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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #118012
Title: EVALUATING NATIVE SPECIES ESTABLISHMENT IN AN AGROFORESTRY PROJECT

Author
item O'CONNOR, H - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item MUZIKA, R - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item MCGRAW, R - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item Beuselinck, Paul

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Agroforestry practices can provide an approach to ecological restoration of previously degraded landscapes. As a means of examining the success of a long-term agroforestry project, we focused on the establishment of native grasses and legumes. In Spring 1999, a 2-ha area was plowed and cultivated to various mixtures of warm season grasses and native legumes. A total of 12 treatments (including control) was replicated in three 0.5 ha blocks. The treatments were: 1) warm-season grass mix only, 2) Desmanthus illinoensis [Illinois bundleflower] 3) Desmodium paniculatum [tick trefoil], 4) Lespedeza capitata [round-headed bush clover], 5) Lespedeza virginica [slender bush clover], 6) warm-season grass mix plus D. illinoensis, 7) warm-season grass mix plus D. paniculatum, 8) warm-season grass mix plus L. capitata, 9) warm-season grass mix plus L. virginica, 10) warm-season grass mix plus all four legumes, 11) all four legumes, and 12) nothing seeded, i.e., control. The warm-season grass mix consisted of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), and sideoats grama (Bouteloua filiformis). After two growing seasons, we measured percent cover of all of all species occurring in 360 1 square meter plots. Tick trefoil dominated the plots in which it was planted, and also in adjacent plots. Abundance of sideoats grama and Illinois bundleflower was low; but big bluestem, little bluestem and slender bushclover appear to be successful. Round-headed bush clover and Indian grass were moderately successful. Species such as goldenrod, Solidago altissimum, ragweed, Ambrosia artimisifolia, rough fleabane, and Erigeron annuus, were ubiquitous, but particularly abundant in the control plots.