Effects of Seed Density on Germination and Establishment of a Native and an Introduced Grass Species Dispersed by Granivorous Rodents
McMurray MH, Jenkins SH, Longland WS. 1997. Effects of Seed Density on Germination and Establishment of a Native and an Introduced Grass Species Dispersed by Granivorous Rodents. The American Midland Naturalist. 138(2):322-330
Rodent caching behavior may influence the establishment and persistence of two desert grasses. Thus, the authors designed a greenhouse experiment to examine intraspecific competition between these two species in a sand substrate. Germination and establishment of the native perennial grass, Indian ricegrass, were less affected by high seed densities than germination and establishment of cheatgrass, an invasive annual weed. This indicates that the high seed densities introduced by caching behavior of desert rodents may be beneficial to Indian ricegrass and harmful to cheatgrass.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- McMurray, Michael; Jenkins, Stephen; Longland, William
- Units
- JOTR
- Keywords
- cheatgrass, granivory, Great Basin, Invasive Species, Native Plants, Restoration, Revegetation, ricegrass, Rodents, seed density, seed establishment, Seed germination, Seedling