Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski) is one of the most damaging invasive plants in North America. It is prolific and spreads quickly, is unpalatable to livestock, and significantly reduces species diversity. Research shows that prescribed fire can effectively manage medusahead, but some results have been mixed. We focus on micro-scale processes (one-square-meter), examining seedbank and seed rain dynamics, and fire's effect on abundance and fecundity for three focal species representing different functional guilds: native perennials (purple needlegrass), non-native forageable grasses (wild oat), and non-native invasives (medusahead). Our key objectives are to: Understand effect of species cover and dominance on treatment success, and whether these may improve or hinder restoration objectives, See effect of fire on oat, needlegrass, & medusahead fecundities, Consider role of scale in treatment success through seed-limitation, and investigation of seed rain and seed bank. We anticipate that this knowledge can help guide management decisions regarding the appropriate spatial scale of treatments (in this case, prescribed burns). The insight gained through this project could be particularly valuable to rangeland managers trying to enact Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) techniques to respond to plant invasion quickly. Given the current challenges in planning for large scale treatments, there may be opportunities for adjusting treatments according to the mechanism in which invasion occurs, and using combined treatment approaches to accomplish eradication/control goals.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.