Buffelgrass生物学

常见的名字

牛肉饼，意大利面牛肉饼，萨卡特牛肉饼

学名

Cenchrus ciliaris

增长形式

禾草状的(草)

花序

浓密的，圆柱形穗状具紫色刚毛.75-5英寸长(0.25-0.5英寸宽). The bristles are slender and wavy at the upper (distal) half. 小穗上没有草坪.

叶子

平的，3-11英寸长(小于0.25英寸宽), and scabrous (rough to the touch); hairy ligules (tiny whitish/blond hairs visible at the base of the leaf blade where it diverges 从 the leaf sheath, which is the portion of the leaf that 'wraps' the stem).

增长的习惯

束草，所有的茎从多节的基部生长. 这种坚韧的块状植物可以长到3岁以上.5 feet tall, and mature plants typically grow to 3-4 feet in diameter.

根

深的:深至土壤6-8英寸的.

传播

种子很容易通过风、水、动物皮毛、衣服和鞋子传播.

经济增长周期

Buffelgrass is a perennial grass that grows in areas with warm, frost-free 冬天s and a summer rainy season with 6 to 24 inches of rainfall a year. It typically starts growth in late 冬天 and flowers 从 spring through fall.

栖息地

道路权利之内, 农业地区, 干扰网站, 空地, 牧场, 草原, 南, 向西和向东的山坡, 还有河岸地带. Occurs in all soil textures but is most common in sandy soils. 主要是温暖季节的C-4草, 长在3英尺以下的黄草,000 feet elevation can green-up and flower after almost any rain event. 牛耳草不能忍受长时间的洪水或冰点以下的温度.

黄草的历史和分布

Buffelgrass is native to Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 它是世界热带和亚热带地区作为牛饲料引进的许多非洲草之一, 包括美国南部. 它在20世纪30年代被引入美国，用于控制侵蚀和牲畜饲料. 从20世纪30年代到80年代初，它被种植在亚利桑那州南部的许多地方.

自然栖息地的记录很少，直到1980年才开始迅速扩张. Few people other than botanists 不iced it in Arizona before about 1990. Today it is rare to 不 see it in the 南ern half of the state, and expansive infestations are becoming more common.

在其本地和引进的范围内, 种植牛耳草, 它已经成为澳大利亚的入侵物种, 北美和南美, and many islands in the Pacific Ocean (including Hawaii), 印度洋和加勒比海.

Buffelgrass has overtaken this slope in Saguaro National Park West. The buffelgrass in the foreground hasn’t become entirely dormant, 而在斜坡上，它已经变成了冬眠的草所特有的稻草黄色.

正确识别牛耳草

在处理黄草之前，正确识别这种植物是很重要的. A water-resistant and tear-resistant identification guide is available. 你可以 通过电子邮件索取副本. 指南也可以 PDF格式下载. 下面列出了一些关键特性.

• bunch grass — all stems come 从 a centralized point to form a large 'clump'
• color — plants quickly respond to moisture by turning bright green; during dry periods, 也就是说一年中大部分时间, 黄草是稻草的颜色
• bottlebrush inflorescence — the seeds develop on the end of a stalk, which has a slightly fuzzy appearance that looks like a bottlebrush
• 粗糙的茎轴——如果你用手指从下往上摸，就会发现含有种子的中央茎非常粗糙
• hairy ligule — the ligule is the spot where the leaf blade diverges 从 the stem; delicate hairs are obvious when the leaf blade is pulled slightly away 从 the stem
• 粗糙的叶片——叶片含有细小的硬毛，所以如果你用手指从茎部到叶尖轻轻地沿着叶片移动，感觉会很粗糙

瓶刷籽头和粗轴: Buffelgrass has a very distinct flower that looks like a bottle brush. 花的颜色可以从种子年轻时的红色或紫褐色到种子成熟时的褐色不等. Once the seeds have dispersed, the remaining stem (i.e. 脊柱明显粗糙.

Although these are some key characteristics that can help in identification, 一些本土的草也有类似的外观. The best way to learn to identify buffelgrass is to 参加水牛草拉扯 由专家领导.

更多的Buffelgrass图片在这里:

• 绿色Buffelgrass
• 休眠/棕色Buffelgrass
• 种子头/脊柱/花
• 舌状

为什么水牛草是一种威胁?

增加火灾的严重性和频率

在亚利桑那州南部, 水牛草的迅速蔓延正在把耐火的沙漠变成易燃的草原.

• 从历史上看, 索诺兰沙漠很少发生火灾, and only occurred in unusually wet years when 冬天 annuals became super abundant. Scientists estimate these 条件 occurred once every 250 years, 即便如此, 火苗很小，而且不完整.
• As buffelgrass becomes more prevalent in the Sonoran Desert, 火灾会变得更大, 更频繁的, 更严重的是. 牛耳草在火中茁壮成长，而由牛耳草引发的严重火灾会杀死本地植物.
• Buffelgrass is abundant in the wildland-urban interface, creating pathways for wildland fires to enter residential areas. 在图森市的院子、小巷和公用设施走廊上也可以找到水牛草.

物种流失

Buffelgrass outcompetes native plants for space, water and nutrients. As buffelgrass increases in abundance, native species decrease in abundance.

• 黄草挤占了本地植物，也终结了索诺兰沙漠著名的壮观的野花盛开.
• 随着本地植物数量的减少, 野生动物的食物减少了, 比如沙漠龟, 长耳大野兔, 还有骡鹿.
• 失去了双刃剑, 一个关键物种影响着所有依赖它们获得食物和住所的生物.

