Effectiveness of Multiple Restoration Techniques in Reducing the Abundance of Kentucky Bluegrass and Smooth Bromegrass in the Northern Great Plains

Abstract

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermus L.) are cool-season, perennial, non-native grasses that are invading North Dakota grasslands. Two studies evaluated different restoration techniques aimed at reducing Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass abundance. The initial study, located on five different plant communities in a mixed grass prairie near Mandan, ND, noted some success at reducing Kentucky bluegrass through a combination of fire and chemicals. Therefore, a second study was initiated near Lisbon, ND to evaluate the effectiveness of fire and herbicides, alone or in combination, and the sequence for applying fire and herbicide. These treatments were applied to native tall grass with different initial invasion levels of Kentucky bluegrass. The results of the Mandan study indicated treatment responses differed depending on the community and invasive species while, the Lisbon study suggested that the level of initial invasion also determined treatment success.