Water and nutrient competition between Salsola kali and two native grass species (Agropyron smithii and Bouteloua gracilis)

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effect of watering regime on competition between the introduced annual Salsola kali var. tenuifolia and the native perennial grasses Agropyron smithii and Bouteloua gracilis. The treatments consisted of pots and had mixed cultures of Salsola with either one of the grass species, and pure cultures of all three species, under wet and dry soil moistures conditions. Plants were analyzed for leaf resistance (r"1), N, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations, and aboveground biomass. Both grass species had lower biomass and higher r"1 when growing in mixed culture with Salsola than in pure culture in the dry regime, but there were no significant differences in the wet regime....

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Agropyron smithii, Bouteloua gracilis, Ecology, Salsola kali, competition for moisture, All tags... competition for nutrients, leaf resistance, nutrient uptake, Fewer tags