Recent content by elkfromabove

Another little tidbit about the moisture pulled out of the soil: It's been estimated that an abundance of only 50 cheatgrass plants per square foot can remove soil water to the PERMANENT wilting point to a depth of 126 inches (10.6 feet). It's no wonder we're losing sagebrush in this draught!

Another lesson: The matted root system. Since Cheatgrass is an annual, when it dies, everything (except the seeds) dies as well. and that includes the roots. And since the roots only go down about 12 inches, it isn't long before the roots are matted to a near carpet consistency that absorbs most...

I think it's a long-term battle, but it should get easier to maintain as we restore more of the habitat. And, at least, it's more on the radar of those who make decisions and spend the money.

And cheatgrass has found several ways. That's another way it cheats. Its seeds are easily dislodged and spread by animals (birds, insects and large and small mammals, (and by people) walking through it, by water/rain as it flows downhill and they are also spread by a slight wind, much like an...

I simply said the seeds implanted in those places hinder their senses. They also hinder the movement of the animals. Anyone with livestock or pets knows when something is wrong. Even people know when something is poking into their skin.

Perhaps it's time for another biology lesson. This one answers a lot of the issues at hand. Cheatgrass is one of the few plant species that does not depend on mycorrhiza, the symbiotic relationship between 90%+ of the of the world's terrain plants and their species-specific mycorrhizal fungi! In...

That's right! Just stay home and get on the internet. That'll calm you down!:ROFLMAO:

Those nasty little seeds also wedge themselves it the eyes, ears, nose, teeth and between the split hoofs of ungulates and though they may not actually cause infections, they do hinder the senses of game animals who can't just pluck them out.

or Huns! Yes, I've certainly heard that, especially from a very good friend of mine that has dogs. Since they too are non-native imports from the same areas, they didn't have to adapt much. Fortunately, most of the chukar habitat is too rocky and steep to worry about and most of the cheatgrass...

No, it's very different. It only sends it's roots down about 12 inches. I'm gonna hafta go the Southern DWR Office or MDF website the get that information. I understand it's a joint effort.

No, it's very different. It only sends it's roots down about 12 inches.

You're probably right that what you've correctly stated is common knowledge, but what may not be common knowledge is, HOW does it manage to create a self-perpetuating monoculture and WHY is it so hard to get rid of?

I hope it stays on track as well. There's an awful lot to learn about it and it can't be taught or learned in a short thread. Cheatgrass showed up in America during the 1800's as a contaminant of seed, straw, and hay cargo from Europe and Asia. It was first known to come to Utah about 1890, so...

Most mule deer hunters have heard of cheatgrass, but aren't sure why it's called that and have no idea how it affects wildlife, especially mule deer. This thread, hopefully, will be a discussion about it's vicious affects on mule deer (and other species). To begin, let's talk about the...

Here's Arizona: (Separating the mule deer data from the whitetail data and the weapons was more difficult than I anticipated.) Year---Bucks---Does---Total-----Year---Bucks---Does---Total 1946---4,733-----0-----4,733-----1980---11,111-----0-----11,111...