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Full-Text Articles in Weed Science
When An Invasive Plant Fails To Invade, Stephen L. Young
When An Invasive Plant Fails To Invade, Stephen L. Young
West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte
In 2012, much of the US Midwest was gripped in one of the most severe droughts on record. While conducting experimental fieldwork at a site in Nebraska during June of that year, I noticed a single musk thistle (Carduus nutans; Figure 1) that appeared to be in the bolt or early flowering stage, which is typical for the species at that time. Here, however, two things were unusual: this plant was less than 1 meter tall (with adequate moisture and light, musk thistle typically grows to heights of 1–2.5 meters before flowering), and was only 3 months old (the bolt …
Root Growth Of Two Perennial Grass Types And Musk Thistle (Carduus Nutans) In Temperate Grasslands Of North America, Chengchou Han, Stephen L. Young
Root Growth Of Two Perennial Grass Types And Musk Thistle (Carduus Nutans) In Temperate Grasslands Of North America, Chengchou Han, Stephen L. Young
West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte
Root architecture of prairie grasslands, which depends on plant phenology and edaphic conditions, strongly influences susceptibility to invasion by nonindigenous plant species. Field studies were conducted to compare in situ root growth patterns of warm-season (WS) and cool-season (CS) perennial grasses and musk thistle during a 2-yr period that included a drought in the second year. In 2 yr, CS grasses had the highest amount of roots (1,296 m roots m–2 [395 ft roots ft–2]) across shallow (0 to 28 cm [0 to 11 in.]), medium (28 to 56 cm), and deep (56 to 98 cm) depths …