Author
 |
Young, James |
|
Clements, Darin - Charlie |
|
Submitted to: Arid Land Research and Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2003 Publication Date: 9/12/2003 Citation: Young, J.A., Clements, D.D. 2003. Rangeland monitoring and invasive weeds. Arid Land Research and Management. 17(4): 439-447. Interpretive Summary: One of the most difficult problems in range management is reaching an agreement on a means of assessing the health of rangelands. The occurrence of exotic, invasive weeds on rangelands is one of the most serious complications in trying to make such assessments. This manuscripts provides a discussion of the nature and extent of the problem. Technical Abstract: One of the serious biological obstacles that must be addressed in any comprehensive revision of rangeland ecological condition assessment is what to do with sites dominated by exotic self invasive species. In certain cases such species have truncated succession so that with a bare minimum of disturbance, the sites will never return to dominance by native perennial species. Are such site destined to always remain in what is defined as Apoor@ ecological condition. Many communities dominated by exotic annuals are closed to the recruitment of seedlings of native perennial species. At the same time the communities are open to invasion by other invasive species. |
