Using native plants to control buffelgrass

Abstract

Integrating active restoration into an invasive species treatment plan by seeding or planting with native species that can competitively suppress an invader may help improve weed management outcomes. This occurs because native plants can have traits (methods of accessing resources) that overlap with invasives, restricting invasives from taking up resources such as light and space. How well this approach works, however, is often modified by water availability. This is because plants may respond to changes in water availability by modifying traits-such as root density and size (biomass)-subsequently affecting the magnitude to which they can compete with invasives (Potts et al. 2019). Identifying traits of native species that are competitive against invasive species in dryland systems with varying water availability may help improve weed control outcomes.