Abundance of Poa Pratensis As An Invasive Species In the Prairie Ecosystem.

Movement of plant species to different regions has been important for agriculture and other industries; however, some non-native species may possess some competitive advantage over native plants. Over 50,000 species have been identified as invasive, including Poa pratensis L. The objectives of our study were to determine the abundance of P. pratensis, and seek correlations between its presence and site characteristics such as soil type, soil C, and soil N in remnant tallgrass prairies. A set of randomly chosen coordinates proportional to the size of the site were sampled at each of ten Upper Midwest sites. Using multiple quadrats at each site, the proportion of plant species or plant grouping was determined using the Daubenmire cover class system. P. pratensis was found in 79 of the 153 quadrats, and present at each site. DNA analysis was conducted to distinguish between Poa spp. The area within the quadrat occupied by P. pratensis was predominantly below 25%. P. pratensis rarely grew into a monostand of any substantial size, and did not appear to significantly affect the prairie ecosystem.