Treesearch

Hoary tansyaster is an early colonizer of rangelands and disturbed sites. It is commonly found on roadsides and gravel pits competing with invasive plants such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and knapweed species (Centaurea spp). It can be planted to enhance species diversity in rangeland seedings throughout the western United States.

Nineleaf biscuitroot begins growth very early in the spring, often just following snow melt, providing crucial early forage for many wildlife and domestic animals. It is considered one of the most valuable forage species of the genus due to its large stature and high production levels. It is rated as having fair to very good forage for sheep and poor to good forage for cattle (USDA-FS, 1937). Ogle and Brazee (2009) rate it as desirable spring and summer forage for cattle, sheep, horses, elk, deer and antelope.

Douglas' dustymaiden can be used as part of a native forb component in wildland seedings to increase biodiversity, improve wildlife habitat, and provide food for numerous birds and mammals. Douglas' dustymaiden is readily visited by pollinators and other insect species. It is considered an important species for sage grouse during brood rearing because of its insect associations.

Few North American legumes are available for rangeland revegetation in the semiarid western United States. Western prairie clover (Dalea ornata [Douglas ex Hook.] Eaton & J. Wright) is a perennial legume with desirable forage characteristics and is distributed in the northern Great Basin, Snake River Basin, and southern Columbia Plateau. Understanding the genetic and ecotypic variability of this species is a prerequisite for developing populations suitable for revegetation purposes. To address this need, we established two common-garden plots of western prairie clover from 22 sites in...

Western prairie clover [Dalea ornata (Douglas ex Hook.) Eaton & J. Wright] is a perennial legume that occurs in the northern Great Basin, Snake River Basin, and southern Columbia Plateau, whereas Searls prairie clover [Dalea searlsiae (A. Gray) Barneby], also a perennial legume, occurs in the southern Great Basin and surrounding areas. Understanding the genetic and ecotypic variation of these prairie clovers is a prerequisite for developing populations suitable for rangeland revegetation in the western USA. DNA sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS/5.8S) and trnK/matK were used to...

The primary intent of this document is to provide the science assessment called for under The Saltcedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-320; the Act). A secondary purpose is to provide a common background for applicants for prospective demonstration projects, should funds be appropriated for this second phase of the Act. This document synthesizes the state-of-the-science on the following topics: the distribution and abundance (extent) of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in the Western United States, potential for water...

Los bosques juegan un papel central en el ciclo de carbono de los Estados Unidos y global. El secuestro de carbono de los bosques de los Estados Unidos, a través de su crecimiento y la cosecha de productos madereros, compensa en la actualidad entre un 12 y un 19% de las emisiones de carbono asociadas al uso de combustible fósil de dicho país. El ciclo natural de un bosque (crecimiento, muerte y regeneración) y la remoción de madera dificultan los esfuerzos por comprender y medir los reservorios y flujos de carbono de los bosques. Nuestro informe explica de manera sintética estos procesos y...

Invasion by nonnative plants can result in substantial adverse effects on the functions of native forest ecosystems, including nutrient cycling and fire regimes. Thus, forest managers need to be aware of the potential impacts of management activities, including silvicultural treatments, on nonnative vegetation. To aid in that effort, we created a conceptual model of potential responses of nonnative plants to silvicultural treatments, used the model to make a general set of predictions, and tested our predictions against observed responses published in the scientific literature. Of a total...

A wildfire burned about 15,000 ha of Monterrey Pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) plantations near Yungay, Chile, in January of 2007. Post-fire water repellency (hydrophobicity) was measured using the water-drop-penetration-time (WDPT) method at depths of 0, 5, and 10 mm from the soil surface. These measurements were collected on burned sites of both young (4-years old) and old (11-years old) plantations having both sand- and clay-rich soils. For purpose of comparison, water repellency was also measured one year after the wildfire on four unburned sites representing the same soil types and...

The long-legged fly genus Erebomyia Runyon & Hurley was erected in 2004 for E. exalloptera Runyon & Hurley, a species whose males display uniquely asymmetrical wings (Runyon & Hurley 2004). Three additional species of Erebomyia have since been described: E. aetheoptera Hurley & Runyon, E. akidoptera Hurley & Runyon, and E. ramseyensis Hurley & Runyon (Hurley & Runyon 2009); males of these three species have modified but symmetrical wings. Adults of Erebomyia occur on bare rock within dark, streamside cavities. The group is distinguished from other sympycnine dolichopodids by the presence...