Can noxious weeds reduce forage production for livestock and crop production?
Yes. Leafy spurge and spotted knapweed can render many range sites useless for cattle production by displacing valuable forage. Grazing capacities for livestock can be reduced 65% to 90% from the original productivity. Currently, weeds cost farmers over $100 million each year in expenses and crop production losses in Montana. Can noxious weeds displace native plant species? Yes. Noxious weeds out compete most native plants for soil nutrients and soil. In Glacier National Park, spotted knapweed reduced the frequency of six native species and totally eliminated seven other rare and uncommon native species in a three year period. Eleven native species were found adjacent to a leafy spurge infestation, but only three native species remained inside the infestation. The invasion of our range land by noxious weeds poses a serious threat to the conservation of native plant communities. Can noxious weeds lower plant diversity? Yes. Plant diversity is needed to maintain healthy plant communities
