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Species
Bromus tectorum L. var. nudus
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
This taxon is found in the Palouse grasslands, among other North American ecoregions. The Palouse ecoregion extends over eastern Washington, northwestern Idaho and northeastern Oregon. Grasslands and savannas once covered extensive areas of the inter-mountain west, from southwest Canada into western Montana in the USA. Today, areas like the great Palouse prairie of eastern are virtually eliminated as natural areas due to conversion to rangeland. The Palouse, formerly a vast expanse of native wheatgrasses (Agropyron spp), Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis), and other grasses, has been mostly plowed and converted to wheat fields or is covered by Drooping Brome (Bromus tectorum) and other alien plant species.
the Palouse historically resembled the mixed-grass vegetation of the Central grasslands, except for the absence of short grasses. Such species as Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Elymus spicatus), Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) and Giant Wildrye (Elymus condensatus) and the associated species Lassen County Bluegrass (Poa limosa), Crested Hairgrass (Koeleria pyramidata), Bottlebrush Squirrel-tail (Sitanion hystrix), Needle-and-thread (Stipa comata) and Western Wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii) historically dominated the Palouse prairie grassland.
Representative mammals found in the Palouse grasslands include the Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris), found burrowing in grasslands or beneath rocky scree; American Black Bear (Ursus americanus); American Pika (Ochotona princeps); Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius), who consumes chiefly earthworms and insects; Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis); Gray Wolf (Canis lupus); Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus); Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis); the Near Threatened Washington Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus washingtoni), a taxon who prefers habitat with dense grass cover and deep soils; and the Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), a mammal that can be either arboreal or fossorial.
There are not a large number of amphibians in this ecoregion. The species present are the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad (Spea intermontana), a fossorial toad that sometimes filches the burrows of small mammals; Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum); Northern Leopard Frog (Glaucomys sabrinus), typically found near permanent water bodies or marsh; Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris), usually found near permanent lotic water; Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla), who deposits eggs on submerged plant stems or the bottom of water bodies; Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), fossorial species found in burrows or under rocks; Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii), found in arid grasslands with deep friable soils; Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas), who uses woody debris or submerged vegetation to protect its egg-masses.
There are a limited number of reptiles found in the Palouse grasslands, namely only: the Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea), often found in screes, rock outcrops as well as riparian vicinity; the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), who prefers lentic freshwater habitat with a thick mud layer; Yellow-bellied Racer (Chrysemys picta); Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus), often found under loose stones in this ecoregion; Pygmy Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii), a fossorial taxon often found in bunchgrass habitats; Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana), frequently found in sandy washes with scattered rocks; Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata), an essentially terrestrial species that prefers riparian areas and other moist habitats; Pacific Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata), a species that usually overwinters in upland habitat; Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), who, when inactive, may hide under rocks or in animal burrows; Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata); Western Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus), who prefers grasslands with rocky areas; Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans), found in rocky grasslands, especially near water; Rubber Boa (Charina bottae).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | cc-by-nc-sa 3.0 |
Source | http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbee997896bb431f698fe1/539e769d0cf226e0bdc00514/?topic=51cbfc79f702fc2ba8129ee0 |
1.1 Descripción de la especie
Culmos erectos, de 5 a 90 cm de alto, delgados. Vainas densamente pubescentes hasta pilosas, o algunas veces las superiores glabras, aurículas ausentes.
Lígulas membranosa de 2 a 3 mm, obtusa, lacerada, glabra. Láminas de 4 a 16 cm de largo, vellosas en las dos superficies. Inflorescencia una panícula angosta y contraída, laxas, de 5 a 20 cm de largo; ramas y pedicelos delgados, flexibles, frecuentemente sigmoides. Espiguillas de 1.2 a 2.0 cm de largo excluyendo las aristas, la mayoría con 4 a 6 flósculos. Glumas granulares o vellosas, desiguales, delgadas, con márgenes hialinos anchos, la primera 1 a 3 nervada, aguda o acuminada, la segunda 3 nervada, aquillada, con frecuencia con una muesca en el ápice. Lemas pubescente de 9 a 12 mm de largo, con una arista de 12 a 18 mm de largo. Páleas ligeramente más corta que la lema, ciliada en las nervaduras; anteras de 0.5 a 1 mm de largo. Flor con anteras de 0.5 a 1 mm de largo (Beetle et al., 1987).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | No source database. |
Cheatgrass is one of the most widespread introduced annual grasses in the North America, occurring in all 50 states as well as in most of the Canadian provinces and also in parts of Mexico. It is most common where annual rainfall ranges from 15-55 cm (6- 22 in) and autumn rainfall ranges from 5-12 cm (2- 6 in) (Peepers 1984). It is a weed of roadsides, cropland, hayland, pastureland, rangeland and waste places, usually occurring on dry, sometimes weakly alkaline, clayey to loamy to sandy or gravelly soils. Cheatgrass is especially common in the western states including the Columbia Basin, Snake River Basin and the Great Basin (Morrow & Stahlman 1984). Uncommon or sporadic in the southeastern part of the United States, it is abundant over large areas of sagebrush plant communities, where whole landscapes are lush green, turning red- purplish by the developing inflorescences, then a tan- straw- buff color as the plants mature and cure.
For current distribution, consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.
4.3 Forma de dispersión o propagación
Se dispersa por semilla (Stubbendieck et al., 1981).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | No source database. |
Annual.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/2198 |
Agropecuario
Valor forrajero regular a bueno antes de que se presente la inflorescencia. Durante años de lluvias favorables es una planta forrajera valiosa como todas las anuales, no obstante es extremadamente dependiente de las precipitaciones de ese año para su crecimiento y no tiene ningún valor en años de sequía, por lo que su valor varía drásticamente (Cantú-Brito, 2006).
En buenos años las plantas producen alimento en abundancia pero es incompleto, los análisis demuestran que únicamente tiene una quinta parte de proteínas digestibles comparado con la alfalfa. Cuando crece en sitios extensos provee forraje para las ovejas y corderos, durante la primavera es pastoreado por los venados. En condiciones de sequía esta especie causa una rápida transpiración de la humedad del suelo, que pudiera se utilizada en el establecimiento de especies perennes deseables (Cantú-Brito, 2006).
1.8 Usos de la especie
En áreas donde se reporta como invasora tiene un valor en el control de la erosión en laderas denudadas (Cantú-Brito, 2006).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | No source database. |
Downy brome, downy bromegrass, downy chess, early chess, slender chess, drooping chess, junegrass, and bronco-grass
Cheatgrass grows in rainfall areas receiving 6- 22 inches or more. It does particularly well under conditions where rainfall occurs in fall, winter and early spring. During periods of multiple year drought, it may almost disappear from the plant community only to return in very lush stands as moisture conditions improve.
Cheatgrass prefers well drained soils of any soil texture. It is not well adapted to saline or sodic soil conditions or soils that are too wet.
Cheatgrass can be found at almost any elevation, but it does particularly well at elevations ranging from 500- 6,000 feet.
This species is not recommended for seeding.
4.5 Reproducción
La floración es de mayo a julio. Generalmente germina en el otoño y madura en la siguiente primavera o germina durante la estación lluviosa del verano y madura en el otoño temprano, extremadamente variable en altura (Cantú-Brito, 2006).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | No source database. |