Using strategically applied grazing to manage invasive alien plants in novel grasslands  

作　　者：Jennifer Firn Jodi N Price Ralph DB Whalley 

机构地区：[1]School of Earth,Environmental and Biological Sciences,Queensland University of Technology,Brisbane,QLD 4001,Australia [2]School of Plant Biology,University of Western Australia,Crawley,WA6009,Australia [3]Botany,University of New England,Armidale,NSW 2352,Australia

出　　处：《Ecological Processes》2013年第1期275-285,共11页生态过程（英文）

基　　金：Thank you to Southwell and Reid for granting us permission to use their figure.Jodi Price was funded by the ARC Centre for Excellence for Environmental Decisions.

摘　　要：Introduction:Novel ecosystems that contain new combinations of invasive alien plants(IAPs)present a challenge for managers.Yet,control strategies that focus on the removal of the invasive species and/or restoring historical disturbance regimes often do not provide the best outcome for long-term control of IAPs and the promotion of more desirable plant species.Methods:This study seeks to identify the primary drivers of grassland invasion to then inform management practices toward the restoration of native ecosystems.By revisiting both published and unpublished data from experiments and case studies within mainly an Australian context for native grassland management,we show how alternative states models can help to design control strategies to manage undesirable IAPs by manipulating grazing pressure.Results:Ungulate grazing is generally considered antithetical to invasive species management because in many countries where livestock production is a relatively new disturbance to grasslands(such as in Australia and New Zealand as well as Canada and the USA),selective grazing pressure may have facilitated opportunities for IAPs to establish.We find that grazing stock can be used to manipulate species composition in favour of the desirable components in pastures,but whether grazing is rested or strategically applied depends on the management goal,sizes of populations of the IAP and more desirable species,and climatic and edaphic conditions.Conclusions:Based on our findings,we integrated these relationships to develop a testable framework for managing IAPs with strategic grazing that considers both the current state of the plant community and the desired future state—i.e.the application of the principles behind reclamation,rehabilitation,restoration or all three—over time.

关 键 词：GRASSLAND GRAZING CANADA 

分 类 号：S81[农业科学—畜牧学]