PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #66: Invasions: Plants. Mechanisms, patterns, controls. Presiding: R. Mack.
Thursday, August 9, 2001. 1:00 PM to 4:45 PM. Hall of Ideas E.

Identifying the habitat characteristics of the non-native, invasive grass, Microstegium vimineum.

COLE, PATRICE¹, WELTZIN, JAKE¹, HUSTON, MICHAEL¹, ¹

ABSTRACT- Microstegium vimineum (Japanese grass) is an invasive, annual C4 grass of increasing concern to land managers in the southeastern United States. For example, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, M. vimineum is ranked highest in significance of impact and lowest in feasibility of control among the 35 non-native plant species identified as serious threats to that biosphere reserve. During summer and fall 2000, we mapped the distribution of M. vimineum in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, Tennessee, using GPS technology and GIS software. We also collected data on soil characteristics, topography, leaf litter, canopy cover, light levels, disturbance history, and plant community type, to determine how these site characteristics were associated with height, density, and biomass of M. vimineum. Positive correlations were found between M. vimineum biomass and soil moisture (r=0.721, p=0.002) and between M. vimineum height and canopy openness (r=0.604, p=0.04). Negative correlations were found between M. vimineum biomass and the biomass of other plant species (r=0.802, p=0.0003) and between M. vimineum height and the biomass of other plant species (r=0.615, p=0.0009). The survey results will help identify environmental factors that determine the distribution and abundance of this invasive plant.

KEY WORDS: Microstegium vimineum, non-native plants, Japanese grass, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park