Project Number: 5434-21630-002-09
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 23, 2010
End Date: Jan 31, 2013

Objective:
Determine effects of summer and fall fire and nitrogen addition on red three-awn communities.

Approach:
A 3x3 factorial arrangement of fire and fertilizer treatments will be applied on 2 sites over 2 years and monitored 2years following treatment to examine effects of no fire, summer or fall fire and no nitrogen addition or addition of 40 or 80 kg/ha on red three-awn communities. Increased nitrogen availability will likely improve the ability of other species to establish and compete with red three-awn. Summer fire should be detrimental to red three-awn because of the plant's growth pattern and bunchgrass habit. Treatment effects will be evaluated by measuring standing crop, plant species composition and plant diversity before treatment and 2 years post-treatment.