Seed size, abundance, viability, dormancy, and germination requirements strongly influence plant establishment and therefore are important considerations in restoration of native vegetation. These characteristics provide criteria for selection of suitable species, development of collection and pretreatment methods, and determination of seeding densities. The first set of objectives of this study...
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, the Willamette Daisy, is endemic to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This taxon is a Category 1 Candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990) and is listed as Endangered under Oregon state law. Herbarium records indicate that E....
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, the Willamette daisy, is known only from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Herbarium records, from the 1800's until 1934, indicate that the Willamette daisy was once common and widely distributed throughout the Willamette Valley (Clark et al. 1993). However, between 1934 and 1980, this taxon was...
We report first-year results from two field experiments evaluating the effectiveness of various techniques for the control of pest plants in Fender's blue butterfly habitat. In the woody-plant study, we monitored the effects of mowing, mowing and herbicides, and burning on woody plants and key native and non-native grasses and...
One goal of this environmental education curriculum is that students will gain an appreciation of Willamette Valley wetland prairies, a threatened ecosystem, and will gain an understanding of the importance of protecting these wetlands. A second goal is that students will see first-hand the processes involved in conducting scientific field...
We report results from a field experiment evaluating the effectiveness of mowing, mowing and herbicides, and burning on woody plants, key native and non-native grasses and forbs, and the Fender's blue butterfly. The goal was to find a technique that controlled woody pest plants without harming native species or promoting...
We report results from a field experiment evaluating the effectiveness of mowing, mowing and herbicides, and burning on woody plants, key native and non-native grasses and forbs, and the Fender’s blue butterfly. The goal was to find a technique that controlled woody pest plants without harming native species or promoting...
Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icariodes fenderi) and its preferred host plant, Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus sulphureus ssp....
Native upland prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor many rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. Invasion of remnant prairies by...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native species. Because of its historical importance, fire is a top choice of managers for preventing the encroachment of woody species. However, the effects of prescribed burning on present...
We report final results from a five-year field experiment evaluating the effects of different mowing regimes on groups of native and non-native grasses and forbs. The study site was a degraded prairie at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge dominated by the pest plant Arrhenatherum elatius (tall oatgrass). Mowing treatments differed...
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, known only from the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, is listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by the state of Oregon. In 1993 a long-term population monitoring program for Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens was initiated at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native pest species. Because fire has been important in maintaining Willamette Valley prairies for at least 1000 years, prescribed burning is a top choice of managers for preventing encroachment of...
We tested the recolonization ability of the Fender’s blue butterfly and monitored the vegetation response to a management-scale prescribed fire at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, western Oregon. The prescribed fire successfully cut shrub cover in half, but also reduced the size of Festuca roemeri, a dominant native grass....
Native prairies of the Willamette Valley are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are in critical need of conservation. Management strategies for increasing the abundance of native species are urgently needed, particularly those strategies that promote the regeneration of native species from seed. Fire may be an important...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native pest species. Because fire has been important in maintaining Willamette Valley prairies for at least 1000 years, prescribed burning is a top choice of managers for preventing encroachment of...
Our project goal is to protect and restore rare Willamette Valley upland prairie habitat at Butterfly Meadows (Benton County) from invasion by the noxious weed Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are...
Explaining restoration failure can be as important as touting success. We used a series of studies to understand the failure of techniques commonly used to restore wetland prairies in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. Burning, fallowing, and solarization (covering tilled plots with plastic sheeting to heat the soil) had...
We sought to determine 1) the relationship between seedling
establishment rates of target native prairie species and field
levels of three soil nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium)
recorded in fall, winter, and summer, 2) the effect of fire on
these three nutrients, and 3) the overall effect of fire on...
Our project goal is to protect and restore rare Willamette Valley upland prairie habitat at Butterfly Meadows (Benton County) from invasion by the noxious weed Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are...
Willamette Valley wetland and upland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species. These are dynamic systems, subject to ecological succession and invasion by aggressive non-native species, and require active management to maintain management goals. This is true...
Willamette Valley wetland and upland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species. Because these are dynamic systems, subject to ecological succession and invasion by aggressive non-native species, prairies require active management to maintain management goals. This is...
Our project goal is to promote the abundance of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) by recreating upland prairie habitat in former agricultural land at Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Corvallis, Oregon. To achieve this goal we initiated the following three studies. Study One: Experimental Investigation on the Effectiveness...
Willamette Valley wetland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species (Wilson et al. 1993, Noss et al. 1995, USFWS 2000, Schultz et al. 2003). A rigorous program of ecosystem restoration can protect and enhance wetland plants, animals,...
Questions: Are traits related to the performance of plant species in restoration? Are the relationships between traits and performance consistent across the functional groups of annual forbs, perennial forbs, and grasses? Do the relationships between traits and performance depend on neighboring functional groups? Location: A former agricultural field, being restored...
Question: Most results of restoration efforts are species-specific and/or site-specific and therefore are not general enough to be easily applied to other species and other sites. Our research addresses the issue of species-specific results by investigating the feasibility of using plant traits instead of taxonomic species to characterize species responses...
Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems and are in critical need of conservation. One of the largest remaining parcels of native upland prairie, Butterfly Meadows (Benton County), is being invaded by Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). This site...
Freezing to death in winter is a danger faced by ectothermic organisms throughout temperate climates. One adaptation of lepidopteran insects for overwinter survival is the sequestration of antifreeze solutes in the hemolymph prior to pupal diapause. This acts to depress freezing points during the long and immobile pupal stage during...