Our current understanding of ecosystem resistance and resilience to weed invasion suggests that ecological thresholds exist below which weedy species can dominate, and above which more desirable perennial species dominate. Mapping of seedbed microclimate and correlation to existing patterns of post-disturbance vegetation would provide a mechanistic model in support of resistance and resilience concepts, and quantitative information in support of the State and Transition Models (STMs) that underlie Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) for sagebrush/bunchgrass plant communities in the northern Great Basin. Resistance to disturbance and resilience of native and seeded-non-native plant communities follow topographic patterns associated with soils, slope, aspect and elevation. These patterns of post-disturbance vegetation appear to be correlated with soil and topographic effects on seedbed temperature and water relationships. We used long-term weather data and microclimatic modeling to characterize topographic effects on post-disturbance seedbed conditions and the subsequent distribution of both planted and weedy species. This information may improve the utility of ESDs for rangeland restoration planning and provide quantitative information on topographic and elevational thresholds of ecological resilience.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.