Research > Grassland Ecology

Summary

Our research focuses on cultivated, rangeland and native grasslands. These include savannas in Texas, South America and Africa. The particular focus is legumes, whether herbaceous, shrubs, or arboreal. Herbivores play a central role, especially insects, birds or ruminants as they interact with soils, hydrology and plants.

Restoring Native Grasslands

With support from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Tarleton State University, Kingsville A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research Stephenville and Corpus Christi, we are looking for the most effective way to replace Bermudagrass with diverse native grassland plant species. This research is going on at Stephenville, McGregor, College Station, and Beeville, Texas.

Domesticating Native Herbaceous Species

At Stephenville, we focus on herbaceous and bushy legumes native to northcentral Texas. Genera include Desmanthus, Dalea and Desmodium. As part of Texas A&M Kingsville’s Central Texas Natives project, we collect, characterize and eventually release grasses and forbs, including legumes.

Dual-Purpose Forage

As part of a long history of forage agronomy work at Stephenville, we look at grass and legume yields and nutrient content. We are especially interested in dual-purpose forage and bioenergy crops.

Multi-use Legumes

We are currently studying the multiple-uses for legumes as forage, wildlife, bioenergy feedstock, soil fertility and phytoremediation.

Dr. Jim Muir

Regents Professor in Grassland Ecology
j-muir@tamu.edu

Resume/CV2023

Team Members

  • Dr. Lisandro Entio, Post Doctoral Research Asscociate
  • Nichole Cherry, Research Associate and Laboratory Manager
  • Jordan Senn, Research Assistant

Current Graduate Students Chaired

  • Pepper Kirk, MSc. Tarleton ANS. Forage forb plant secondary compounds. Co-chair.
  • Casey O’Connell, MSc. Tarleton ANS. Co-chair.
  • Jordan Senn, MSc. Tarleton WNR. Alternative grazing systems.
  • Al Plucker, MSc. Tarleton WNR. Yield and nutritive value of Dalea spp. Forage Science.
  • Emily Green, MSc. Tarleton. WNR. Peanuts breeding.
  • Aline Pericolo Sgiers, MSc Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 2020-2022. Forage agronomy.
  • Justin McGriff, PhD. Tarleton ANS. Co-chair.

