Canopy growth and density of Wyoming Big Sagebrush sown with cool-season perennial grasses
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Authors: A. L. Hild, G. E. Schuman, L. E. Vicklund, and M. I. Williams
Date: 2006
Journal: Arid Land Research and Management
Volume: 20
Number: 3
Pages: 183-194
Summary of Methods: The importance of long-term data collection to studies involving plant community dynamics and the apparent increased influence of grass seeding rates on sagebrush growth as the vegetation matures was examined in this subsequent study. Initial research began in 1998 on a reclamation site at the Belle Ayr Coal Mine in northeastern Wyoming (44° 17'� N; 105° 30' W) and examined the establishment of Wyoming big sagebrush when sown with three perennial cool-season native grasses. The results are reported in the initial study which can be found in the RSIS Database. Sagebrush seedling emergence and canopy structure measurements were collected over 11 sampling events from June 1999 to August 2004 to evaluate the effects of grass competition on seedling survival and herbaceous canopy production. Seedling survival was calculated by comparing initial seedling densities in 1999 to final seeding densities in 2004.
Article Summary / Main Points: Simultaneous planting of grass and shrub species did not suppress shrub establishment or survival over the six growing seasons relative to plots not seeded with grasses. Sagebrush density did not differ among the three grass seeding rates following the 2002 and 2004 growing seasons. It was found over the six year study that lower grass seeding rates can be used to achieve soil protection and stability. Individual sagebrush plant canopy volume was the greatest in plots without grass and decreased as seeding rate increased. Individual sagebrush plants were larger at lower grass seeding rates, suggesting canopy structure will be more diverse in lower grass seeding rates over the long-term.
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 spp. wyomingensis, coal mine reclamation, seeding rates, shrub, structural diversity, structure
Annotation: The importance of grass seeding rates and their influence the canopy cover of individual sagebrush plants and the associated impacts on long-term community development and sustainability were demonstrated in this study. The lack of grazing (wildlife or livestock) limits the applicability of this study to a grazed location though these results can be used a strong reference for understanding long-term competitive effects of grasses on sagebrush establishment and survivability.
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