Invasive plant benefits a native plant through plant-soil feedback but remains the superior competitor

Plant soil feedback (PSF) occurs when a plant modifies soil biotic properties and those changes in turn influence plant growth, survival or reproduction. These feedback effects are not well understood as mechanisms for invasive plant species. Eragrostis lehmanniana is an invasive species that has extensively colonized the southwest US. To address how PSFs may affect E. lehmanniana invasion and native Bouteloua gracilis growth, soil inoculant from four sites of known invasion age at the Appleton-Whittell Audubon Research Ranch in Sonoita, AZ were used in a PSF greenhouse study, incorporating a replacement series design. The purpose of this research was to evaluate PSF conspecific and heterospecific effects and competition outcomes between the invasive E. lehmanniana and a native forage grass, Bouteloua gracilis. Eragrostis lehmannianaPSFs were beneficial to B. gracilis if developed in previously invaded soil. Plant-soil feedback contributed to competitive suppression of B. gracilis only in the highest ratio of E. lehmanniana to B. gracilis. Plant-soil feedback did not provide an advantage to E. lehmanniana in competitive interactions with B. gracilis at low competition levels but were advantageous to E. lehmanniana at the highest competition ratio, indicating a possible density-dependent effect. Despite being beneficial to B. gracilis under many conditions, E. lehmanniana was the superior competitor.

Reducing Eragrostis lehmanniana populations by preparing seedbeds with unconventional tillage implements and seeding in a semiarid grassland

The invasion of Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees) in rangelands of Chihuahua, Mexico, has resulted in a need for revegetation to recover lost forage productivity. Thus, new knowledge on generating alternatives to improve these invaded grasslands is of great importance. This study evaluated seedbeds prepared with unconventional tillage implements and seeded with a grass mixture to reduce the plant density of E. lehmanniana while increasing the productivity of an invaded semiarid grassland of Chihuahua. The unconventional tillage implements were: a Rangeland Harrow, which was used to prepare the Striped Harrowing and Full Harrowing seedbeds; Rangeland Rehabilitator, which was used to prepare the Deep-Stingray Subsoiler seedbed; and a Tandem-type Aerator Roller, which was used to prepare the Double-Digging Aeration seedbed. An area without tillage was left as a control. The seed mixture was composed of blue grama [Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths var. Hachita] (25%); sideoats grama [Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. ‘6107 Kansas’] (25%); green sprangletop [Leptochloa dubia (Kunth) Nees var. Van Horn] (5%); weeping lovegrass [Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees var. Ermelo] (40%), and Columbus grass [Sorghum almum Parodi] (5%). The experiment was conducted across 4 yr, and the evaluation started at the second year. Plant density and dry matter (DM) production were evaluated per species. In the control plot, the plant density of E. lehmanniana increased approximately 180% from the 2nd to the 4th year (18 to 50 plants m−2). The use of unconventional tillage implements for seedbed preparation and the inclusion of E. curvula in the seed mixture decreased E. lehmanniana density in more than 50% of plots and increased DM production in around 100% of plots. Considering the whole experimental period, in all the prepared seedbed treatments, E. curvula had the highest establishment and DM production of all the seeded species. The native species B. gracilis, B. curtipendula, and L. dubia had poor establishment in all the prepared seedbeds.

Dosis letal media y reducción media del crecimiento por radiación gamma en pasto africano (Eragrostis lehmanniana Ness)

El objetivo fue determinar la dosis letal media (DL50) y la reducción media del crecimiento (RG50) en pasto africano (Eragrostis lehmanniana) para determinar la dosis óptima de irradiación gamma para inducir mutagénesis en esta especie. Las variables evaluadas fueron porcentaje de germinación, índice de velocidad de germinación, longitud de plúmula, longitud de radícula, rendimiento de forraje, producción de semilla, número de tallos, altura de planta, diámetro de macollo e índice de concentración de clorola. Se realizó un análisis de tendencia para cada variable y con la ecuación de regresión resultante se estimó la DL50 y RG50. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la DL50 se encontró a 2076 Gy, mientras que la RG50 uctuó entre 1357 y 1900 Gy. Para el mejoramiento genético de esta especie se recomienda utilizar la media ponderada de 1533 Gy de ambos parámetros.

Major Vegetation Types of the Soutpansberg Conservancy and the Blouberg Nature Reserve, South Africa

The Major Megetation Types (MVT) and plant communities of the Soutpansberg Centre of Endemism are described in detail, with special reference to the Soutpansberg Conservancy and the Blouberg Nature Reserve. Phytosociological data from 442 sample plots were ordinated using a DEtrended CORrespondence ANAlysis (DECORANA) and classified using TWo-Way INdicator SPecies ANalysis (TWINSPAN). The resulting classification was further refined with table-sorting procedures based on the Braun–Blanquet floristic–sociological approach of vegetation classification using MEGATAB. Eight MVT’s were identified and described as Eragrostis lehmanniana var. lehmanniana–Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra Blouberg Northern Plains Bushveld, Euclea divinorum–Acacia tortilis Blouberg Southern Plains Bushveld, Englerophytum magalismontanum–Combretum molle Blouberg Mountain Bushveld, Adansonia digitata–Acacia nigrescens Soutpansberg Arid Northern Bushveld, Catha edulis–Flueggia virosa Soutpansberg Moist Mountain Thickets, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon–Burkea africana Soutpansberg Leached Sandveld, Rhus rigida var. rigida–Rhus magalismontanum subsp. coddii Soutpansberg Mistbelt Vegetation and Xymalos monospora–Rhus chirendensis Soutpansberg Forest Vegetation.

Comparative Laboratory Rearing of Mecidea major and M. minor (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

The stink bugs Mecidea major Sailer and M. minor Ruckes were reared from egg to adult under controlled laboratory conditions at 25 ± 0.01 °C, 79.3 ± 0.05% humidity, and a photoperiod of LD 14:10 h, on Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees. The incubation period for M. major eggs averaged 5.67 d, and the five stadia 3.54, 5.56, 4.94, 5.62, and 9.63 d, respectively. The incubation period for M. minor eggs averaged 6.00 d, and the five stadia 3.20, 6.53, 4.48, 5.56, and 8.81 d, respectively. Total developmental time averaged 34.96 and 34.58 d for M. major and M. minor, respectively, and did not differ significantly between sexes within each species. However, it did differ within females between species.