Elizabeth Leger, Erin Espeland, Erin Goergen
University of Nevada, Reno
USDA ARS Sidney, MT

•
Establishment from seed is lowbetween .5 and 3.4% of planted seeds established in 2006 fires seeded in Elko
•
Can this be improved?

Three methods to find traits that increase establishment:
1.
Learn from long-term evolutionary change
2.
Learn from short-term seeding studies
3.
Brute force methods

1. Is there something special about these plants?

Invaded
Uninvaded
Photos by M. Mazzola

Balls canyon

Five perennial grasses
Poa secunda
E. multisetus
Achnatherum thurberianum
Hesperostipa comata
Achnatherum hymenoides

2. Which seeds are establishing in the field?

E. elymoides
•
Original seed material
•
Collections from two seeded fires in Elko

3. In direct competition, which plants perform best?

What traits increase establishment, competitive ability?

What traits increase establishment, competitive ability?
•
Early green-up (adults)
•
Early root growth (seedlings)
•
Early germination (seedlings)
•
Small plant size (adults and seedlings)
•
Increased allocation to reproduction
(Poa only)

*
*
*
All P < 0.0001

Shift towards early emergence
Both in seeds that establish in restoration, and in seed from invaded communities

Shift towards early emergence
Both in seeds that establish in restoration, and in seed from invaded communities
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
Original seed source Seeds that survived in the field

100
Early emergence increases survival
75
50 11/25/09
11/29
25
0
12/04
12/11
12/30
1/1
2/4
Emergence date

Smaller plants established in the field

Smaller plants established in the field
0 leaves
Original
250 leaves

Smaller plants established in the field
0 leaves
Original
250 leaves
Gopher
E. Humbolt

Smaller plants established in the field
0 leaves
Mean plant size shifted from 98 leaves to 68 and 64 leaves
Original
250 leaves
Gopher
E. Humbolt

What traits increase establishment, competitive ability?
•
Early green-up (adults)
•
Early root growth (seedlings)
•
Early germination (seedlings)
•
Small plant size (adults and seedlings)
•
Increased allocation to reproduction
(Poa only)

(for us, and in general)
•
Continue to look for new competitive genotypes, identify important traits, across many populations, more species
 Identify which traits are inherited
•
Compare success of available seed material with potentially adapted material in the field
•
Apply cost-benefit analysis. Does restoration success increase substantially when using adapted material?

•
Cheatgrass has been here for a very short time, yet some native grasses may be adapting to grow with it
•
Invaded population may be harboring valuable genotypes for restoration
•
Collect and increase seed materials from invaded areas for use in restoration
 could be a short cut, with seeds available faster than through traditional breeding programs

•
USDA CSREES National
Research Initiative
•
Great Basin Native Plant
Selection and Increase
Project
•
University of Nevada, Reno
•
California Department of
Fish and Game
•
Nevada Bureau of Land
Management

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