Achnatherum splendens

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski
Common name(s):

This weed is not known to be naturalised in Victoria

Habitat:

Native to western Asia. Found on dry mountain slopes, grassy places on slightly alkaline sandy soil from 900 -4500m (FOC 2006). In China and Mongolia found in Alpine, subalpine, saline and bog meadows in steppe and desert zones (OIA 1992).
Species not known as naturalised in Victoria (DSE 2004, ANH 2006).

Potential distribution

Potential distribution produced from CLIMATE modelling refined by applying suitable landuse and vegetation type overlays with CMA boundaries

Map Overlays Used

Land Use:
Pasture dryland; pasture irrigated

Broad vegetation types
Coastal scrubs and grassland; grassland

Colours indicate possibility of Achnatherum splenden infesting these areas.

In the non-coloured areas the plant is unlikely to establish as the climate, soil or landuse is not presently suitable.

Map of the potential distrbution of achnatherum splendens

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	Forms large dense tussocks. Culms stiff and erect from 0.5 – 2.5 m tall. Found on dry mountain slopes, alpine and subalpine meadows in steppe and desert regions (FOC 2006). Weed would have negligible impact on access.	L	MH
2. Reduce tourism?	Forms large dense tussocks. Culms stiff and erect from 0.5 – 2.5 m tall. Found on dry mountain slopes, alpine and subalpine meadows in steppe and desert regions (FOC 2006). Plant can grow quite high and would have a minor effect on aesthetics.	ML	MH
3. Injurious to people?	Plant documented as toxic (Randall 2002) although no further documented evidence to specify toxicity.	M	MH
4. Damage to cultural sites?	Forms large dense tussocks. Culms stiff and erect from 0.5 – 2.5 m tall. Found on dry mountain slopes, alpine and subalpine meadows in steppe and desert regions (FOC 2006). If occurring at a cultural site, weed would have a moderate visual effect.	ML	MH
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	Terrestrial species (FOC 2006).	L	MH
6. Impact water quality?	Terrestrial species (FOC 2006).	L	MH
7. Increase soil erosion?	Forms dense tussocks with roots thick and tough; old basal sheaths fibrous. Can grow on dry mountain slopes (FOC 2006). Weed may even bind soil with low probability of large-scale soil movement.	L	MH
8. Reduce biomass?	In its native range ‘it formed up to 85% cover in areas with sufficient subsurface moisture’ (Vostokova & Kazantseva 1995). Tends to be found in quite open areas and forms large dense tussocks so biomass may increase.	L	H
9. Change fire regime?	Forms large dense tussocks (FOC 2006). Likely to cause a minor change to the intensity of fire risk.	ML	MH
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	Potential distribution of Achnatherum splendens excludes Victoria. No impact on EVCs in Victoria.	L	MH
(b) medium value EVC	Potential distribution of Achnatherum splendens excludes Victoria. No impact on EVCs in Victoria.	L	MH
(c) low value EVC	Potential distribution of Achnatherum splendens excludes Victoria. No impact on EVCs in Victoria.	L	MH
11. Impact on structure?	Forms large dense tussocks. Culms from 0.5 – 2.5 m tall. Found on dry mountain slopes, alpine and subalpine meadows in steppe and desert regions (FOC 2006). Found in open areas so likely to have a minor effect on the lower strata.	L	MH
12. Effect on threatened flora?	This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened flora.	MH	L
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened fauna.	MH	L
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	Weed not documented as having an effect on non-threatened fauna species.	L	MH
15. Benefits fauna?	Good forage grass and source of fibre (FOC 2006) however not documented to provide support to desirable species.	H	MH
16. Injurious to fauna?	Weed not documented as being injurious to fauna.	L	MH
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	Weed not documented as a food source to pest animals.	L	MH
18. Provides harbor?	Weed not documented as providing harbour to pest species.	L	MH
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	Not a weed of agriculture.	L	MH
20. Impact quality?	Not a weed of agriculture.	L	MH
21. Affect land value?	Weed not documented to affect value of land.	L	MH
22. Change land use?	Weed not known to cause a change in priority of land use.	L	MH
23. Increase harvest costs?	Not a weed of agriculture.	L	MH
24. Disease host/vector?	Weed not known as a host or vector of disease of agriculture.	L	MH

