Thesis
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasses in the Columbia Plateau: the effects of time, an invasive annual grass and burning
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102195
Abstract
In the Columbian Plateau of Washington State, perennial grasses are the vegetative cover crop used most often for erosion control in fields enrolled in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This study documents the presence of originally seeded, perennial, CRP-approved grass species in ten eight-to-ten year old fields, and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) an invasive annual species. Canopy cover of seeded species and cheatgrass was compared in the second season post-burn for six burned and six unburned fields. Big bluegrass (Poa secunda J. Presl), one of the seeded species, was present in most of the sample points. In the second season after a prescribed burn there was no significant difference in mean percent cheatgrass canopy cover between burned and unburned fields. Mean percent canopy cover of big bluegrass was greater in unburned than burned fields. However, there was no difference in mean percent canopy cover of Snake River wheatgrass (Elymus wawawaiensis J. Carlson & Barkworth) in burned and unburned fields. The different responses may reflect the presence of new plant growth that was damaged by fire or buds that are protected from fire by soil or plant litter. Big bluegrass appears to be a good choice for long-term plantings because in this study it was present eight to ten years after seeding. In this study, burning had no effect on cheatgrass canopy cover. Burning reduced big bluegrass canopy cover and had little effect on Snake River wheatgrass canopy cover.
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Details
- Title
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasses in the Columbia Plateau
- Creators
- Sharon Jones Sellereite
- Contributors
- Steven C. Smith (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525370801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis