Mowing Wyoming big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) rangelands can provide short-term to long-term benefits for management of fuels, wildlife habitat, and rangeland health depending on changes in the plant community through time. Shrub mowing can promote healthy Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities that are more resilient, less flammable and less likely to transition to domination by exotics following wildfire. Or, mowing can favor exotic vegetation. Either immediate response could change with time and management. We tested hypotheses across northern and central Nevada by analyzing soil surface and vegetation cover data from unmowed and adjacent sites mowed up to 10 years previously. Mowing occurred only once at 69 of the 76 locations. Live sagebrush cover was lower in mowed areas in all age classes. Dead sagebrush declined with time (p<0.001) and always became lower than in unmowed adjacent sites after nine years. Sagebrush relative cover differed by age class and was up to 30-35% after 5-6 years. However the shift in live sagebrush cover (unmowed minus mowed) did not vary across age classes, suggesting the relative cover difference was caused by annual or perennial herbaceous plants. Mowed perennial and native grass cover was greater than in unmowed areas in all age classes. Litter cover was higher whereas bare soil and cryptogam cover was lower than in unmowed areas in all age classes. Cryptogam and native forb cover declined with age of the mowing (p<0.001 & p<0.02). Native grass increased with age of mowing (p=0.01). Exotic forbs were significantly greater than in unmowed areas only in the 1-2 year increment and appeared to greatly diminish by year seven. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) did not change significantly with age and was significantly (p<0.05) greater than in unmowed areas only in age classes 1-2 and 9-10. It's increase was greater than perennials at only 15 of 76 locations. Mowed areas become more resilient with age except in areas where cheatgrass appeared to persist or increase as native forbs declined.
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