Fountaingrass and Buffelgrass: Introduced Species in the Sonoran Desert

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Buffelgrass (Pennisteum ciliare) was introduced to the desert as a foraging grass for cattle. It was purposefully introduced, and had to be introduced several times because it was not successful the first few times.  Ranchers later found that this grass is less beneficial and nutritious for cattle than the native grasses, which had been pushed out by the buffelgrass.  Buffelgrass has become successful and has been able to out compete other native grasses for space because it is able to grow quickly and produce large numbers of seeds after rainfall.  
Buffelgrass  is detrimental to the desert environment because it not only takes the place that other plants would usually fill, but it also changes the environment of the desert. The buffelgrass life cycle involves the grass drying out and lying dormant, which is very efficient kindling for fueling wildfires. Wildfires spread through the area removing dead plants and making room for new ones.  Because of the nature of this plant, which is different from that of other desert plants, it tends to survive well in an environments with wildfires.  Native desert species have not developed ways to survive with fires, and therefore have less of a chance of survival once this plant has taken over. Long-lived species such as saguaros and desert tortoises can be harmed and killed by fires. Because of their slow growth and long generations, these species take a long time to recover from the damage of fire.  (Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Buffelgrass (Pennisteum ciliare)).

A pamphlet from the Arizona Native Plant Society explains the changes that this plant creates and the damage it causes: 
Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Buffelgrass (Pennisteum ciliare). Arizona Native Plant Society, Tucson, AZ.
 http://www.aznps.org/pdf_files/buffelgrass.pdf 

Fountaingrass (Pennisetum setaceum) was introduced to the desert for landscaping.  It was able to invade the desert because of its ability to spread large numbers of seeds easily.  It causes problems similar to those of buffelgrass. (Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Fountaingrass (Pennisteum setaceum)).

A pamphlet from the Arizona Native Plant Society explains the changes that this plant creates and the damage it causes:
Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Fountaingrass (Pennisteum setaceum).Arizona Native Plant Society, Tucson, AZ.
 http://www.aznps.org/pdf_files/fountaingrass.pdf

These changes that the grasses cause in this habitat negatively affect the desert tortoise.  The grass pushes out other desert plants and shrubs, which are food for the tortoise.  In order to survive, the tortoise begins to eat this grass, which does not have the same nutritional value. (Esque, 2002).

For more information on the affect of non-native grasses on the desert tortoise:

Esque, Todd C. and Cecil Schwalbe. Nonnative Grass Invasions and Fire in the Sonoran Desert. United States Geological Survey: Western Ecological Research Center, 2002.
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/invasivespecies/sonorangrassfire.html 

Sources:

Esque, Todd C. and Cecil Schwalbe. Nonnative Grass Invasions and Fire in the Sonoran Desert. United States Geological Survey: Western Ecological Research Center, 2002.
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/invasivespecies/sonorangrassfire.html 

Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Buffelgrass (Pennisteum ciliare). Arizona Native Plant Society, Tucson, AZ.
 http://www.aznps.org/pdf_files/buffelgrass.pdf 

Threats to Arizona's Native Species: Fountaingrass (Pennisteum setaceum).Arizona Native Plant Society, Tucson, AZ.
 http://www.aznps.org/pdf_files/fountaingrass.pdf

More resources: 

Phillips, Steven J. and Patricia Wentworth Comus. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press: Tucson, 2000. 

"Problem Plants" -- A list of introduced plants in various parts of the country Nature Conservancy
http://nature.org/invasives/files/problem_plants.pdf