Cheat
EN

Cheat

Bromus secalinus

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromus_secalinus

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Rye Brome faces severe decline due to modern agricultural practices that favor herbicide-resistant crops and intensive farming methods that eliminate this once-common arable weed. The widespread use of selective herbicides specifically targeting grass weeds has dramatically reduced populations across its former range. Additionally, improved seed cleaning technologies have largely eliminated this species from commercial grain supplies, cutting off a major dispersal pathway that historically maintained populations across agricultural landscapes.

Threat summary

Habitat

Rye Brome typically inhabits arable farmland, particularly cereal crops, waste ground, and disturbed soils with moderate fertility. This annual grass thrives in traditional agricultural systems with winter cereals and can also be found along field margins, roadsides, and other areas with periodic soil disturbance.

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Poaceae

CR

Ekmanochloa subaphylla

Unknown
CR

Arthrostylidium distichum

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CR

Aristida fragilis

Unknown
VU

Small Sweet-grass

Glyceria declinata

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Cheat classified as Endangered?
Cheat is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. Rye Brome faces severe decline due to modern agricultural practices that favor herbicide-resistant crops and intensive farming methods that eliminate this once-common arable weed. The widespread use of selective herbicides specifically targeting grass weeds has dramatically reduced populations across its former range. Additionally, improved seed cleaning technologies have largely eliminated this species from commercial grain supplies, cutting off a major dispersal pathway that historically maintained populations across agricultural landscapes.
Where does Cheat live?
Cheat occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cheat?
The main threats to Cheat are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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