Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen
Reduced floral resources and habitat fragmentation have led to pollinator decline. Increased diversity of native plants in pastures could support cattle and pollinators. However, the relationship between grazing and plant diversity needs to be investigated. We explored how grazing rest periods impac...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Jessica L. Prigge Jonathan D. Richwine Eric Bisangwa Patrick D. Keyser |
| author_facet | Jessica L. Prigge Jonathan D. Richwine Eric Bisangwa Patrick D. Keyser |
| author_sort | Jessica L. Prigge |
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| description | Reduced floral resources and habitat fragmentation have led to pollinator decline. Increased diversity of native plants in pastures could support cattle and pollinators. However, the relationship between grazing and plant diversity needs to be investigated. We explored how grazing rest periods impacted persistence and forage characteristics of <i>Andropogon gerardii</i> (BB)/<i>Sorghastrum nutans</i> (IG; BBIG) and <i>Panicum virgatum</i> (SG) pastures interseeded with forbs and grazed over five years. ANOVA analysis was conducted using R with significance set at <i>p</i> ≤ 0.05. Forb species exhibited different establishment and flowering characteristics. <i>Coreopsis tinctoria</i>, <i>Rudbeckia hirta</i> (BESU), and <i>Coreopsis lanceolata</i> (LCOR) established early, while <i>Helianthus maximiliani</i>, <i>Heliopsis helianthoides</i> (OSUN), and <i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (PURC) established the second season. <i>Rudbeckia hirta</i>, LCOR, OSUN, and PURC flowered most frequently, and the grazing regimen did not influence the flowering frequency of any species. <i>Desmodium tortuosum</i> (TTFL) was one of the most selected by cattle. Total forage mass declined in 2022, but forb mass interacted with treatment and year where mass declined each year but varied among treatments annually. Based on persistence and forage characteristics, BESU, LCOR, OSUN, PURC, and TTFL could successfully provide forage in native pastures under a variety of grazing regimens. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-c0bfcd31457b46a29e8fc5b966e13fa62025-08-20T02:34:01ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-05-0114598910.3390/land14050989Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing RegimenJessica L. Prigge0Jonathan D. Richwine1Eric Bisangwa2Patrick D. Keyser3School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USACollege of Agriculture, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72467, USASchool of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USASchool of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USAReduced floral resources and habitat fragmentation have led to pollinator decline. Increased diversity of native plants in pastures could support cattle and pollinators. However, the relationship between grazing and plant diversity needs to be investigated. We explored how grazing rest periods impacted persistence and forage characteristics of <i>Andropogon gerardii</i> (BB)/<i>Sorghastrum nutans</i> (IG; BBIG) and <i>Panicum virgatum</i> (SG) pastures interseeded with forbs and grazed over five years. ANOVA analysis was conducted using R with significance set at <i>p</i> ≤ 0.05. Forb species exhibited different establishment and flowering characteristics. <i>Coreopsis tinctoria</i>, <i>Rudbeckia hirta</i> (BESU), and <i>Coreopsis lanceolata</i> (LCOR) established early, while <i>Helianthus maximiliani</i>, <i>Heliopsis helianthoides</i> (OSUN), and <i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (PURC) established the second season. <i>Rudbeckia hirta</i>, LCOR, OSUN, and PURC flowered most frequently, and the grazing regimen did not influence the flowering frequency of any species. <i>Desmodium tortuosum</i> (TTFL) was one of the most selected by cattle. Total forage mass declined in 2022, but forb mass interacted with treatment and year where mass declined each year but varied among treatments annually. Based on persistence and forage characteristics, BESU, LCOR, OSUN, PURC, and TTFL could successfully provide forage in native pastures under a variety of grazing regimens.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/5/989native foragesforbspasture restcattlegrazing management |
| spellingShingle | Jessica L. Prigge Jonathan D. Richwine Eric Bisangwa Patrick D. Keyser Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen Land native forages forbs pasture rest cattle grazing management |
| title | Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen |
| title_full | Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen |
| title_fullStr | Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen |
| title_short | Interseeded Native Forbs Resilient Under Variable Grazing Regimen |
| title_sort | interseeded native forbs resilient under variable grazing regimen |
| topic | native forages forbs pasture rest cattle grazing management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/5/989 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jessicalprigge interseedednativeforbsresilientundervariablegrazingregimen AT jonathandrichwine interseedednativeforbsresilientundervariablegrazingregimen AT ericbisangwa interseedednativeforbsresilientundervariablegrazingregimen AT patrickdkeyser interseedednativeforbsresilientundervariablegrazingregimen |