整个生态系统的丧失

• 即使在没有火的情况下, 索诺兰沙漠被水牛草所改变, 从 a species-rich desert into a depauperate grassland.
• 火加速了这个过程, as the nutrients released by fire fertilize the fire-adapted buffelgrass, 当新的牛耳草幼苗在新开放和施肥的空间中建立时，哪一种植物会从根部重新生长.

经济的伤害

Buffelgrass also poses a serious threat to our regional economy. 图森每年吸引数百万游客，为当地经济贡献数十亿美元. 如果火灾变得司空见惯，或者推荐一个买球网站的“森林”变成了水牛草地，图森还会保持这样一个有吸引力的目的地吗. 此外，水牛草引发火灾的成本将使控制水牛草的成本相形见绌. In 2008, 在阿夫拉山谷进行了一项实验，以确定水牛草燃烧火灾的特征. This video shows how fast and how hot these fires burn.

控制Buffelgrass

机械控制

机械控制就是简单地把它挖出来! Note that mowing, as a stand-alone treatment for buffelgrass control, is 不 recommended, as it is likely to further the spread of the grass. The choice of tool for digging up buffelgrass depends on the environment. 在崎岖多石的地形中(如. the Tucson or Santa Catalina Mountains) a digging bar or pickaxes are essential. In a city park or your own backyard, a shovel may work well.

挖出牛耳草会产生一大堆牛耳草——你该怎么处理这些牛耳草呢?! 在暴露的土壤上盖茅草是鼓励的，并且已被证明可以抑制幼苗的形成. 盖茅草就是把拔下来的草铺在被连根拔起的地上. 但是，如果沿着路边或其他可能造成安全隐患的地方拉车，则需要小心. 牛耳草的种子可以存活3-5年, 因此，您必须回到您的站点处理幼苗，这些幼苗无疑将在下一次降雨事件中发芽. 好消息是，幼苗和幼苗比成熟的老植物更容易挖出来. 挖掘水牛草是一种有效的控制方法，可以在大多数地点全年使用. 当然, the digging is easiest when the soil is moist and temperatures are cool, 晚秋, 冬天, and early spring months the favored times for this method in 南ern Arizona.

化学防治

当黄草至少有50%是绿色且生长活跃时，可以使用除草剂进行控制. 在亚利桑那州南部, 牛耳草通常在夏季季风开始后进入活跃生长期, 从 late-July to the end of September (and sometimes even through October). All herbicide applications should be conducted as per the labeling instructions.

不管你对除草剂的立场如何, glyphosate is an essential tool for buffelgrass control at this point in time. Scientists are actively working to develop alternatives, but currently glyphosate is the only herbicide that effectively kills buffelgrass, while minimizing effects on non-target plants (native plants). 在公共土地的偏远地区，挖掘数千英亩的水牛草的成本令人望而却步.

如果推荐一个买球网站选择什么都不做, and allow buffelgrass to spread throughout our public lands, we are choosing to allow our saguaros and other cacti, 推荐一个买球网站的棕榈树和铁木, 推荐一个买球网站春夏的野花, and virtually all of our native plants to disappear 从 these landscapes.

最近草甘膦(N-(磷甲乙基)甘氨酸),the active ingredient in many commercial herbicide formulations, 上过新闻吗. 相互矛盾的标题和媒体来源的巨大多样性使得很难知道哪些信息是准确的, which information is being misrepresented and which information is even relevant. 推荐一个买球网站提供这个 原材料清单 so that you can read the research and make informed decisions.

作品引用:Bussan, A.J.，和W.E. 戴尔. 1999. 除草剂和牧场. Pp. 116-132. R:.L. 雪莉和J.K. Petroff (eds.). 草地有害杂草的生物学与治理. 俄勒冈州立大学出版社. 科瓦利斯,俄勒冈州. 438pp.

水牛草控制手册

• 牛耳草鉴定与处理手册
• 牛耳草鉴定与处理手册 (Spanish)
• 牛耳草鉴定和处理讲义

生物防治

Biological control involves organisms (usually insects, 但可以包括牲畜放牧)，这是为了控制入侵物种而故意引入的. 生物防治的目的不是根除, 而是对一个物种施加足够的压力，使其丰度降低到可接受的水平(威尔逊和麦卡弗里，1999).

黄貂草不是单靠放牧控制的. 如果使用这种控制方法, a combination of other approaches must be used in combination to achieve control. 例如, 在一年中的某些时期，当草生长活跃时，在用除草剂处理之前，放牧牲畜可能有助于刺激草的生长. Insect biological control for buffelgrass is currently 不 available.

Scientists are currently working to develop a “bioherbicide,” derived 从 fungal pathogens that attack buffelgrass in its native range. These pathogens would 不 be released into the Sonoran Desert, 相反，科学家们正试图分离出这些病原体产生的毒素，并将其转化为一种生物除草剂，这种除草剂将专门针对水牛草及其近亲.

作品引证:Wilson, L.M. 和J.P. 麦卡弗里. 1999. 草地有害杂草的生物防治. Pp. 97-115. R:.L. 雪莉和J.K. Petroff (eds.). 草地有害杂草的生物学与治理. 俄勒冈州立大学出版社. 科瓦利斯,俄勒冈州. 438pp.

法例及规例

状态

• 2005年有毒杂草裁决
  • 亚利桑那州行政法典第3卷. 第四章农业. 第2条. 检疫 (pdf)
  • 亚利桑那州行政法典 (网站)

皮马县

• 皮马县法令第7章.33 - REMOVAL OF RUBBISH, TRASH, WEEDS, FILTH AND DEBRIS (pdf)
• 皮马县水牛草 (网站)
• Buffelgrass投诉 (形式)

图森市

• Tucson, AZ Code of Ordinances Chapter 16 Neighborhood Preservation (pdf)
• 图森市执法局 (网站)
• 违反守则报告 (形式)