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	Flowers and fruits in summer (FOC 2006). Germinates in spring (PFAF 2005). Requires natural seasonal conditions for germination.	MH	M
2. Establishment requirements?	‘. . cannot grow in the shade’ (PFAF 2005). Requires more specific requirements to establish.	ML	M
3. How much disturbance is required?	Found on dry mountain slopes, grassy places on slightly alkaline sandy soil (FOC 2006). Also in alpine, subalpine, saline and bog meadows in steppe and desert zones (In China and Mongolia) (OIA 1992). Establishes in healthy and undisturbed natural ecosystems.	H	MH
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	Perennial grass (FOC 2006). Life form – grass.	MH	MH
5. Allelopathic properties?	None described.	L	MH
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	Good forage grass (FOC 2006). In China, an Achnatherum splendens meadow .. is deteriorating from overgrazing’ (TeSheng & QingBin 1997). Consumed and recovers slowly.	ML	H
7. Normal growth rate?	Insufficient documentation to determine rate of growth of A. splendens.	m	L
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	Tolerates high levels of salinity (FOC 2006). ‘Succeeds in dry soils’. .’hardy to about -15C’ (PFAF 2005). Highly tolerant of frost and salinity and maybe drought. Insufficient information to determine tolerance to fire and waterlogging.	MH	MH
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	Flowers are hermaphrodite and pollinated by wind (PFAF 2005). Sexual pollination	L	M
10. Number of propagules produced?	Insufficient information to determine number of propagules produced.	M	L
11. Propagule longevity?	Insufficient information to determine propagule longevity.	M	L
12. Reproductive period?	Insufficient information to determine reproductive period.	M	L
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	Insufficient information to determine time to reproductive maturity.	M	L
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	Fertile spikelets break up at maturity and disarticulate below each fertile floret (Clayton et al 2002). Propagules mainly spread by gravity.	L	MH
15. How far do they disperse?	Fertile spikelets break up at maturity and disarticulate below each fertile floret (Clayton et al 2002). Very unlikely to disperse greater than 200m most will be less than 20m.	L	MH

References

Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. 2002, World Grass Species: Descriptions , viewed 29 Aug 2006, http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) 2004, Flora information system [CD-ROM], Biodiversity and Natural Resources Section, Viridans Pty Ltd, Bentleigh.

Flora of China (FOC) 2006, Achnatherum splendens, Flora of China, viewed 30 Aug 2006, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200024742

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 2006, Global biodiversity information facility: Prototype data portal, viewed 01 Aug 2006, http://www.gbif.org/

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG) 2006, w3TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database, viewed 30 Aug 2006, http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html

Office of International Affairs (OIA) 1992, Grasslands and grassland sciences in Northern China, National Academy of Sciences Press online, viewed 30 Aug 20006, http://darwin.nap.edu/books/030904684X/html/R1.html

Plants for a Future (PFAF) 2005, Stipa splendens, Plants for a Future database, viewed 30 Aug 2006, http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Stipa+splendens

Randall, R. 2002, A global compendium of Weeds, R.G. & F. J. Richardson, Melbourne.

TeSheng, L., and QingBin, Z. 1997, ‘Reasons of degeneration in Achnatherum splendens meadow and improvement methods’ Grassland of China, vol. 2, pp. 26-29, CAB Abstracts.

Vostokova, E.A. and Kazantseva, T.I. 1995, ‘Distribution, ecology and productivity of communities of Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski in Mongolia’, Rastitel’nye Resursy, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 77-87, CAB Abstracts.

Global present distribution data references

Flora of China (FOC) 2006, Achnatherum splendens, Flora of China, viewed 30 Aug 2006, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200024742

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 2006, Global biodiversity information facility: Prototype data portal, viewed 01 Aug 2006, http://www.gbif.org/

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG) 2006, w3TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database, viewed 30 Aug 2006, http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html

Vostokova, E.A. and Kazantseva, T.I. 1995, ‘Distribution, ecology and productivity of communities of Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski in Mongolia’, Rastitel’nye Resursy, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 77-87, CAB Abstracts.

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