Smooth Brome
EN

Smooth Brome

Bromus racemosus

Unknown

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

Overview

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

Smooth Brome faces severe decline due to agricultural intensification and the widespread use of herbicides that eliminate this annual grass from cereal crop margins. Habitat conversion of traditional mixed farming systems to intensive monocultures has dramatically reduced suitable breeding sites. The species' dependence on disturbed ground and field edges makes it particularly vulnerable to modern farming practices that prioritize weed control and field uniformity.

Threat summary

Habitat

Smooth Brome typically inhabits disturbed agricultural soils, field margins, waste ground, and the edges of cereal crops. This annual grass thrives in nutrient-rich, moderately disturbed environments including roadsides, railway embankments, and areas of mixed farming with traditional crop rotation systems.

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Smooth Brome classified as Endangered?
Smooth Brome 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. Smooth Brome faces severe decline due to agricultural intensification and the widespread use of herbicides that eliminate this annual grass from cereal crop margins. Habitat conversion of traditional mixed farming systems to intensive monocultures has dramatically reduced suitable breeding sites. The species' dependence on disturbed ground and field edges makes it particularly vulnerable to modern farming practices that prioritize weed control and field uniformity.
Where does Smooth Brome live?
Smooth Brome occurs in Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, and Austria (plus 60 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Smooth Brome?
The main threats to Smooth Brome 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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