RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUFFELGRASS SURVIVAL, ORGANIC-CARBON, AND SOIL COLOR IN MEXICO

T-4464 buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.), a perennial bunchgrass from Africa, has been extensively seeded throughout Mexico. After establis hment and grazing, T-4464 either persists with time and actively invad es surrounding areas (spreads), persists with time but does not increa se (persists), or declines with time and all plants die (dies). To hel p land managers select high-potential seeding sites, we classified 139 seeding sites in three survival regimes: (i) spreads, (ii) persists, and (iii) dies. In previous research, we identified a relationship bet ween plant survival and organic C. This research was designed to ident ify relationships between organic C and soil color. Single comparisons between organic C and Munsell hue, value, chroma, and reflectance in dry and moist soils were poor predictors of plant survival. To predict buffelgrass survival among the three survival regimes and between spr eads and dies, we used discriminant function analyses. In dry soil, a model including value and chroma correctly classified 53% (Wilke's lam bda = 0.8) of the seeding sites in the three survival regimes, while i n moist soils, value and reflectance components correctly classified 6 1% (Wilke's lambda = 0.7) of the seeding sites. A dry soil model inclu ding value, chroma, and reflectance correctly classified 81% (Wilke's lambda = 0.7) of the seeding sites between spreads and dies, while a m oist soil model, including the same components, correctly classified 8 3% (Wilke's lambda = 0.6) of the seeding sites. Survival regime select ion with multiple soil color components prior to brush control and sow ing will reduce adverse economic and environmental consequences and en hance long-term beef production.