Forage & Range
Research Laboratory
Logan, UT
Native Plant
Graduate Program
Utah State University
Wildland Resources
Biology
Plants, Soils, & Biometeorology
The Restoration Gene Pool
Concept
Restoration Ecology 11:281-290 (2003)
1o RGP: local material
2o RGP: distant material of the
same taxon
3o RGP: material modified by a
related taxon to improve
adaptation
4o RGP: alien taxon with better
adaptation than the local
taxon
RGP Flowchart
Ecological Restoration 25:12-19
March 2007
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Whitmar
Goldar
Anatone
P-7 (MOPX)
Bluebunch wheatgrass
2o RGP
Owyhee
Atomic
Rock Creek
Bluebunch wheatgrass
1o RGP
P-27
P-7
51% heavier seeds
Bluebunch wheatgrass
3o RGP
selection for regrowth from clipping
P-5
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Snake River wheatgrass
4o RGP
(functionally similar to BBWG)
Fall 2005
est. 2005
Summer 2006
est. 2005
Fall 2006
est. 2006
High-density shoot dry mass (g)
Midday xylem pressure potential (mPA)
10
15
20
25
-2.6
-2.8
2
June
R = 0.70**
July
R = 0.77**
2
BN
-3
E-38
E-48
E-45
BN
E-46
E-21
-3.4
-3.6
E-49
DP
-3.2
E-48
E-49
E-38
E-45
DP
-3.8
E-21
E-46
-4
2006
Summer 2006
est. 2005
Indian ricegrass
‘Rimrock’
‘Nezpar’
White River
‘Paloma’
Star Lake
Indian ricegrass
2o RGP
Jumbo
Globose Elongate
(Star Lake)
Seed Mass
8.62 mg
3.37 mg
2.33 mg
Germination
negligible
20%
66%
Lemma Thickness
180 µm
93 µm
52 µm
2006 Release
White River Germplasm
Indian ricegrass
NRCS Trial at Pinedale, WY
stand superior to Nezpar (4 of 6 years)
and Rimrock (3 of 6 years)
vigor superior to Nezpar (3 of 6 years)
and Rimrock (2 of 6 years)
vigor inferior to Nezpar and Rimrock
(1 of 6 years)
biomass superior to Nezpar and
Rimrock (1 of 3 years)
Bonneville
Indian ricegrass
1o RGP
Squirreltail
Wapiti
(brevifolius A)
Pueblo
Tusas
(brevifolius A)
(brevifolius A)
Squirreltail
2o RGP
Sand Hollow
(multisetus)
Rattlesnake
Fish Creek
(elymoides)
(elymoides)
Toe Jam Creek
(californicus)
Squirreltail
1o RGP
36
accessions
brevifolius C Squirreltail
1o RGP
Sand Hollow Germplasm
big squirreltail
(Elymus multisetus)
Toe Jam Creek
(E. elymoides
ssp. californicus)
Fish Creek
(E. elymoides
ssp. elymoides)
Bottlebrush Squirreltail
germplasms
Fish Creek
(E. elymoides ssp. elymoides)
Toe Jam Creek
(E. elymoides ssp. californicus)
Rattlesnake
Fish Creek
E. elymoides ssp. elymoides
Basin wildrye
‘Magnar’
8x
‘Trailhead’
4x
Basin wildrye
2o RGP
Acc:636
Continental
34% heavier seeds
Basin wildrye
3o RGP
Meters
1
-75 - 0
BC
2
0 - 90
1
2
4
3
90 - 161
AB
1
SK
161 - 232
232 - 303
9 7 8
303 - 374
11
374 - 468
6
12 13
468 - 610
610 - 823
WA
5
1
10
Festuca
roemeri
823 - 1,107
1,107 - 1,438
14
Festuca idahoensis
2
MT
4
1,438 - 2,556
15
2
2,556 - 4,400
6
9
6
1
5
3
4
3
8 7
7
10
8
OR
11
12
5
1
10
9
12
2
1
14
15
14
13
11
ID
13
16
19
17
18
1
WY
CA
2
NV
UT
Idaho fescue
Roemer’s fescue
Needle-and-thread
(Hesperostipa comata)
Phenotypic evaluation
42 accessions
• southwestern Idaho
• south-central Idaho
• eastern Oregon
AFLP genetic analysis
• above materials
• Nevada and Utah
(UDWR/SSL)
• northwestern Colorado
• western Wyoming
Thurber’s needlegrass
(Achnatherum thurberianum)
Phenotypic evaluation
15 accessions
• southwestern Idaho
• south-central Idaho
• eastern Oregon