Cattle as dispersers of hound's-tongue on rangeland in southeastern British Columbia
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Authors: R. De Clerck-Floate
Date: 1997
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 50
Number: 3
Pages: 239-243
Summary of Methods: This study was conducted on three contiguous range units within the Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone in the Cranbrook Forest District, British Columbia. The role of cattle in relation to hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) seed (burr) dispersal was examined in two experiments in the early 90's. The first examined movement of burrs onto cattle and the gain/loss of burrs from cattle over time. Sixty individual plants were identified in each paddock; number of burrs per stock was counted before and after grazing. Cattle were photographed monthly throughout the grazing season to determine the number of burrs per face. The second study was set up to determine the relationship between hound's-tongue density and the number of burrs on cattle. Cows were allowed to graze paddocks in 1992 to 1994, over the course of this study cattle were photographed a total of 13 times to determine the number of burrs per face. Density of Hound's-tongue was estimated by counting the number of burr stocks in disturbed sites across each paddock.
Article Summary / Main Points: Burrs per stock were reduced by 65% in grazed paddocks while only a 14% reduction occurred in the number of burrs per stock in the ungrazed paddock. Cows acquired and then lost burrs within a 2-4 week period while grazing within a given paddock and moving between paddocks. A linear relationship exists between the average number of burrs per face and the number of burrs stocks per ha of paddock.
Vegetation Types: All Forest and Woodlands
MLRA Ecoregions: Not Applicable
Agrovoc Control Words: Weeds Rangelands Seed dispersal
Article Review Type: refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: adhesive fruits, burrs, monitoring weed populations, noxious range weed, seed dispersal, cynoglossum officinale, weed biocontrol
Annotation: Materials and methods section of this paper were a bit confectioning at first glance. A control paddock to determine wildlife use was only established for on grazing season. The results from this study indicated that cattle are important in the dispersion of hound's-tongue burrs and influence its spread across rangelands. These results are contrary to the findings of European studies.
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