While secondary to bird monitoring, monitoring invasive plants is a great way for landowners to stay on top of an invasive plant problem and inform management on your grassland property. If left unchecked, these plants can quickly dominate a field.
Wildflowers in hayfield © Nick O’Doherty
Cathryn Abbott (Vermont Center for Ecostudies) and Jim Kennedy (Landscape Architect/Wetlands Scientist) assess vegetation structure on a farm in Vermont.
Certain wildflowers can be beneficial to pollinators and grassland birds alike, however other species may quickly overrun a field and reduce the nesting habitat quality. It’s important to monitor the vegetation in your fields to identify any unwanted invaders quickly and prevent them from becoming established.
Other resources
Common Pasture Weeds and Grasses in Vermont includes examples of many other species of flower and grass, University of Vermont Extension.
Using Livestock to Control Invasive Plants, University of Vermont Extension.
