Soil Changes under Mouse-Ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
The rate of spread of mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella) patches, the effect of hawkweed on soil properties, and the nutrient content of hawkweed biomass was investigated on grazed unfertilised land on Glencairn Station (altitude 440 m, mean annual rainfall 500-600 mm) in the Mackenzie basin, southern South Island, New Zealand. Pallic soils (Typic Ustochrepts) under hawkweed patches and under surrounding herbfield were analysed for exchangeable cations, organic C and total N. Total nutrients in hawkweed and herbfield biomass were measured.