2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): Provide BLM with a decision matrix to be utilized in selecting treatment protocol to increase native diversity in three-awn dominated plant communities. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): Examine the effects of fire and nitrogen addition on three-awn dominated communities. Increased nitrogen availability will likely improve the ability of other species to establish and compete with three-awn. Late growing season fire should be detrimental to red three-awn because of the plant's growth pattern and bunchgrass habit. Treatments will be combinations of fire vs. no fire and nitrogen addition vs. no nitrogen addition and assigned in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement and replicated 5 times. Treatment effects will be evaluated by measuring standing crop, plant species composition and plant diversity before treatment and 2 years post-treatment. 3.Progress Report: Second-year post-treatment data have been collected and first-year data have been collected for the repeated experiment to assess fire and nitrogen effects. Response data have been collected for simulated grazing treatments to determine utilization effects on three-awn and coexisting species. Laboratory analyses of fire and fertilizer effects on three-awn diet quality have been conducted for the repeated experiment. A manuscript is in preparation from greenhouse data on fire, clipping, and competition effects.