Old World bluestem grasses menace Kansas ranchers

An invasive plant, Old World bluestem grasses, is spreading in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, jeopardizing grassland for cattle and overwhelming the plants that provide seeds, fruits and insects that are the diet of birds such as prairie chickens, said the Wichita Eagle. Brian Obermeyer, of the Nature Conservancy, says the Old World bluestems “release a chemical that is toxic to other plants.”

“That means we could end up with prairies that are largely dominated by one species of plant that offers little to livestock and almost nothing to wildlife,” says the Eagle. It cites estimates that the invasive grasses “could have a huge impact on Kansas’ estimated 15.5 million acres of grazing lands.”

Old World bluestem gasses have been in Kansas for at least 100 years, said Karen Hickman, an Oklahoma State U professor. The seed was inexpensive and the grass grows quickly and spreads easily. It can yield good-quality hay. The recent drought in the Plains gave the invasive grasses a leg up over native grasses and plants that livestock prefer. The Old World grasses are not easy to spot at first and they are expensive to remove, says the Eagle.

Exit mobile version