Mitigating buffelgrass invasion through simulated targeted grazing: understanding restoration potential in a variable precipitation regime

Abstract

The potential for targeted grazing for restoration through the removal of invasive species represents an effective tool for practitioners. This study examines the impact of targeted grazing across highly variable precipitation on buffelgrass, a widely introduced African grass that often escapes cultivation. We simulated targeted grazing, overgrazing, and no grazing by clipping at two intensities and not clipping in a third treatment. We did this in plots with buffelgrass invasion and documented buffelgrass size and reproduction, as well as native plant community diversity. Additionally, as a further proxy for grazing, we tracked root allocation by buffelgrass in mowed and unmowed plots for 25 months while documenting large variability in precipitation. We found that targeted grazing reduced the negative impact of buffelgrass on the native community; on the other hand, overgrazing reduced the native community diversity. Precipitation interacted with simulated grazing such that buffelgrass subjected to grazing was less tolerant to drought and future simulated herbivory after rains returned. Long‐term targeted grazing may lead to reductions in buffelgrass that allow the restoration of the native plant community, which benefits the biodiversity of flora and fauna, and supports multiple uses of rangelands.