Phylogenetic studies of grasses (Poaceae) are advanced in comparison with most other angiosperm families. However, few studies have attempted to build large phylogenetic trees of the family and use these for evaluating patterns of diversification or other macroevolutionary hypotheses. Two contrasting approaches can be used to generate large trees: supermatrix analyses and supertrees. In this pa...

The impact of plant-based factors on the population dynamics of mammalian herbivores has been the subject of much debate in ecology, but the role of antiherbivore defences in grasses has received relatively little attention. Silica has been proposed as the primary defence in grasses and is thought to lead to increased abrasiveness of foliage so deterring feeding, as well as reducing foliage dig...

Sugars play a variety of roles in plants, and their accumulation in seeds and/or surrounding pericarp tissues is distinctly different between grasses and eudicots. However, little is known about the evolutionary pattern of genes involved in sugar accumulation in these two major groups of flowering plants. Here, we compared evolutionary rates, gene duplication, and selective patterns of genes in...

49 Early emergence of plant seedlings can offer strong competitive advantages over 50 later-germinating neighbors through the preemption of limiting resources. This 51 phenomenon may have contributed to the persistent dominance of European annual 52 grasses over native perennial grasses in California grasslands, since the former 53 species typically germinate earlier in the growing season than ...

BACKGROUND Although semi-arid and arid regions account for about 40% of terrestrial surface of the Earth and contain approximately 10% of the global soil organic carbon stock, our understanding of soil organic carbon dynamics in these regions is limited. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A field experiment was conducted to compare soil organic carbon dynamics between a perennial grass community ...

The grass-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri is well suited for studies examining the negative effect leaf-cutting ants have on livestock production in South American grasslands because they forage same plants as cattle. This study investigated impact of A. Argentinean rangelands. First, we assessed herbivory rates and its economic injury level (EIL). Second, using satellite imagery a region coveri...

Jepson Prairie in Solano County, an outstanding example of remnant California Central Valley vernal pool and grassland habitats, is threatened by invasive exotic species. This paper describes the results of a 200-acre late-spring prescribed fire conducted at Jepson Prairie in June of 1995 and aimed at reducing the cover of an extensive infestation of Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae). Bur...