Post-fire native species seed mixes are effective at keeping out cheatgrass in the Great Basin

Jeffrey E. Ott; Francis F. Kilkenny; Alexandra K. Urza; Jeanne C. Chambers; David Board

Treesearch

Post-fire native species seed mixes are effective at keeping out cheatgrass in the Great Basin

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jeffrey E. Ott, Francis F. Kilkenny, Alexandra K. Urza, Jeanne C. Chambers, David Board

Year:

2020

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), April 2020. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 798 KB)

Download (PDF 798 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/64882.pdf

Abstract

Seeding an area after a fire has long been used to control erosion and suppress problem invasive grasses like cheatgrass. But for managers, choosing the right seed mix to use can be tricky. Seed mixes containing only native species are ideal for areas where natural vegetation recovery is a long-term objective, but there is a question of both cost and whether native species will be as effective as nonnatives in outcompeting invasive species.

Keywords

Science You Can Use, SYCU, seeding, invasive species, native species, cheatgrass, forest management

Citation

Ott, Jeff; Kilkenny, Francis; Urza, Alexandra; Chambers, Jeanne; Board, David. 2020. Post-fire native species seed mixes are effective at keeping out cheatgrass in the Great Basin. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), April 2020. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.