Proceedings brand creation for a prescribed fire culture – utilizing key social media parameters. Lars Coleman*1, J. Kelly Hoffman1, Thomas McDaniel1, R. Patrick Bixler2, Urs P. Kreuter1, Morgan Russell3

A NOVEL APPROACH TO MODEL GERMINATION TIMING OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES IN THE GREAT BASIN. William C. Richardson*, Bruce A. Roundy, Zachary Aanderud, Kylar Sant, Matthew D. Madsen; Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

The Great Basin of North America has been identified as an area that suffers from elevated levels of degradation, and is difficult to restore via seeding practices. Seedbed freezing conditions during the winter have been shown to limit seedling establishment. Mortality may also occur over the winter period to seedlings from drought, pathogens, and expenditure of seed food resources. Hydrothermal models have been used in the past to effectively predict when seeds will germinate. By understanding when seeds will germinate during the year we can further understand what limitations affect seedling establishment and develop restoration practices that can help seedlings overcome these barriers. We germinated seeds from 10 different native species in the Great Basin at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 ℃. From germination count data, thermal-time germination models were calculated using a new Microsoft Excel workbook we developed called “Auto-Germ.” Auto-Germ uses germination count data obtained from laboratory trials performed over a range of constant temperatures to calculate thermal-time germination models and a suite of other germination indices. Auto-Germ also provides the user with an interface to apply the thermal-time germination models to estimate germination timing from simulated planting dates. Models developed from the species test in our trial had sufficient accuracy (R2 = 0.60- 0.98) to predict germination timing. The application of these germination models to historic soil moisture and temperature data over a 6-year period across 10 sites throughout the Great Basin indicated variation in germination timing between the species. Most species germinated rapidly, within fall to early winter period, which may limit their survival. These results indicate that more research should be conducted to understand how germination timing influences seedling survival and if practices could be developed to either push germination to more suitable conditions or help seedlings overcome environmental barriers.

EFFECTS OF NEIGHBORING PLANTS AND DEFOLIATION ON GRASS SEEDLINGS AFTER FIRE IN SAGEBRUSH COMMUNITIES. Jeffrey M. Gicklhorn*¹, Beth A. Newingham²; ¹University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, ²USDA-ARS, Reno, NV

ABSTRACT

Native perennial bunchgrass species are often seeded after wildfire in the Great Basin to stabilize soils and resist invasive species establishment. Domestic livestock grazing is typically postponed for two growing seasons to allow for seedling establishment. Seeding failures may occur due to unsuitable abiotic conditions or inappropriate post-fire grazing management leading to seedling mortality. We explored how post-fire grazing management and neighboring plant communities affect the efficacy of post-fire seeding treatments in Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities. We implemented plant removal treatments at the beginning of the first growing season to vary the relative density of adult and seedling perennial bunchgrasses. Growing and dormant season defoliation treatments were used to simulate livestock grazing and examine the appropriate time to reintroduce livestock after fire. We repeatedly sampled perennial seedling tiller stem length, leaf and flower production, and timing of senescence during the first three growing seasons to quantify plant-level responses. We sampled end-of-season perennial bunchgrass plant density and foliar cover for the first three years to quantify treatment effects on community structure. Adult and seedling removal decreased plant density and foliar cover in the first year after fire. Foliar cover in adult removal treatments recovered as compared to neighbor removal control treatments by the second year, while seedling removal cover remained reduced in through the duration of the study. Fall and spring defoliation within seedling removal hastened senescence following defoliation, while spring defoliation decreased inflorescence production during year two only. Seedling mortality did not differ by treatment, and none of our treatments reached the recommended benchmark for livestock reintroduction of 20% bunchgrass foliar cover after three growing seasons post-fire. 