Publications

  • Luiza R. Jacondino, Cesar H. E. C. Poli, Jalise F. Tontini, Gladis F. Correa, Itubiara M. Silva, André F. Nigeliskii, Renius O. Mello, Angélica C. Pereira, Danielle R. Magalhães, Marco A. Trindade, Sandra Carvalho, and J.P. Muir. 2024. Meat quality of lambs fed in stalls or on natural grasslands of the Brazilian Pampa Biome. Foods 13(18), 2931. doi.org/10.3390/foods13182931
  • Choi, G., J. Brady, O. Obayomi, E. Green, C. Leija, K. Sefcik, D. Gonzalez, C.B. Taggart, J.P. Muir, and E. Kan. 2024. Effects of wood- and manure-derived biochar on antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and the microbial community in manure applied sandy loam and clay loam soils. Agronomy. 14(9), 2100. doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092100
  • Gomes da Silva, I.A., Batista Dubeux Jr., J.C., C.G. Souza, M.R. Moreno, M.V.Ferreira dos Santos, V. Xavier de Oliveria Apolinario, A. Carneiro Leao de Meloo, M. Viera da Cunha, J.P. Muir, and M. Andrade Lira Junior. 2024. Nutritive value and condensed tannins of tree legumes in silvopasture systems. Scientific Reports 14, 18080. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68563-9
  • Benetel, Gabriela, Gisele Maria Fagundes, Paulo Méo-Filho, Thaysa dos Santos Silva, Katiéli Caroline Welter, Flavia Alves Melo, Annelise Aila Gomes Lobo, Rosa Toyoko Shiraishi Frighetto, Alexandre Berndt, J. P. Muir, and Ives C. S. Bueno. 2024. Essential oils in Nellore beef cattle: in vivo impact on rumen emissions. Animals (Basel), 2023 Jun 2;14(11):1664. DOI:10.3390/ani14111664
  • Entio, L., Taggart, C. B., J. P. Muir, E. Kan, J. A. Brady, O. Obayomi. 2024. Biochar and dairy manure amendment effects on Cynodon dactylon performance and soil properties. Plants. 2816774. doi:10.3390/plants13020242.
  • Entio, L., Taggart, C. B., J. P. Muir, E. Kan, J. A. Brady, O. Obayomi. 2024. Dairy effluent-saturated biochar short-term effects on Vigna unguiculata and Cynodon dactylon performance and soil properties. Plants 13(6), 851. 2866573. Doi:10.3390/plants13060851
  • Springer, R. W., N.M. Cherry, R.H. Raub, K.B. Wellmann and T.N. Jones. 2023. Estimation of in vitro true digestibility and fiber degradation from feedstuff fiber composition when incubated in equine fecal inoculum. Animals 13, 3699 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233699
  • de Queiroz, I.V., M.V. Ferreira dos Santos, J.P. Muir, J.C. B. Dubeux, Jr., E.Akio Kido, M.V. da Cunha, A. Carneiro Leao de Melo, and J.H. Albuquerque Rangel. 2023. DNA polymorphism of Desmanthus spp. accessions based on AFLP markers. Revista Brasileira de Ciência Agrária 18:e0028. https://doi.org/10.5039/agraria.v18i4a0028
  • Noland, R., M. Palmer, M. Vahlenkamp, M. McCulloch, J.P. Muir, N. Cherry and T. Bell. 2023. Variety selection and seed management of haygrazer in west central Texas. J. NACAA 16 (2) December 2023. https://www.nacaa.com/file.ashx?id=82a3fc83-8592-4bd4-879a-d6969afab91f
  • Terrill, T.T., E. M. Courson, J. B. Morris, B. J. Morning, V. R. Owen, J. P. Muir, N. M. Cherry, B. Tonnis and A. A. Pech-Cervantes. 2023. Ticktrefoil (Desmodium) species as a nutraceutical forage resource for animals. Grassland Science 69:261-267. doi.org/10.1111/grs.12411
  • Cooper, C.E., K. Hood, D.B. Murray, J.P. Muir, T. Zhang, B.E. Pinchak. 2023. Mesquites limit targeted grazing effects on Texas wintergrass growth and reproduction responses. Rangeland Ecology & Management. 90:109-120.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.06.006
  • *Hays, K., J. P. Muir, E. Kan, P.B. DeLaune, J.A. Brady, O. Obayomi and A.B. Mitchell. 2023. Tillage, manure, and biochar short-term effects on soil characteristics in forage systems. Agronomy 13(9), 2223.  https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092224
  • Jacobson, K., B. Smith, J.P. Muir. 2023. Hempseed meal as a feedstuff in the diet of growing meat rabbits. Applied Animal Science. 39:125-132. https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2022-02373
  • Grote, A.J., C.C. Nieman, I.R. Thomas, K.P. Coffey, J.P. Muir and J.L. Klotz. 2023. Effect of quebracho tannin (Schinopsis quebracho-colorado (Schltdl.) F.A. Barkley and T. Meyer) on silage nutritive value, ergovaline concentration, and fermentation parameters of tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Shreb.) Dumort) with two dry-matter levels. Agronomy 13, 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030694
  • Gutiérrez, S., J. P. Muir, D. B. Murray and W. B. Smith. 2023. Native and introduced ornamental bunchgrass seedling response to restricted soil-moisture conditions. Native Plants. At press.
  • Taggart, C. B., J. P. Muir, J. A. Brady, E. Kan, A. B. Mitchell, and O. Obayomi. 2023. Impacts of biochar on Trifolium incarnatum and Lolium multiflorum: soil nutrient retention and loss in amended sandy loam. Agronomy 13, 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010026
  • Obayomi, O.A., C. Taggart, J.A. Brady, E. Kan and J.P. Muir. Dairy manure-derived biochar in soil enhances carbon, nutrient metabolism, and soil fertility by altering the soil microbial community. Geoderma. In revision.
  • Palauro Spasiani, P., B. Grossi Costa Homem, I. Braz Gonçalves de Lima, B. Costa Guimarães, E. Silva de Medeiros, J. P. Muir, M. Silva de Oliveira., R. M. Boddey, D. Rume Casagrande. 2023. Light competition is the key determining legume proportion spatio-temporal variability of Marandu palisadegrass-forage peanut mixed pastures. Crop & Pasture Science (at press)
  • Norris, A.B., M.S. Miller, J.P. Muir, R.M. Harp, and L.A. Kinman. 2023. Winter dynamics of white-tailed deer browse nutritive value in the southern Cross Timbers and Prairies of Texas. Southwestern Naturalist. (at press)
  • Jacondino, L.R., C. H. E. C. Poli ͣ J. F. Tontini, G. F. Corrêa, S. Somacalb, R. O. Mello, M. L. R. Leal, R. F. S. Raimondo, B. Riet-Correa, J. P. Muir. 2022. Acacia mearnsii tannin extract and α-tocopherol supplementation in lamb diet: effects on 50 growth performance, serum lipid peroxidation and meat quality. Animal Feed and Technology 294: 115483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115483
  • Medeiros, A.S., M. V.F. dos Santos, M.V. da Cunha, A.C.L. de Mello, D.E. Simões Neto, O.F. de Oliveira, J.P. Muir, J.C.B Dubeux, jr., and A.E. dos Santos. 2022. Morphology, accumulation and survival of Desmanthus under different planting densities and harvest heights. Grass and Forage Science 78:162-172. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12586
  • Boote, K. J., A. T.  Adesogan, M. Balehegn, A. Duncan and J.P. Muir. 2022. Fodder development in sub‐Saharan Africa: An introduction. Agronomy Journal 114:1-7. http://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20924
  • Benetel, G., T dos Santos Silva, G.M. Fagunes, K.C. Wleter, F. Alves Melo, A.A.G. Lobo, J.P. Muir, and I.C.S. Bueno. 2022. Essential oils as in vitro ruminal fermentation manipulators to mitigate methane emission by beef cattle grazing tropical grasses. Molecules 27, 2227. doi.org/10.3390/molecules27072227
  • Herzberger, L.A., J.P. Muir, A. Mitchell & W.B. Smith. 2022. Assessing arthropod communities during grassland restoration in the southern Great Plains of North America. Southwestern Entomologist. 47(2):371-384.
  • Osniel, F. O., M.V. Ferreira dos Santos, J.P. Muir, M.V. Cunha, E.J. Oliveira de Souza, L. O. Tedeschi, and H.M. Naumann, A. Carneiro Leao de Mello, and M. Santana Meireles. 2022. Condensed tannins bioactivity and nutritional value of Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong) Steud. under sheep grazing with different forages allowances. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 100, 104359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2021.104359
  • de Carvalho, W.F., A.A. Alves, F.C Gandara, H.Q. Memoria, F.E.P. Fernandes, R.C.F.F. Pompeu, J.P. Muir, C.S. Costa, R.F. Sousa, D.S. Oliveira, and M.C.P. Rogerio. 2022. Seasonal strategic feed supplements for grazing sheep on Caatinga Rangeland: behaviour and performance. Small Ruminant Research. 206:106572. doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2021.106572