Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management

Physiological impacts of groundwater and surface water application on desert graminoids of different geographic origin

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Physiological impacts of groundwater and surface water application on desert graminoids of different geographic origin Abdallah, Mohamed (Mohamed Ahmed B.) Desert plant communities are among the most sensitive to changes in soil water conditions. In areas with shallow aquifers, it is important to understand both the effects of groundwater alterations on vegetation and how changes in surface-soil water affect plant water uptake. Studies in arid environments have evaluated the effect of groundwater variation and simulated precipitation on plant production and vegetation condition but it is not clear if plants respond equally to the availability of surface water or groundwater. This study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate growth and physiology of three desert graminoids (Distichlis spicata, Leymus triticoides, and Juncus arcticus) as affected by surface water availability (mimicking precipitation) or subsurface water availability (mimicking groundwater). The species of study are amply distributed in wetlands and open rangelands of western USA and were collected from two sources of ecological distribution: an area near Bishop, California, and an area near Burns, Oregon. The Bishop, California area has a characteristic shallow aquifer and plants in this area are considered somewhat dependent on groundwater. The Burns, Oregon, area sustains the same species but in a variety of soil moisture conditions. We had two general hypotheses for this study: 1) that the use of surface water is favored over groundwater and 2) that there are ecotypic differences in the response of the species to water availability. The first hypothesis was partially supported by the results of the study, but variability existed among species. However, when all species had equal access to both surface soil water and groundwater plants tended to preferentially use surface water. The second hypothesis was clearly supported by our results. Although the mechanism is not clear, it is possible that an area with periodic and predictable shallow groundwater underlying a dry or saline soil layer, such as the California site, might favor plant ecotypes with high proficiency in water acquisition by deeper roots. Knowledge of water use characteristics of vegetation is essential to provide management guidelines for areas where plants depend on both surface-soil water and groundwater. This study contributed to that knowledge. Further studies on ecotypic variation and an expansion to different species that inhabit areas with shallow aquifers are recommended. Graduation date: 2013

Are Early Summer Wildfires an Opportunity to Revegetate Exotic Annual Grass–Invaded Plant Communities?

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Are Early Summer Wildfires an Opportunity to Revegetate Exotic Annual Grass–Invaded Plant Communities? Davies, Kirk W.; Nafus, Aleta M.; Johnson, Dustin D. Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) is an exotic annual grass invading western rangelands. Successful revegetation of invaded-plant communities can be prohibitively expensive because it often requires iterative applications of integrated control and revegetation treatments. Prescribed burning has been used to control medusahead and prepare seedbeds for revegetation, but burning has been constrained by liability concerns and has produced widely varying results. Capitalizing on naturally occurring wildfires could reduce revegetation costs and alleviate liability concerns. Thus, our objective was to determine if early summer wildfires and fall drill seeding could be used as a treatment combination to decrease medusahead and increase perennial and native vegetation. Treatments were evaluated pretreatment and for 3 yr postfire at six sites and included 1) an early summer wildfire combined with a seeding treatment (burn and seed) and 2) a nontreated (no burn, no seed) control. Perennial grass density was 4.6- to 10.0-fold greater in the burn-and-seed treatment compared to the control in the first 3 yr posttreatment (P<0.05). Exotic annual grass density and cover in the third year posttreatment were lower in the burn-and-seed treatment than in the control (P<0.05). However, exotic annual grass density was still >130 individuals • m ⁻² in the burn-andseed treatment. The density of exotic annual grass is of concern because over time medusahead may displace perennial grasses and annual forbs that increased with the burn-and-seed treatment. Though not directly tested in this study, we suggest that, based on other research, the burn-and-seed treatment may need to incorporate a preemergent herbicide application to further suppress medusahead and increase the establishment of seeded vegetation. However, it appears that early summer wildfires may provide an opportunity to reduce the cost of integrated programs to revegetate medusahead-invaded plant communities. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Society for Range Management and can be found at: http://www.rangelands.org/.

Mowing Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities With Degraded Herbaceous Understories: Has a Threshold Been Crossed?

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Mowing Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities With Degraded Herbaceous Understories: Has a Threshold Been Crossed? Davies, Kirk W.; Bates, Jonathan D.; Nafus, Aleta M. Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) plant communities with degraded native herbaceous understories occupy vast expanses of the western United States. Restoring the native herbaceous understory in these communities is needed to provide higher-quality wildlife habitat, decrease the risk of exotic plant invasion, and increase forage for livestock. Though mowing is commonly applied in sagebrush communities with the objective of increasing native herbaceous vegetation, vegetation response to this treatment in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush communities is largely unknown. We compared mowed and untreated control plots in five Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities with degraded herbaceous understories in eastern Oregon for 3 yr posttreatment. Native perennial herbaceous vegetation did not respond to mowing, but exotic annuals increased with mowing. Density of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), a problematic exotic annual grass, was 3.3-fold greater in the mowed than untreated control treatment in the third year posttreatment. Annual forb cover, largely consisting of exotic species, was 1.8-fold greater in the mowed treatment compared to the untreated control in the third year posttreatment. Large perennial grass cover was not influenced by mowing and remained below 2%. Mowing does not appear to promote native herbaceous vegetation in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities and may facilitate the conversion of shrublands to exotic annual grasslands. The results of this study suggest that mowing, as a stand-alone treatment, does not restore the herbaceous understory in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. We recommend that mowing not be applied in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities with degraded understories without additional treatments to limit exotic annuals and promote perennial herbaceous vegetation. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Society for Range Management and can be found at: http://www.srmjournals.org/loi/rama. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work.

Agave salmiana Plant Communities in Central Mexico as Affected by Commercial Use

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Agave salmiana Plant Communities in Central Mexico as Affected by Commercial Use Martinez Salvador, Martin; Mata-Gonzalez, Ricardo; Morales Nieto, Carlos; Valdez-Cepeda, Ricardo Agave salmiana is a native plant species harvested for the commercial production of mezcal (Agave spirits) in the highlands of central Mexico. The objective of this study was to identify vegetation changes in natural communities where A. salmiana has been differentially harvested for commercial purposes. Three plant community categories were identified in the state of Zacatecas based on their history of A. salmiana utilization: short (less than 10 years of use), moderate (about 25 years), and long (60 or more years). Species cover, composition, and density were evaluated in field surveys by use category. A gradient of vegetation structure of the communities parallels the duration of A. salmiana use. A. salmiana density was greatest (3,125 plants ha⁻¹) in the short-use areas and less (892 plants ha⁻¹) in the moderate-use areas, associated with markedly greater density of shrubs (200%) and Opuntia spp. (50%) in moderate-use areas. The main shrubs were Larrea tridentata, Mimosa biuncifera, Jatropha dioica and Buddleia scordioides while the main Opuntia species were Opuntia leucotricha and Opuntia robusta. A. salmiana density was least (652 plants ha⁻¹) in the long-use areas where shrubs were less abundant but Opuntia spp. density was 25% higher than in moderate-use areas. We suggest that shrubs may increase with moderate use creating an intermediate successional stage that facilitates the establishment of Opuntia spp. Long-term Agave use is generating new plant communities dominated by Opuntia spp. (nopaleras) as a replacement of the original communities dominated by A. salmiana (magueyeras). This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://www.springer.com/environment/environmental+management/journal/267.