Schizachyrium condensatum risk assessment

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

Schizachyrium condensatum

RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS: High risk, score: 8

Australian/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Hawai‘i.
Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

	Schizachyrium condensatum (bush beardgrass) Synonym: Andropogon condensatus Kunth. Family - Poaceae.	Answer	Score
1.01	Is the species highly domesticated? (If answer is 'no' then go to question 2.01)	n	0
1.02	Has the species become naturalized where grown?
1.03	Does the species have weedy races?
2.01	Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”	2
2.02	Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2	2
2.03	Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)	n	0
2.04	Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates	y	1
2.05	Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2	n
3.01	Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05	y	2
3.02	Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)	n	0
3.03	Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)	n	0
3.04	Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)	y	4
3.05	Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)	n	0
4.01	Produces spines, thorns or burrs	n	0
4.02	Allelopathic	n	0
4.03	Parasitic	n	0
4.04	Unpalatable to grazing animals	n	-1
4.05	Toxic to animals	n	0
4.06	Host for recognized pests and pathogens	n	0
4.07	Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans	n	0
4.08	Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems	y	1
4.09	Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle	n	0
4.1	Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)
4.11	Climbing or smothering growth habit	n	0
4.12	Forms dense thickets	y	1
5.01	Aquatic	n	0
5.02	Grass	y	1
5.03	Nitrogen fixing woody plant	n	0
5.04	Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)	n	0
6.01	Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat	n	0
6.02	Produces viable seed.	y	1
6.03	Hybridizes naturally
6.04	Self-compatible or apomictic
6.05	Requires specialist pollinators	n	0
6.06	Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation	n	-1
6.07	Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1	2	0
7.01	Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)	y	1
7.02	Propagules dispersed intentionally by people	n	-1
7.03	Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant	y	1
7.04	Propagules adapted to wind dispersal	y	1
7.05	Propagules water dispersed	n	-1
7.06	Propagules bird dispersed	n	-1
7.07	Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)	n	-1
7.08	Propagules survive passage through the gut	n	-1
8.01	Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)	y	1
8.02	Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)
8.03	Well controlled by herbicides	y	-1
8.04	Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire	y	1
8.05	Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)
	Total score:		8

Supporting data:

	Notes	Reference
1.01	No evidence
1.02
1.03
2.01	(1)"Native: SOUTHERN AMERICA Northern South America: French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela Brazil: Brazil Western South America: Bolivia; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru Southern South America: Argentina; Paraguay; Uruguay" (2)Native range - tropical and subtropical America.	(1)http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl (2)http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/schizachyrium_condensatum.htm
2.02
2.03	Probably not - Five out of the 6 herbarium specimens in the native range were collected from below 500 m except one that was collected from a roadside cliff at 1100 m.	http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast
2.04	(1)"Native: SOUTHERN AMERICA Northern South America: French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela Brazil: Brazil Western South America: Bolivia; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru Southern South America: Argentina; Paraguay; Uruguay" (2)Native range - tropical and subtropical America.	(1)http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl (2)http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/schizachyrium_condensatum.htm
2.05	Introduced to Hawaii. [No further evidence of introduction to other regions outside its native range.]	(1))http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/schizachyrium_condensatum.htm
3.01	(1)Naturalized in Hawaii. (2)"In Hawai‘i, "naturalized along roadsides and in open sites in mesic shrubland and grassland, 210-1,310 m"	(1))http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/schizachyrium_condensatum.htm
3.02	No evidence
3.03	No evidence
3.04	(1)This plant is considered invasive by the authoritative sources noted below. - HEAR USDI, Geological Survey. 1999. Information Index for Selected Alien Plants in Hawaii(http://www.hear.org, October 20, 1999). Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station. Makawao, Hawaii. (2)"It is becoming a major threat to native vegetation in these regions as it is one of the first plants to colonize landslides and areas disturbed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992".	http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCCO10
3.05	No evidence
4.01	No evidence of such structures.	Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2002 onwards). World Grass Species: Descriptions, Identification, and Information Retrieval. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses–db.html. [accessed 01 August 2005; 15:30 GMT]*.
4.02	No evidence
4.03	No evidence
4.04	Probably not - "Rocky, dry areas may become very productive grasslands, and the perennial grasses may give way to annuals (or in wet areas to rank, unpalatable grasses). Examples of dramatic change are the spread of fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) on the western side of Hawai`i Island, and bush beardgrass (Schizachyrium condensatum) and broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) on the eastern side."	http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:1DsTOOKls4kJ: www.hear.org/books/apineh1992/pdfs/apineh1992vii4crandillingham.pdf +%22Schizachyrium+condensatum%22graze%7Cgrazing&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2
4.05	No evidence
4.06	The following fungi were listed to be associated with Scizachyrium condensatum: Phyllachora andropogonis: Venezuela - 5833 Puccinia kaernbachii: Bolivia - 5833 Puccinia posadensis: Argentina - 5833 ; Mexico - 5833 Sphacelotheca guaranitica: Argentina - 5833 ; Brazil - 5833 ; Venezuela - 5833 Sporisorium guaraniticum: Paraguay - 37633 [No evidence that the above are economic pests].