Are Ornamental Grasses Acceptable Alternatives For Low Maintenance Landscapes?

Abstract A survey instrument was designed to determine public perception of selected landscape (ornamental) grass species, the use of grasses in public landscapes, and the importance of research on the water consumption. Results from the survey indicate that 90% of the respondents felt that grasses have landscape (ornamental) value, and 96% felt that municipalities should utilize these plant materials in public landscapes. In addition, 92% of the respondents deemed research on the water conserving abilities of landscape grasses important and 96% would use them if they helped conserve water. When specific grass species were rated for preference by the respondents, statistical differences were noted between the two field sites, survey dates, and desirability of individual species. Grasses located at the site where plants were allowed a longer establishment period had significantly higher visual rankings. Summer visual ratings of grasses were significantly higher than fall ratings. Native Texas and introduced species were rated equally in desirability. Overall the most popular species was Purple Fountaingrass (Pennisetum macrostachyum) with 96% of survey participants agreeing or strongly agreeing that they would use it in their personal landscape. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) was the least popular species with only a 46% positive rating.

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Response of fungal endophyte communities within Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem) to nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion

Fungal Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.funeco.2021.101043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 101043

Author(s):

Monica Watson ◽

Kathryn Bushley ◽

Eric W. Seabloom ◽

Georgiana May

Keyword(s):

Fungal Endophyte ◽

Andropogon Gerardii ◽

Nutrient Addition ◽

Big Bluestem ◽

Herbivore Exclusion

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Response of dry grassland vegetation to fluctuations in weather conditions: a 9-year case study in Prague (Czech Republic)

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-011-0079-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jiří Dostálek ◽

Tomáš Frantík

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Grass Species ◽

Individual Species ◽

Weather Variability ◽

Grassland Vegetation ◽

Dry Grassland ◽

Local Climate ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe extreme habitats of dry grasslands are suitable for investigations of the response of vegetation to local climate changes. The impact of weather variability on the dynamics of a plant community in a dry grassland was studied. Correlations were found between different functional groups of species and individual species and weather variability. During a 9-year study in five nature reserves in Prague (Czech Republic), the following responses of dry grassland vegetation to weather conditions were observed: (i) wetter conditions, especially in the winter, affected the dominance and species richness of perennial grass species and the decline of rosette plants; (ii) the year-to-year higher temperatures in the winter produced a decline in the dominance of short graminoids and creeping forbs; (iii) spring drought adversely impacted the overall abundance, especially the abundance of dicotyledonous species, and the species richness. However, these relationships may be manifested in different ways in different locations, and in some cases the vegetation of different locations may respond to weather conditions in opposite manners.

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Genetic and environmental influences on stomates of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Environmental and Experimental Botany ◽

10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.07.018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 155 ◽

pp. 477-487 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nick A. Varvel ◽

Christina J. Hilt ◽

Loretta C. Johnson ◽

Matthew Galliart ◽

Sara G. Baer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Influences ◽

Andropogon Gerardii ◽

Big Bluestem

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Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), Little Bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash], and Indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash]

Crops II - Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-73520-2_23 ◽

1988 ◽

pp. 444-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C. H. Chen ◽

A. A. Boe

Keyword(s):

Andropogon Gerardii ◽

Schizachyrium Scoparium ◽

Big Bluestem ◽

Sorghastrum Nutans ◽

Little Bluestem

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Distribution of Grass Species and Attributes of Grasses Near a Bore Drain in a Grazed Semi-arid Subtropical Grassland

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt96071 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 45 (5) ◽

pp. 919 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

R. W. Rogers ◽

C. Stride

Keyword(s):

Introduced Species ◽

Carbon Assimilation ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Common Species ◽

Grass Species ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Selection Of

The distribution of grass species and a selection of attributes of those species were related to distance from water in an otherwise natural, sheep-grazed, semi-arid, subtropical grassland at Glencoban Station near Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland, Australia. Twenty common species could be classified as decreaser, increaser or neutral with respect to stocking pressure based on distribution patterns with respect to distance from water. No species known to be introduced to Australia were present. The occurrence of a diversity of vegetative and diaspore attributes and carbon assimilation pathways were also shown to be related to stocking pressure. The attributes studied showed autocorrelation in two groups, which related to the higher level taxonomy of the grasses and to response to stocking. Chloridoid grasses increase and andropogonoid grasses decrease under high stocking pressure. In this grassland, which has no introduced species, a syndrome of stocking-related attributes can be discerned.

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Improved embryogenic callus induction and plant regeneration in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), a potential bioenergy feedstock

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY ◽

10.5897/ajb2016.15542 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (39) ◽

pp. 2166-2171 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pantha Pramod ◽

Kumar Ponniah Sathish ◽

Ntamatungiro Sixte ◽

Manoharan Muthusamy

Keyword(s):

Plant Regeneration ◽

Callus Induction ◽

Embryogenic Callus ◽

Andropogon Gerardii ◽

Big Bluestem ◽

Bioenergy Feedstock ◽

Embryogenic Callus Induction

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Grasses of the Precambrian Shield region in eastern lowland Bolivia. II. Life-form and C3–C4 photosynthetic types

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467400006738 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 409-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Timothy J. Killeen ◽

Paul N. Hinz

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Native Species ◽

Life Form ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Grass Species ◽

Individual Species ◽

Campo Rupestre ◽

Granite Outcrops ◽

Bunch Grass

ABSTRACTA life-form classification from Neotropical Gramineae is proposed for 113 native species from eastern lowland Bolivia. A factor analysis was performed on a correlation matrix of 51 vegetative attributes to identify ‘character suites,’ which were then used as the basis for the classification. The principal types are arboreal, liana, shrub-like, forb-like, bunch grass with basal foliage, bunch grass with basal and caulescent foliage, caespitose annuals, elongate rhizomes, turf grass, stoloniferous, and decumbent (the last category is further divided into subgroups: -perennial, -indefinite, -floating aquatic, and -vine-like). A key component of the life-form classification is the morphology of leaf blades, with five major patterns recognized: elongate and inrolled, elongate and conduplicate, elongate and flat with an attenuate base, short and broad with an amplexicaule base, and short and broad with a pseudopetiole.The distribution and relative abundance of three major photosynthetic categories were compared with life-form and habitat preference. Photosynthetic type of individual species was identified based on leaf anatomy. C4-(XyMS −) species predominated in cerradao, cerrado, campo rupestre, valleyside campos, and seasonally inundated savanna, as well as on granite outcrops. C4-(XyMS + ) species were relatively rare in all habitats, but were significantly more abundant in the xeric microenvironments of granite outcrops. C3 species predominated in semi-deciduous forest and increased in relative abundance in wetland habitats. Caespitose annuals and bunch grass species were predominantly C4 type, while arboreal and liana species were uniformly C3 type. Grasses classified as decumbent or shrub-like were predominantly C3 type, while rhizomatous, stoloniferous, and forblike grasses were a mixture of C3 and C4 type.The intent of the study was to group morphological characteristics objectively in order to derive a life-form classification specific for the Gramineae. Comparisons of the relative abundance of the various life-forms in a broad range of habitat types provide a descriptive assessment of the adaptive value of these characteristics.

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