STRAW MULCH EFFECTS ON POST-FIRE RESTORATION IN EASTERN NEVADA

Land managers often apply straw mulch after wildfire to reduce soil erosion and potentially increase soil moisture. Increased soil moisture and reduced soil erosion may foster plant recruitment; however, little is known about mulch treatment effects in Great Basin ecosystems. We examined the effects of straw mulch treatments on the Black Fire, which burned in July 2013 in Great Basin National Park and the Ely, Nevada BLM District. The Ely District fire management program aerially applied certified weed-free native grass straw mulch with Leymus cinereus and Elymus elymoides seeds. Canopy and ground cover, plant density, basal and canopy gaps, and soil stability were measured during the growing season annually from 2014 to 2017 in treated and control areas. Mulch significantly increased canopy cover from 2014 to 2016, but there was no significant effect of mulch on canopy gap. Perennial grass cover and straw mulch grass species were significantly greater in treated sites than controls in 2016. Soil stability decreased over the three years in treated plots. Mulch significantly increased canopy cover while decreasing bare ground. Basal gap increased in mulch sites from 2014 to 2016; the increased basal gap in mulch application over time may be due to mulch washing or blowing away, or being incorporated into the soil surface. Additionally, the mulch treatment showed no significant effects on cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, cover. Our results suggest that post-fire mulch application promotes vegetative growth and decreases bareground and soil stability over time. The post-fire mulch treatment significantly increased straw mulch species but did not suppress invasive species’ cover.  Therefore, additional methods should be considered for restoration treatments seeking to stabilize soils and limit invasion.

TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHEATGRASS DOMINATED RANGELAND AND WHEATGRASS PASTURES. Matthew J. Ricketts*¹, Jim Jacobs²; ¹Triple R Bar S consulting, Livingston, MT, ²Retired USDA Plant Materials Specialist, Bozeman, MT

Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata), a North American native, and forage kochia (Bassia prostrata), native to Eurasia, share a similar ecological niche and serve similar conservation and nutritional functions. Our objective was to quantify the establishment of these two species broadcast onto four seedbed treatments (1-none, 2-harrow, 3-disk, and 4-disk-seed-then-roll) at three sites in south central Montana. Site 1 was established in 2011 during above normal precipitation on a disturbed area with cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) grading to native western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)/needle and thread (Hesperostipa comata) range. Sites 2 and 3 were established in 2012 during below normal precipitation on crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) pastures. Each site was divided into three replications to allow statistical evaluation using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Each replication was divided into four randomly arranged seedbed treatments; no treatment, harrow, disk, and disk and roll.

PROPAGATION PROTOCOLS FOR YUCCA ELATA AND MENODORA SCABRA FROM THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT. David E. Prado-Tarango*¹, Alicia Melgoza-Castillo², Ricardo Mata-Gonzalez¹; ¹Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, ²Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico

We conducted three germination experiments to develop propagation protocols for Yucca elata (Engelm.) Engelm. and Menodora scabra A. Gray. Experiments were: seed germination under osmotic stress at 0, -0.5, -1.0 and -1.5 MPa in a growth chamber; germination and establishment in seed beds under four (high, medium, low and lowest) simulated rainfall wet-dry sequences as irrigation treatments; and germination, survival and biomass allocation in plastic pots under four simulated rainfall wet-dry sequences on controlled greenhouse conditions. Sequences represent the common precipitation patterns of the Chihuahuan desert in central Chihuahua, Mexico. Each sequence represents 20% of probability of a wet, normal, dry or very dry year to occur. Germination of Y. elata was not inhibited at -1.5 MPa (13% of germination), but it was negatively affected in M. scabra. In the seed bed experiment Y. elata had 33% germination and M. sabra had 20% germination on the high irrigation sequence vs 1.90% and 0.00% on the lowest irrigation sequence. However, establishment for both species was only achieved in the high and medium sequences. Temperature in this experiment rose the 45°C as the maximum temperature, which is common in the Chihuahuan desert. Finally, we assessed the responses of both plants in terms of plant biomass and seed germination strategies. Plants of both species produced more aboveground biomass as soil moisture increased and more belowground biomass as soil moisture decreased. Y. elata is a slow-germinating species, while M. scabra is a fast-germinating species. Implications are that both species can be seeded in the field and we can expect 40% of germination and establishment. However, we recommend germination and establishment under controlled conditions to increase success up to 80%. This study provides evidence on germination strategies and growth under different conditions that can increase success in restoration programs of arid zones.

