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Limitations to post-fire seedling establishment. Jeremy James and Tony Svejcar. Background. Seeding following fire is critical tool for soil stabilization and preventing weed spread Tens of millions of dollars are spent on seeding each year
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Limitations to post-fire seedling establishment • Jeremy James and Tony Svejcar
Background • Seeding following fire is critical tool for soil stabilization and preventing weed spread • Tens of millions of dollars are spent on seeding each year • Seed success rates are extremely low on arid rangeland • Reasons for low success rates are poorly understood
Project outline • Following four fires, plots were seeded with a rangeland drill or by hand, and • Some plots also were weeded and watered
Four fire complexes in southeastern Oregon Egley Butte Roundtop Bartlett
Establishment was 3-fold higher in plots where seeds were planted by hand
Conclusion • Need techniques to determine if post-fire reseeding is really necessary • We cannot assume more precipitation or fewerweeds will improve reseeding success • Seeding technology remains a major limitation to our ability to restore rangeland
Project information • This project is part of a larger effort by ARS Burns, OR to improve seedling establishment in rangeland restoration efforts • For more information contact • Jeremy James • 541-573-8911 (jeremy.james @oregonstate.edu) • Tony Svejcar • 541-573-8901 (tony.svejcar@ oregonstate.edu)