Although smoke has been known to influence germination of species from many Mediterranean-climate ecosystems, little is known about how species in the Southern High Plains of Texas respond to smoke.� We tested four native plant species (sideoats grama, Bouteloua curtipendula �El Reno�; blue grama, Bouteloua gracilis �Hachita�; plains coreopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria �Plains�; and Illinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis) using aerial smoke and heat from in-situ prescribed fire as an application method for in-situ germination responses. We also tested the same species, and honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), using varying concentrations of liquid smoke for ex-situ germination responses in a lab setting. Arial smoke neither inhibited nor increased germination of some species, but liquid smoke had inhibitory effects at specific concentrations on all species. Using this knowledge of the inhibitory effects may allow for targeted use as a pre-treatment application of some species in rangeland management methods. Additional testing of even more species may increase our knowledge of germination responses of smoke applications, providing greater flexibility for managing rangelands in this region.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.