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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #259625
Title: Rehabilitation of medusahead and cheatgrass dominated rangelands in the Boise foothills. An Ecologically-based Invasive Plant Management (EBIPM) program research and demonstration project

Author
item Hardegree, Stuart
item CHO, JAEPIL

Submitted to: Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2010
Publication Date: 2/6/2011
Citation: Hardegree, S.P., Cho, J. 2011. Rehabilitation of medusahead and cheatgrass dominated rangelands in the Boise foothills. An Ecologically-based Invasive Plant Management (EBIPM) program research and demonstration project. In: Abstracts of the 64th Annual Meeting, Society for Range Management, Billings, MT, Feb 6-10, 2011 (CD-ROM Abstract).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Boise, Idaho foothills have had a long history of human use, are currently grazed by livestock and wildlife, and are a principal area for diverse recreational use. Sagebrush-grass rangelands in the Boise Front have undergone frequent wildfires that have resulted in extensive type conversion to annual grasses, and enhanced risks from catastrophic runoff and erosion. Small-plot treatments are being evaluated on a churning-clay ecological site, currently dominated by medusahead wildrye, to investigate the utility of imazapic (0, 4, 6, 8 oz/ac), prescribed fire, seeding rate (2X, 5X, 10X base rates), and alternative seed mixes (native/non-native) for restoration of these areas. Replicate treatments were applied in the fall of 2008 and 2009 and will be continued for two additional years to evaluate year effects. Landscape scale demonstration plots were treated with 8 oz/ acre imazapic in the fall of 2008 and replicate blocks seeded in mid winter (2010) with a high-rate native or non-native seed mix. In the spring of 2009 and 2010, native shrub seedlings were planted in the area. Initial examination of data found excellent control of medusahead and cheat grass by plateau which varied with application rate and use or non-use of prescribed fire. Initial establishment of planted species was extremely poor across the board in 2008, but significantly improved in 2009.