Cheatgrass is really an ecological bad actor. And that is coming from someone that tends to not place value judgements on components of the ecosystem. It renders vast acreages unusable to grazers such as elk, deer, cattle, sheep, horses, and even prairie dogs. It is only palatable for a couple weeks in spring, at which time the awns become needle-like and embed themselves in the lips and gums of critters foolish enough to try to eat it, causing infections. Anyone who has run their dog through it knows about it getting into dog's ears, nose, and paws. It crowds out the native flora diversity that helps systems adjust to changes in moisture or temperature regimes. It grows in all 50 states and canada, and has infested over 150 million acres in the american west. It got its name due its ability to cheat grain farmers out of their crops.
It forms a continuous layer of tinder on the landscape that will burn in a flash whenever the humidity is low enough, which is several months per year in the west, where one spark can set it off and deliver hot fire to nearby forests and shrublands and where people are foolish enough to allow it to grow near their homes. It sucketh mightily.
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