Audubon Conservation Ranching is increasing its technical assist into central and southwest Minnesota. Annie Bahe, new Audubon Vary Ecologist becoming a member of Audubon Higher Mississippi River’s workforce, is a latest graduate from North Dakota State College the place she acquired her Masters of Pure Sources Administration in December 2025. Throughout her time at NDSU, she immersed herself within the science and observe of restoring rangelands and wetlands.
From monitoring long-term restoration research to finding out how seasonal grazing shapes plant communities, Annie’s time at NDSU gave her a deep understanding of what wholesome grasslands must thrive. She’s now bringing that have to Audubon, serving to defend birds and the working lands they rely upon by means of considerate and efficient conservation ranching.
Digging Into Her Analysis: Tackling Invasive Rangeland Species
A serious focus of Annie’s graduate analysis explored how herbicides can be utilized as a strategic pretreatment in invaded rangelands to particularly goal leafy spurge, Kentucky bluegrass, and easy brome.
Leafy spurge, an invasive perennial forb, poses a critical problem for ranchers. Not solely is it unpalatable to cattle, it additionally spreads quickly and outcompetes native vegetation. Annie discovered that broadleaf-specific herbicides can suppress leafy spurge for at the least two years, typically with out harming surrounding native vegetation. This makes herbicide a priceless software when used rigorously and deliberately.
However invasive cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and easy brome inform a unique story. These species supply respectable early-season forage, but they steadily dominate pastures, pushing out warm-season natives that present crucial habitat and higher summer time grazing potential. Sadly, herbicide isn’t an efficient resolution right here. Herbicide remedies typically hurt the broader plant group whereas failing to meaningfully scale back the presence of those grasses, so different administration strategies are sometimes wanted.
Hearth + Grazing: A Highly effective Combo
Rotational grazing mixed with spring or fall prescribed hearth, practices typically utilized in conservation ranching, are efficient methods to handle the unfold of Kentucky bluegrass and easy brome. Rotational grazing helps scale back strain on native vegetation, giving them the remainder they should rebound and compete. Prescribed hearth, whether or not utilized in spring or fall, removes the thick litter mats created by Kentucky bluegrass and easy brome, opening house for native species tailored to fireside. Collectively, these practices create the disturbance patterns that native grasslands advanced with, serving to them reclaim floor from persistent invasive cool-season grasses.
Extra Insights: Timing Issues
Throughout her time at NDSU, Annie additionally contributed to a undertaking analyzing how the timing of grazing impacts easy brome. Over a number of years, spring-only, fall-only, and mixture grazing remedies all helped scale back easy brome tiller density. Constant cool-season grazing can steadily suppress easy brome and create higher circumstances for native species to determine.
Bringing It All Again to the Ranch
Annie is raring to place her analysis and discipline expertise into motion by supporting producers throughout Minnesota. Her objective is to assist ranchers handle their grasslands in ways in which enhance forage productiveness, enhance ecological well being, and create very important habitat for grassland birds.
