South Texas is home to a high diversity of species due to its location at the confluence of subtropical, desert, and coastal ecoregions. Historical overgrazing of South Texas rangelands transformed the savanna and prairie to a landscape dominated by woody plants and shrubs interspersed with low seral grass species and bare ground. During the first half of the 20th century, exotic grass species, coupled with the application of industrial agricultural practices appeared to be the future of forage production in South Texas and elsewhere. Several of these exotic species, namely King Ranch bluestem [Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng], Kleberg bluestem [Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf], Angelton bluestem [Dichanthium aristatum (Poir.) C.E. Hubbard], buffelgrass [Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link], guineagrass [Urochloa maxima (Jacq.) R. Webster], Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees), and Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], have escaped pasture cultivation. Additionally, the native grass tanglehead [Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.] has begun displaying invasive behaviors. The monoculture growth habit of these species simplifies vegetation structure, reduces biodiversity, and decreases habitat for many species of wildlife. These grasses also alter natural fire regimes and nutrient cycling. This landscape-level transformation of vegetation composition and structure requires monitoring to quantify and assess the spatial and temporal distributions of invasive species as a basis to inform management practices. Current advances in remote sensing technologies, such as very high spatial resolution coupled with daily satellite imagery and unmanned aerial vehicles, are providing tools for invasive vegetation monitoring. We provide a synthesis of the natural history of these grasses, including their introductions, an overview of remote sensing applications in South Texas, and recommendations for future management practices.

中文翻译：

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德克萨斯州南部牧场的入侵草：历史观点和未来方向

由于位于亚热带、沙漠和沿海生态区的交汇处，德克萨斯州南部拥有高度多样性的物种。历史上德克萨斯州南部牧场的过度放牧将稀树草原和草原变成了以木本植物和灌木为主的景观，其中散布着低矮的草本植物和裸露的地面。在 20 世纪上半叶，外来草种以及工业化农业实践的应用似乎是德克萨斯州南部和其他地方草料生产的未来。其中一些外来物种，即 King Ranch bluestem [白蛉(L.) Keng], Kleberg bluestem [铁线莲(Forssk.) Stapf]，Angelton bluestem [菊苣(Poir.) CE Hubbard]，水牛草 [狼尾草(L.) Link], 豚草 [大尾藻(Jacq.) R. Webster], Lehmann lovegrass (画眉草Nees) 和百慕大草 [狗牙根(L.) Pers.]，逃离了牧场种植。此外，原生草缠结头 [异花龙(L.) P. Beauv。前罗姆。& Schult.] 已经开始表现出侵入性行为。这些物种的单一栽培生长习性简化了植被结构，减少了生物多样性，并减少了许多野生动物物种的栖息地。这些草还改变了自然火势和养分循环。这种植被组成和结构的景观级转变需要监测以量化和评估入侵物种的空间和时间分布，作为管理实践的基础。目前遥感技术的进步，例如非常高的空间分辨率，加上每日卫星图像和无人驾驶飞行器，正在为入侵植被监测提供工具。我们提供了这些草的自然历史的综合，包括它们的介绍，