Common camas (Camassia quamash [Pursh] Greene) has been a staple food source of many indigenous peoples of western North America for thousands of years. Camas is a facultative wetland species that is strongly associated with seasonally wet prairies and once widespread populations have declined mainly due to the conversion of wetlands for agriculture. Restoration of camas prairies is necessary to counter the loss of habitat. Traditional camas bulb digging and harvesting has been thought to stimulate growth and increase plant densities. This study will assess how digging and harvesting of camas bulbs, as well as burning, affect camas populations in Weippe Prairie, Idaho. A total of 50 permanent plots (1 m2) were established in Weippe Prairie, with each plot receiving one of four treatments: digging, digging and burning, burning, and control. The plots were observed for changes of trend in camas plant densities, camas flowering stem densities, seedling densities, and ground cover. Preliminary results show that digging and harvesting camas bulbs does cause an immediate reduction in flowering camas plants, but this reduction is disproportionately less than the number of bulbs removed. Further monitoring of these experimental plots will help to characterize the long-term effects of traditional camas harvest and the utility of harvest for restoration purposes.
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