Treesearch

We translocated 120 Agassiz's desert tortoises to 5 sites in Nevada and Utah to evaluate the effects of translocation on tortoise survivorship, reproduction, and habitat use. Translocation sites included several elevations, and extended to sites with vegetation assemblages not typically associated with desert tortoises in order to explore the possibility of moving animals to upper elevation areas. We measured survivorship, reproduction, and movements of translocated and resident animals at each site. Survivorship was not significantly different between translocated and resident animals...

More than 25 years ago, scientists began to identify unexplained declines in amphibian populations around the world. Much has been learned since then, but amphibian declines have not abated and the interactions among the various threats to amphibians are not clear. Amphibian decline is a problem of local, national, and international scope that can affect ecosystem function, biodiversity, and commerce. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of the state of the amphibians and introduces examples to illustrate the range of issues in the United States.

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of drought and wildfire. Aquatic and moisture-sensitive species, such as amphibians, may be particularly vulnerable to these modified disturbance regimes because large wildfires often occur during extended droughts and thus may compound environmental threats. However, understanding of the effects of wildfires on amphibians in forests with long fire-return intervals is limited. Numerous stand-replacing wildfires have occurred since 1988 in Glacier National Park (Montana, U.S.A.), where we have conducted long-term monitoring...

The Fire Modeling Institute (FMI), a part of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program, provides a bridge between scientists and managers. The mission of FMI is to bring the best available science and technology developed throughout the research community to bear on fire-related management issues across the nation. Resource management must be based on the most accurate, current knowledge, data, and technology available, especially in today's arena of rapidly changing ecosystems and resource issues.

Over the past 40 years, the number of forest campers has grown from 13 million in the 1960s to approximately 56 million in 2000 (table 4.6). Camping is now one of the more common ways that Americans spend time in the outdoors, with over one-fourth of the U.S. population participating in some form of camping.

Characterizing the contributions of the seed bank and vegetative propagules will enhance our understanding of community resiliency associated with prairie dog disturbances. Our objective was to determine the effects of ecological condition (EC) and distance from burrows on the soil seed bank and vegetative propagules. Based on species composition of the extant vegetation, two prairie dog colonies were selected on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in western South Dakota. Within each colony, two prairie dog burrows were randomly selected at each of three sample points located about 150m...

Livestock and big game utilize Hooker's balsamroot. It is rated as desirable forage for cattle, sheep, horses and elk during the spring and for deer and antelope in both spring and summer (Ogle and Brazee, 2009). Leaves are grazed lightly and flowers are often eaten. The plant becomes dry and worthless as forage by midsummer (Forest Service, 1937; Herman, 1966). It is recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Online). It may have some value for restoration but is not a dominant or major species in its area of...

Livestock and big game utilize cutleaf balsamroot. It is moderately palatable to grazing animals during the spring and early summer but has low protein content (Walter, 2007). Leaves are grazed lightly and flowers are often eaten. Horses are especially fond of the flowers (Plants of Utah, Online). The plant becomes dry and worthless as forage by midsummer (Forest Service, 1937; Herman, 1966). It attracts large numbers of native pollinators. It may have some value for restoration but is not a dominant or major species in its area of adaptation.

The herbaceous perennial species in the genus Sphaeralcea have desirable drought tolerance and aesthetics with potential for low-water use landscapes in the Intermountain West. However, taxonomy of these species is ambiguous, which leads to decreased consumer confidence in the native plant nursery industry. The goal of this study was to test and clarify morphological and genetic differentiation among four putative Sphaeralcea species. Morphological characteristics of the type specimens were used as species references in canonical variate analysis to generate a classification model. This...

Boron is a mineral that, in small quantities, is essential for plant growth and development , but becomes toxic at levels above 0.5 to 1 part per million (ppm) in the soil. Excess boron may be naturally present in the soil, and it can accumulate by irrigating with water high in boron. Boron occurs naturally in arid soils originating from geologically young deposits. It may accumulate in soils that are heavily amended with borate-containing fertilizers. In Nevada, well water or water from springs near geothermal areas or earthquake faults may contain high concentrations of boron. Excessive...