Herbaceous vegetation

Sydes, C. Grime, J.P. (1981a). Effects of tree leaf litter on herbaceous vegetation in deciduous woodland. I. Field investigations. Journal of Ecology, 69, 237-48. 

SOC concentration decreases exponentially with depth from the maximal value of the topsoil for the soil profiles at the DHSBR (Fig. 4). The SOC concentrations of soil profiles with shrub or herbaceous vegetation, i.e. GC profile and JLS profile, are obviously less than those of other three profiles with conifer and broad-leaved vegetation (Fig. 4). SOC concentrations decrease with depth rapidly from surface of the soil profiles, the greatest decreasing rates occur above certain depth that is correspond to the depth indicating the rapid enrichment of SOM 513C in 13C for GC, SL, WKS and QYS profiles (Figs. 1, 4), respectively. 

Aude, E., Tybirk, K., Michelsen, A., Ejrnaes, R., Hald, A.B. and Mark, S. 2004. Conservation value of the herbaceous vegetation in hedgerows - does organic farming make a difference Biological Conservation 118 467-478. 

Additional reasons to manage weeds in ornamental plants and conifer trees include fire protection, frost protection, rodent and disease mitigation, nutrient management, and aesthetics. Uncontrolled weeds and brush become serious fire hazards in the fall or early spring when herbaceous weeds are dry. Plantations of conifers have been lost because weeds were not controlled and fires started. Fires are less destructive when herbaceous vegetation is controlled. 

Development of weed resistance to triazine herbicides has necessitated alternative weed control strategies. Rotation of triazines with other herbicides and combining triazines with other chemistries has been effective in ornamentals and Christmas tree plantations (Van Himme, 1989). Supplemental treatments in Christmas trees have been effective, using directed sprays of phenoxy herbicides or glyphosate before resistant weeds mature and produce seeds. Weed resistance from triazines is not a problem in most forest settings where the herbicide is applied only once or twice in a rotation, since 1 or 2 years of herbaceous weed control normally ensures survival and eventual dominance by conifers. When the conifer canopy closes, virtually all herbaceous vegetation is shaded out for some decades hence resistant weeds, if present, fail to survive from one generation to the next. 

Tappeiner II. J.C., M. Newton, PM. McDonald, and T.B. Harrington (1992). Ecology of hardwoods, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation Effects on conifer regeneration. Chapter 7, In S.D. Hobbs, ed., Reforestation Practices in Southwestern Oregon and Northern California. Corvallis, OR Oregon State University, Forest Research Laboratory, 465 pp. 

Wagner, R.G., T.D. Petersen, M.D. W. Ross, and S.R. Radosevich (1989). Competition thresholds for the survival and growth of ponderosa pine seedlings associated with woody and herbaceous vegetation. New Forests, 3 151-170. 

Herbaceous plants are good indicators of the current status of ecological conditions in a specific habitat. Because of their relatively short life cycles and their fast growth they occupy a wide range, from purely aquatic to terrestrial habitats in the floodplains. Establishing patterns of distribution of herbaceous vegetation in floodplains is... 

This is consistent with the high concentrations of nutrients found in floodplain lakes where decomposition processes related mainly to herbaceous vegetation may produce concentrations of nutrients more than 20 times greater than those in the Amazon River itself (Furch 1984, Furch and Junk... 

---