College of Agriculture

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As the foundation of the land grant mission at Montana State University, the College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station provide instruction in traditional and innovative degree programs and conduct research on old and new challenges for Montana’s agricultural community. This integration creates opportunities for students and faculty to excel through hands-on learning, to serve through campus and community engagement, to explore unique solutions to distinct and interesting questions and to connect Montanans with the global community through research discoveries and outreach.

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2013 - 20144

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search.filters.applied.f.department: search.filters.department.Land Resources & Environmental Sciences.Subject: search.filters.subject.Plant sciences

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Impact of species identity and phylogenetic relatedness on biologically-mediated plant-soil feedbacks in a low and a high intensity agroecosystem
    (2014-12) Miller, Zachariah J.; Menalled, Fabian D.
    Aims: Plant species-specific effects on soil biota and their impacts on subsequent plant growth, i.e. plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs, henceforth), are major drivers in natural systems but little is known about their role in agroecosystems. We investigated the presence and magnitude of PSFs in two contrasting agricultural settings and tested the importance of species identity and phylogenetic relationships in determining PSFs. Methods: We compared PSFs that developed from an intensified agricultural site and a nearby non-cultivated pasture. Four weed and seven crop species were grown in soil inoculated with either biologically active or sterilized soils from each system. Four crop response species were grown to estimate PSFs. Results: PSFs were species-specific. The identity of currently- and previously-planted species and their interactions explained over 80 % of the variation in feedbacks. Biota from the intensified agricultural site produced negative feedbacks in three of the four response species. Phylogenetic relationships partially explained PSFs. Conclusions: PSFs can alter crop growth and may be altered by agricultural practices. The species-specific effect to soil biota should be taken into account when assessing the extent to which crop and weed species could influence subsequent plant growth.
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    Bromus tectorum Response to Fire Varies with Climate Conditions
    (2014-09) Taylor, Kimberley T.; Brummer, Tyler J.; Rew, Lisa J.; Maxwell, Bruce D.
    The invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) forms a positive feedback with fire in some areas of western North America’s sagebrush biome by increasing fire frequency and size, which then increases B. tectorum abundance post-fire and dramatically alters ecosystem structure and processes. However, this positive response to fire is not consistent across the sagebrush steppe. Here, we ask whether different climate conditions across the sagebrush biome can explain B. tectorum’s variable response to fire. We found that climate variables differed significantly between 18 sites where B. tectorum does and does not respond positively to fire. A positive response was most likely in areas with higher annual temperatures and lower summer precipitation. We then chose a climatically intermediate site, with intact sage-brush vegetation, to evaluate whether a positive feedback had formed between B. tectorum and fire. A chronosequence of recent fires (1–15 years) at the site created a natural replicated experiment to assess abundance of B. tectorum and native plants. B. tectorum cover did not differ between burned and unburned plots but native grass cover was higher in recently burned plots. Therefore, we found no evidence for a positive feedback between B. tectorum and fire at the study site. Our results suggest that formation of a positive B. tectorum-fire feedback depends on climate; however, other drivers such as disturbance and native plant cover are likely to further influence local responses of B. tectorum. The dependence of B. tectorum’s response to fire on climate suggests that climate change may expand B. tectorum’s role as a transformative invasive species within the sage-brush biome.
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    Impact of growing conditions on the competitive ability of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz (Camelina)
    (2013-03) Davis, Phillip B.; Maxwell, Bruce D.; Menalled, Fabian D.
    It has been claimed that Camelina sativa, a recently introduced crop in the northern Great Plains, is a highly competitive species. However, this issue has not been formally tested. Utilizing replacement series diagrams, we assessed the importance of growing conditions in the competitive ability of C. sativa. Results indicated that canola and Bromus tectorum were superior competitors in both loam and sandy soils, thus providing evidence that C. sativa may not be as competitive as previously indicated.
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    The Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN). linking local and global scales for addressing an ecological consequence of global change
    (Oekom Verlag, 2014-10) Kueffer, Christoph; Daehler, Curtis; Dietz, Hansjörg; McDougall, Keith L.; Parks, Catherine; Pauchard, Aníbal; Rew, Lisa J.
    Many modern environmental problems span vastly different spatial scales, from the management of local ecosystems to understanding globally interconnected processes, and addressing them through international policy. MIREN tackles one such “glocal” (global/local) environmental problem – plant invasions in mountains – through a transdisciplinary, multi-scale learning process at the science-policy interface. The approach led to a new framing of invasions in mountains, and promoted innovation by engaging scientists and practitioners.
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