Abstract
Forage kochia (Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad.), an introduced perennial capable of competing with invasive species such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), is being used for forage improvement and wildland revegetation in the Great Basin and Intermountain West of North America. Because of its ability to compete, there is concern that forage kochia may also be invasive. To test for potential spread, we applied 4 disturbance agents (fire, soil, ATV, defoliation) at different intensities (low, medium, high) in 3 plant communities (exotic annual, seeded with a mix of native and exotic perennials, native shrub) and then seeded forage kochia. We replicated this design over 2 years, 1998 and 1999, and measured forage kochia density and cover through 2005. Precipitation was twice the average in 1998 and less than half the average in 1999 in February and March, when most forage kochia emergence occurs. Year of planting and the resident plant community affected forage kochia emergence. The annual community had ten times as many emerged seedlings in 1998 than 1999, the seeded community had twice as many seedlings in 1998 than 1999, and the shrub community had similar seedling densities between 1998 and 1999 plantings. Disturbance only affected the 1999 planting, with highest initial emergence and slowest decrease in density occurring in soil treatments. In 2005, forage kochia density was 4 times greater in the annual community than in the seeded community for both the 1998 and 1999 plantings; cover was 20 times greater. Forage kochia virtually disappeared from the shrub community by 2005. The results indicate that forage kochia is not invasive in these plant communities at this site under the disturbance regime investigated.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Planting year and resident community affected kochia emergence.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Year of planting and the resident plant community affected forage kochia emergence”
Claim · model-written summary
Annual-community emergence was ten times greater in 1998 than in 1999.
Verbatim
e0“The annual community had ten times as many emerged seedlings in 1998 than 1999”
e1“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeded-community emergence was twice as great in 1998 as 1999.
Verbatim
e0“the seeded community had twice as many seedlings in 1998 than 1999”
e1“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrub-community seedling density was similar across 1998 and 1999 plantings.
Verbatim
e0“the shrub community had similar seedling densities between 1998 and 1999 plantings”
e1“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Disturbance affected the 1999 planting only.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Disturbance only affected the 1999 planting”
e1“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil treatments had the highest initial emergence in the 1999 planting.
- Taxon
- forage kochiae2
- Treatment
- soil treatmentse0
- Outcome
- initial emergencee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- 1999 plantinge1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“highest initial emergence and slowest decrease in density occurring in soil treatments”
e1“Disturbance only affected the 1999 planting”
e2“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil treatments had the slowest density decrease in the 1999 planting.
- Taxon
- forage kochiae2
- Treatment
- soil treatmentse0
- Outcome
- densitye0
- Direction
- slowest decreasee0
- Qualifier
- 1999 plantinge1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“highest initial emergence and slowest decrease in density occurring in soil treatments”
e1“Disturbance only affected the 1999 planting”
e2“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
By 2005 kochia density was four times greater in the annual than seeded community.
Verbatim
e0“In 2005, forage kochia density was 4 times greater in the annual community than in the seeded community for both the 1998 and 1999 plantings”
Claim · model-written summary
By 2005 kochia cover was twenty times greater in the annual than seeded community.
Verbatim
e0“cover was 20 times greater”
e1“In 2005, forage kochia density was 4 times greater in the annual community than in the seeded community”
e2“measured forage kochia density”
Claim · model-written summary
Kochia virtually disappeared from the shrub community by 2005.
Verbatim
e0“Forage kochia virtually disappeared from the shrub community by 2005”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded kochia was not invasive at the site under the studied disturbance regime.
Verbatim
e0“forage kochia is not invasive in these plant communities at this site under the disturbance regime investigated”