Observations of Wild Turkey Nesting in Invasive Cogongrass

Invasive plant species commonly have negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functions but may also provide suitable nesting habitat for wildlife. Imperata cylindrica (Cogongrass) is a widespread invasive plant in the southeastern US that creates dense stands with heights that can exceed 1.5 m. During a long-term project monitoring tick hosts in native and Cogongrass-invaded mixed pine-hardwood forests in Florida, we incidentally observed nests of Meleagris gallopavo (Wild Turkey) in Cogongrass-invaded but not uninvaded areas. Invaded areas exhibited significantly taller understory vegetation, greater herbaceous plant cover and biomass, and lower daily maximum temperatures (~3 °C cooler) at ground level. Research on nest success and the commonness of this phenomenon is needed, but our observations suggest that the structure of Cogongrass-invaded plant communities may provide an alternative nesting substrate for Wild Turkeys.