Wyoming Big Sagebrush density: Effects of seeding rates and grass competition
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Authors: M. I. Williams, G. E. Schuman, A. L. Hild and L. E. Vicklund
Date: 2002
Journal: Restoration Ecology
Volume: 10
Number: 2
Pages: 385-391
Summary of Methods: The establishment of Artemisia tridentata spp. wyomingensis (Wyoming big sagebrush) when sown with three perennial cool-season native grasses; Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass), Elymus lanceolatus (thickspike wheatgrass) and Elymus trachycaulus (slender wheatgrass) on a reclamation site at the Belle Ayr Coal Mine in northeastern Wyoming (44° 17' N; 105° 30' W) was evaluated from 1998-2000. Topsoil was returned to the sites in late 1997 and early 1998 with barley planted on the site over the summer of 1998. Seven grass seeding treatments 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 14 kg pure live seed (pls)/ha were established in late 1998. In March, of the following year three Wyoming big sagebrush seeding treatments (1, 2, or 4 kg pls/ha) was planted in each of the grass seeding treatments. To mimic reclamation procedures the site was mowed in June 1999. Air temperatures, soil temperatures and precipitation events were recorded weekly. Gravimetric soil moisture and soil samples were collected. Six vegetation sampling events occurred from June 1999 to September 2000 to determine sagebrush seedling density and grass culm density. Aboveground biomass was accomplished by clipping, sorting (planted grasses, exotic grasses, native forbs and exotic forbs) and drying plant material from each sub-plot.
Article Summary / Main Points: Sagebrush seedling density differed among sagebrush seeding rates but not among grass seeding rates. Grass culm density in 2000 was greater in the 14-kg pls/ha seeding rate than in the lower rates. Seeding at moderate to high sagebrush seeding rates may increase Wyoming big sagebrush establishment by increasing initial establishment and providing viable seed for up to 4 years. Concurrent planting of grass and shrub species can suppress shrub establishment. Low seeding rates of grasses and forbs can produce similar cover and production as high seeding rates over time and may enable establishment of rare and less competitive native species.
Vegetation Types: Northern Mixed Prairie Sagebrush Steppe
MLRA Ecoregions: 58B Northern Rolling High Plains, Southern Part
Agrovoc Control Words: Mining Sagebrush Reclamation
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, sagebrush, coal mine reclamation, competition, seeding rates, ecological interactions, seedling emergence, resource limitations
Annotation: The results of this study illustrate the potential interactions that can occur when seeding multiple species of grasses and woody species on northern mixed prairies. Though not specifically directed at grazing, this study could be used as a reference for prairie/pasture restoration tailored for improving grazing habitats in sagebrush and mixed prairie ecosystems as it provides general recommendations for seeding rates, split seeding applications and timing. Also, this study points out the importance of considering the effects of exotic species competition when examining native vegetation establishment on reclamation sites.
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