Get reliable rangeland science

Elymus elymoides�(bottlebrush squirreltail) is a native perennial grass species commonly included in seed mixes for rangeland revegetation. Within western landscapes characterized by low precipitation and warm temperatures, the establishment of native species is often marginal at best. Limitations to germination and seedling establishment have been identified as �bottlenecks� to plant establishment. The purpose of this study is to characterize seedling demography for�E. elymoides, including germination, timing of seedling emergence, and growth rates in contrasting weather and soil conditions. �We simulated the timing and volume of precipitation events for both a wet and dry year on the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), located in the western Utah cold desert. These simulated precipitation regimes were compared with a daily watering treatment, and all watering treatments were tested in both native soil from the UTTR and commercially available potting soil. We tested percent germination and recorded timing of seedling emergence as well as seedling density. We measured plant height daily for 75 days to track growth rates. We hypothesize that soil moisture is the most limiting factor to germination, emergence, and growth rates. Native soils will likely be a limiting factor to emergence and growth rates due to lower nutrient content and crusting of the soil surface. Preliminary results will be presented at the conference. Knowing how differing weather and soil conditions affect the establishment of native species will aid land managers in establishing revegetation protocols that account for variations in soils and projected weather conditions.