Landowner perceptions of an invasive grass in the northern Plains of the United States of America

Authors: Toledo, David; RAJALA, KIANDRA - Us Fish And Wildlife Service; SORICE, MICHAEL - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/19/2023
Publication Date: 5/19/2023
Citation: Toledo, D.N., Rajala, K., Sorice, M. 2023. Landowner perceptions of an invasive grass in the northern Plains of the United States of America. Meeting Abstract. 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Plant invasions have serious consequences on native plant species diversity and ecosystem services. We explored private landowner perceptions about invasive grasses and their management intention to reduce/control them in the US northern Great Plains. We used a factorial survey experiment with multiple vignettes that randomly varied based on how a novel grass species expanding in rangelands would affect provisioning services (season of forage availability, forage quality, forage quantity), regulating services (floral resources for pollinators, water infiltration, and availability), and supporting services (grassland bird diversity, grass diversity). Our results show that the acceptability of invasive plants was strongly associated with landowners’ management intentions, and the status of all seven ecosystem services was related to acceptability. Scenario modeling shows that landowners displayed greater sensitivity to losses in a suite of ecosystem services than to equivalent gains. Scenario results indicated that invasive grasses may be considered slightly acceptable during the early stages of invasion. At later stages, when negative impacts are most severe for landowner livelihoods, invasives are rated as slightly unacceptable. Results suggest that ecological losses may need to be severe before individual landowners in the US northern Great Plains change their management practices to reduce/control the species. Our research suggests landowners may be managing more reactively than proactively. Further landowner awareness, engagement, and extension efforts are needed to prevent and reduce invasives from northern Great Plains grasslands.