The 2008 Joint Meeting of the Society for Range Management and the America Forage and Grassland Council. |
Seedbank studies of
Our objective was to investigate seed dormancy of both subspecies by tracking added seeds and sampling for seeds in situ. We chose six sites in eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, northwestern
Bags were collected in April 2007 and intact seeds were tested for viability. Initial viability of test seeds was 81% (vaseyana) and 92% (wyomingensis). At the spring sampling, preliminary results across all sites indicated that both subspecies retained 30-35% viability of seeds that were in the open and under litter. Viability of buried seeds was approximately 41% and 53% for ssp. vaseyana and ssp. wyomingensis, respectively. This compares to approximately 48% and 90% viability of cold-stored ssp. vaseyana and ssp. wyomingensis control seeds, respectively.
Big sagebrush communities are threatened by conversion to exotic annual grasslands, agriculture and urbanization. Deeper knowledge of seed longevity and dormancy will aid land managers in making informed decisions regarding restoration and conservation of these communities.