divergence of a Rare, Endemic Grass (Elymus breviaristatus) in the Southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingqing Yu ◽  
Qian Liu ◽  
Yi Xiong ◽  
Yanli Xiong ◽  
Zhixiao Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Widespread Species

Elymus breviaristatus is a grass species only distributed in the southeast of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which has suffered from serious habitat fragmentation. Therefore, understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among natural E. breviaristatus populations could provide insight for future conservation strategies. In this study, sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers were employed to investigate the genetic diversity and hierarchical structure of seven E. breviaristatus populations from QTP, China. Multiple measures of genetic diversity indicated that there is low to moderate genetic variation within E. breviaristatus populations, consistent with its presumed mating system. In spite of its rarity, E. breviaristatus presented high genetic diversity that was equivalent to or even higher than that of widespread species. Bayesian clustering approaches, along with clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis partitioned the studied populations of E. breviaristatus into five genetic clusters. Differentiation coefficients (Fst, GST, etc.) and AMOVA analysis revealed considerable genetic divergence among different populations. BARRIER analyses indicated that there were two potential barriers to gene flow among the E. breviaristatus populations. Despite these patterns of differentiation, genetic distances between populations were independent of geographic distances (r = 0.2197, p = 0.2534), indicating little isolation by distance. Moreover, despite detecting a common outlier by two methods, bioclimatic factors (altitude, annual mean temperature, and annual mean precipitation) were not related to diversity parameters, indicating little evidence for isolation caused by the environment. These patterns of diversity within and between populations are used to propose a conservation strategy for E. breviaristatus.

DROUGHT SURVIVAL OF SELECTED FORAGE GRASSES COMMONLY SEEDED IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 949-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAT O. CURRIE ◽  
RICHARD S. WHITE
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Leaf Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Forage Grasses ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Drought Survival ◽  
Moisture Conditions

Prolonged drought between 1979 and 1981 killed or severely reduced stands of a number of grass species presumably adapted and frequently recommended for seeding rangelands in the Northern Great Plains. The drought damage took place on recently planted as well as established 2 years or older seedings. Cultivars of the intermediate-pubescent wheatgrass complex were killed or most severely damaged. Damage was also severe on seeded stands of the native green needlegrass, western and thickspike wheatgrasses and big bluegrass. Crested wheatgrass was only moderately drought tolerant, but two cultivars of Russian wild ryegrass established well even with adverse moisture conditions in the seeding year. Altai wild ryegrass seedlings established well but did not survive the drought. An established stand of Vinall Russian wild ryegrass increased in basal area and produced leaf growth and seedstalks during the most severe drought periods. These periodic droughts are sporadic in occurrence but need to be considered in reference to species recommendations for range seedings in the Northern Great Plains.

scholarly journals Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA to Assess Genetic Diversity and Structure of NaturalCalophyllum brasiliense(Clusiaceae) Populations in Riparian Forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Evânia Galvão Mendonça ◽  
Anderson Marcos de Souza ◽  
Fábio de Almeida Vieira ◽  
Regiane Abjaud Estopa ◽  
Cristiane Aparecida Fioravante Reis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Shannon Index ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
Genetic Diversity And Structure ◽  
Kinship Coefficients

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic variability in two natural populations ofCalophyllum brasilienselocated along two different rivers in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using RAPD molecular markers. Eighty-two polymorphic fragments were amplified using 27 primers. The values obtained for Shannon index (I) were 0.513 and 0.530 for the populations located on the margins of the Rio Grande and Rio das Mortes, respectively, demonstrating the high genetic diversity in the studied populations. Nei’s genetic diversity (He) was 0.341 for the Rio Grande population and 0.357 for the Rio das Mortes population. These results were not significantly different between populations and suggest a large proportion of heterozygote individuals within both populations. AMOVA showed that 70.42% of the genetic variability is found within populations and 29.58% is found among populations (ФST=0.2958). The analysis of kinship coefficients detected the existence of family structures in both populations. Average kinship coefficients between neighboring individuals were 0.053 (P<0.001) in Rio das Mortes and 0.040 (P<0.001) in Rio Grande. This could be due to restricted pollen and seed dispersal and the history of anthropogenic disturbance in the area. These factors are likely to contribute to the relatedness observed among these genotypes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document