Exotic and Invasive Herbaceous Range Weeds

Abstract

T here is a considerable body of terminology developed during the 20th century concerning range weed control. This terminology was developed so individuals concerned with herbaceous range weeds could communicate. Nothing is more boring than terminology, but in the case of range weed control, if everyone gets on the same page in terminology, an artificially cloudy subject becomes much clearer. A weed is simply a plant growing in a site where it is not desired. You can make up your own standards for what constitutes desirability. It may be forage production, nutritional quality, or season of growth or have little to do with forage characteristics. Watershed protection, chance of ignition and rate of spread of wildfires, and wildlife habitat are all plant characteristics that influence individual perception of plant desirability. A weed may be a desirable plant in one location and a weed in another. For example, in the salt deserts of Nevada, desert salt grass is a desirable forage species in alkaline/saline habitats surrounding playas. It is virtually the only herbaceous forage species adapted to grow in such environments. In the irrigated alfalfa fields of Nevada, it is considered a serious herbaceous weed.