DOMESTICATING NATIVE SHRUBS. James P. Muir*¹, Forrest F. Smith², William D. Pitman³, Jose C. Dubeux, Jr.⁴; ¹Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Stephenville, TX, ²Texas A&M Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, ³Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Rosepine, TX, ⁴University of Florida, Mariana, TX

ABSTRACT

Enhancing rangeland plant diversity is a positive step to increasing animal diversity and productivity. Adding or strengthening a shrub canopy, defined as 1-3 m, may compliment diversity beyond the traditional herbaceous or arboreal layers. As an example, the wide range of native perennial, shrubby legumes in Texas indicates untapped potential for multiple uses such as forage, ecosystems services, wildlife habitat, fuel, and possibly pulse crops. There are over 30 shrub or short tree legume genera in Texas, many with multiple species. Our program seeks to identify, collect, characterize, domesticate and commercialize native Texas shrub legumes that could lead to multiple benefits in rangeland ecosystems. This could foster greater ruminant species diversity on rangelands, ranging from selective to bulk browsers and grazers that could specialize in herbaceous, shrub and arboreal canopies, each contributing to greater herbage and animal productivity than mono-canopy systems. This approach could be applied in many rangeland ecosystems in North America and throughout the world. Information on Texas native shrub species is sparse but builds on previous research on Desmanthus spp., Leucaena retusa (golden-ball leadtree) and woody ecotypes of Acacia angustifolia var. hirta (prairie acacia). The latter is currently grown commercially for seed production as shrubby Rio Grande Germplasm and herbaceous Plains Germplasm. The greatest successes have come from managing these for monoculture seed harvest or white-tailed deer plots rather than reseeding degraded rangeland or re-establishing native savannahs. Challenges identified to date include extensive armor (thorns), chemical protection (anti-quality factors such as condensed tannins), poor seed germination, slow establishment, low feed value (e.g. lignins), and limited market to motivate commercial seed companies. Our native legume shrub domestication program is currently in the early identification and collection phases while characterizing the agronomy of select genera including Sephora, Styphnolobium, Gleditsia, and Leucaena spp.

MORPHOLOGICAL, NUTRITIONAL, STOMATAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF M1 MUTANTS OF WILMAN LOVEGRASS (ERAGROSTIS SUPERBA)

Wilman love grass (Eragrostis superba) is a species used worldwide to rehabilitate degraded grasslands. Although this species could present lower nutritional quality and water stress tolerance than other grass species. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the morphological, nutritional, stomatal and molecular diversity induced through gamma radiation in Wilman lovegrass. With this, new materials with potential for grasslands rehabilitation could be selected based on their agronomic and ecological importance. Seeds were irradiated through gamma radiation with 60Co. The doses evaluated were 0 (control), 100, 200, 300, 450, 600, 900, 1400 and 2000 (Gy). Ten plants were evaluated per irradiation dose under greenhouse conditions, through 10 morphological characters related to forage quality. This was performed at the flowering and maturity stages. Individuals with outstanding characteristics were selected and characterized nutritionally, stomatally and molecularly by AFLP molecular markers. All the selected mutants presented less lignin (P<0.01) than the control, in the two phonological stages evaluared. The mutants 200-3 and 200-7 showed a higher (P<0.01) protein content during maturity than the control. In addition, there were differences (P<0.01) among the mutants and the control on stomatal density and area. Also, the mutants were genetically wide different compared to the control, with genetic distances from 0.37 to 0.57 according to the Dice coefficient. The resulting phenotypic and genetic variability allowed selecting M1 mutants with better nutritional quality and stomatal characteristics. In the case these characteristics get fix in the following generations, new genetic material of agronomic and ecological interest will be available. Such material can be used on the rehabilitation of degraded grasslands. 

DEVELOPING A LOW-COST, OPEN-SOURCE THERMOCOUPLE DATALOGGER FOR RANGELAND SURFACE FIRES
. Brittany N. Poling*, Devan A. McGranahan; North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

ABSTRACT

To quantify rangeland fire behavior, thermocouple datalogger systems are used to measure flame temperature. Current systems are either small and operate few thermocouples or operate many and are large; all of these systems are moderately to very expensive/unit and constrained to few replicates, which limits insight into spatial variability. Open source microcontrollers provide low-cost solutions for collecting environmental data, but have not been developed specifically for fire science. We conducted trials between two different systems, a commercial data logger (Campbell Scientific CR1000) and an open-source microcontroller (Arduino). Using eight k-type thermocouples/system exposed to temperatures expected in wildland fire conditions, we compared the systems in terms of (1) their response to changing temperatures with a Bunsen burner and burning plant material (e.g. grass, twigs), and (2) consistency in logging a constant temperature for four settings on a drying oven. These trials demonstrate the systems are consistent in their sensor performance and response with greater variability occurring among thermocouples than between the systems. The affordability, portability, and accuracy of open-source systems in measuring temperature introduces the ability to place more sensors across a landscape to measure spatial variability, and allows for better understanding of fire behavior in heterogeneous grassland fuelbeds.

EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF INTENSIVE EARLY STOCKING IN MAINTENANCE OF THE FIRE-GRAZER INTERACTION

The maintenance of a historic grassland disturbance, the fire-grazer interaction, through patch-burn grazing is a tool for maintaining heterogeneity in mesic grasslands. However, the efficacy of different grazing strategies for preserving or enhancing the utility of patch-burn grazing (PBG) management remains mostly untested. Season-long stocking (SLS) is the primary grazing strategy employed in PBG yet how a modified grazing regime such as intensive early stocking (IES) affects PBG is unknown. Stocking at twice the normal season-long rate for the first half of the season with no grazing during the last half, IES takes advantage of early summer high-quality forage and provides an ecosystem service in the form of invasive species control. If IES can reduce cover of invasive plants that inhibit fire spread to a higher degree than SLS, IES could be an excellent tool for conservation. To determine the efficacy of IES within PBG pastures to both 1) control an invasive plant and 2) maintain or enhance the utility of PBG, we evaluated tall fescue (Schedonorus phoenix) cover in IES pastures relative to SLS pastures and compared pasture heterogeneity (i.e., variance in vegetation structure) between IES and SLS pastures. Because tall fescue growing season overlaps with timing of prescribed spring burns, this grass creates a discontinuous fuel load and reduces fire spread in tallgrass prairie, thus inhibiting the fire-grazer interaction and PBG-driven pasture heterogeneity. We report on the usefulness of this grazing strategy in maintaining pasture heterogeneity in the Grand River Grasslands of southern Iowa and northern Missouri, where IES began in 2014. July vegetation structure and tall fescue cover collected among IES and SLS pastures revealed patch contrast (heterogeneity) of IES pastures reached SLS levels by 2016, whereas tall fescue cover in IES pastures was 18% lower than SLS by the end of the three-year PBG cycle.

GRASSLAND STANDING CROP CAN BE ESTIMATED USING LEAF AREA INDEX AHEAD OF PRESCRIBED FIRE

Knowledge of aboveground biomass, or standing crop, is required in many agricultural and rangeland applications, as standing crop constitutes both amount of forage available for grazing and fuel available for burning. But measurement can be tedious, time-consuming, and doing so directly involves clipping and removal of biomass. Many non-destructive biomass sampling methods are either imprecise or require too broad of an area to sample experimental plots. We sought to develop a method of non-destructive biomass sampling that is both rapid and precise enough to accurately represent standing crop at fine spatial scales in northern mixed grass prairie. We measured leaf area index (LAI) based on above- and below-canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) readings using a ceptometer (Accupar LP-80). High-biomass plots generate a larger difference in above- and below-canopy PAR and a greater LAI value: the greater the leaf area in a plot, the less radiation hits the below-canopy sensor. We purposely sampled quadrats along a gradient of low to high biomass. Canopy cover of functional groups, visual obstruction, litter depth, and degree of biomass “uprightness” were also measured on each quadrat, to identify additional factors that could improve fit in linear models. We clipped and sorted biomass into live and dead categories by functional groups, dried, and weighed. Preliminary analysis indicated that leaf area index alone is a good predictor of biomass (R2 = 0.85). Further analyses will extend calibration work to additional prairie types and will test whether structural and compositional variables improve linear model fit. This non-destructive method will allow us to determine fuel loads immediately ahead of prescribed fire.

LANDSCAPE AND FIRE FREQUENCY AS DRIVERS OF SAVANNA STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION IN LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK

. Natasha S. Ribeiro*¹, Navashni Govender², Valerio Macandza¹, Gernot Ruecker³, Aniceto Chauque¹, Romana Bandeira¹, Aurelio Pais¹, Domingo Machava¹, Bernabe Langa¹; ¹Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, ²Conservation Management, Sukukuza, South Africa, ³Zebris GBR, Munchen, Germany