Mowing effects on woody stem density and woody and herbaceous vegetation heights along Mississippi highway right-of-ways

Roadside right-of-ways (ROWs) undergo regular disturbances such as mowing, maintenance, wrecks, and road developments, which affect soils, groundwater, surface hydrology, and the composition of vegetation. Roadsides can provide and support an environment for diverse plant communities, but management practices have reduced native grasses, wildflowers, and woody plants. Woody plants are not desirable for traffic safety, maintenance, and visibility along road ROWs. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate effects of roadside mowing frequency on native and nonnative herbaceous and woody plant vertical height coverage, and native and nonnative woody stem density within plant communities along highway ROWs. Ten research plots, systematically situated along Highway 25 in Oktibbeha and Winston counties, Mississippi, were subdivided to receive (a) four or more mowings annually, (b) one mowing during fall, and (c) one mowing during fall with supplemental native wildflower seedi...