Intensive Cattle Grazing of Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)

Abstract

Oxeye daisy has invaded seeded pastures, roadsides, and mountain rangelands in western Montana. In 1990, we began a study to: (1) determine use of oxeye daisy and introduced perennial grasses by cattle; (2) determine effects of intensive cattle grazing on the number of oxeye daisy seeds in the soil; and (3) assess effects of intensive grazing on year-to-year changes in oxeye daisy and associated perennial grasses. Cattle grazed oxeye daisy but much of their impact was from trampling or removing stems. The number of oxeye daisy seeds in the soil seedbank was lower in 1992 than in 1990 in grazed areas, whereas the number was higher in ungrazed areas. Two years of intensive grazing reduced densities of oxeye daisy seedlings and rosettes, but did not change densities of mature stems. Intensive grazing had minimal impact on the introduced grasses.