Western North American Naturalist

Volume 63 Number 4 Article 14

12-3-2003

Fire effects on spiny hopsage in south central Washington

Sally A. Simmons Washington State University, Richland, Washington

William H. Rickard Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Richland, Washington

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Recommended Citation Simmons, Sally A. and Rickard, William H. (2003) "Fire effects on spiny hopsage in south central Washington," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 63 : No. 4 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol63/iss4/14

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FIRE EFFECTS ON SPINY HOPSAGE IN SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON

Sally A. Simmonsl and William H. Rickard2

Key words: hopsage, Grayia spinosa, wildfire, shrub-steppe, Columbia River plain.

Grayia spinosa (spiny hopsage) is a dioecious, Reserve in south central Washington. This loca­ short~statured, multi~stemmed, summer decidu~ tion had been selected as a pOSSible location ous shrub erratically distributed across the low­ for a deep underground repository for highly elevation Columbia River plain on the 1400~ radioactive waste (Rickard and Schuler 1989). lan2 US. Department of Energy's Hanford Each plot was 50 x 50 m with the perimeter Site in south central Washington. The Colum­ marked with steel posts at 5-m"intervals. Shrub bia River plain differs from other rangeland density was determined by counting all shrubs habitats in Washington because it has not greater than 0.2 m tall in each plot. Shrub been grazed by livestock since 1943 and has canopy cover was measured by line intercept, " served as a refugium for native plants and ani~ and herb cover by species was ocularly esti­ mals in a surrounding matrix of land devoted mated along three 40-m transects systemati~ to cultivation agriculture and urbanization cally spaced in each plot using the canopy (Rickard and Rogers 1983, Gray and :Rickard coverage method of vegetational analysis pro­ 1989). posed by Daubentnire (1959). Daubenmire (1970) studied steppe commu~ The repository project was abandoned in nities throughout eastern Washington and ob­ 1988, but all plots remained undisturbed until served that burning was not a threat to hop~ a massive wildfire burned through the reposi­ sage because it readily sprouted. Rickard and tory location and all ofthe adjacent 30,000-ha McShane (1984), however, reported that hop~ ALE Reserve on or about 1 July 2000. Each sage growing with Sarcobatus vermiculatus plot was resurveyed during spring and sum­ (greasewood) did not resprout after burning. It mer 2001 and spring 2002 with particular atten~ is important for rangeland managers to be able tion to sprouting ofspiny hopsage. to predict the response ofsteppe shrubs to wild­ Five ofthe 6 study plots supported hopsage fires. Spiny hopsage is a browse species palat~ shrubs in 1987 (Table 1). According to Rickard able to livestock, and hopsage plantings could and Schuler (1989), the sparse herbaceous be useful in rangeland restoration, especially if understory was dominated by Bromus tecto­ hopsage sprouts after burning. Managers of rum (cheatgrass) and Poa secunda (Sandberg's conservation areas may need to consider fire bluegrass). Most of the combustible fuel in all protection for hopsage communities as a way study plots was wood. Hopsage was the only to sustain a measure oflandscape biodiversity shrub species on 1 plot and it was subordinate and wildlife habitat, especially when hopsage to Artemisia tridentata (Wyoming big sage~ is easily killed by fire. Small, peripheral popu­ brush) on the other plots. All hopsage shrubs lations ofotherwise widely distributed species on the study plots and surrounding areas were such as hopsage can be reserves of genetic burned in July 2000 (Fig. 1). Only 1 hopsage variability and are worthy ofprotection (Jones shrub on plot 2H sprouted after the 2000 wild­ et al. 2001). fire (Fig. 2). None of the hopsage shrubs on Six botanical study plots were established the other plots sprouted. One Purshia triden­ in 1986 and 1981 on the Columbia River plain tata (bitterbrush) shrub escaped burning on adjacent to the Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) plot 6S along with a few Ericameria nauseosa

ICorrcsponding author. Washington St.1.te University, 2710 University Drive, Richland, WA 99352. 2Pacific Northwest National Labomtories, Box 999, Ricbland, WA 99352 (retired).

524 2003] NOTES 525

TABLE 1. Shrub density in five 0.~5-ha study plots in 198'/ and after the 2000 wildfire. . . Year Study plot Species ~H 3S 48 5S 6S . Total 1987 (pre-bum) Grayia spinosa 530 39 12 8 7 596 Artemisia tridentata 0 349 250 524 64 1187 Ericameria nauseosa 0 0 423 0 89 512 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 0 0 80 0 6'/ 147 Purshia tridentata 0 0 0 0 10 10 Total 530 388 765 532 237 2452 2001 (post-bum) Grayia spinosa 1 0 0 0 0 1 Artemisia tridentata 0 0 0 2* 2* 4* Ericameria nauseosa 0 0 0 5 12 17 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 0 0 0 0 1 1 Purshia tridentata 0 0 0 0 1 1 Total 1 0 0 7 16 24 *-= seedlings

(gray rabbitbrush) shrubs (Table 1). We revis­ Centrocercus urophasianus (Sage Grouse), ited all plots in March 2002 and there were no Amphispiza belli (Sage Sparrow), Oreoscoptes new hopsage sprouts, thus confinning the 2001 montanus (Sage Thrasher), and Lanius ludovi­ findings. cianus (Loggerhead Shrike) are listed as steppe Fire frequency on the Columbia Rivet plain species of special concern by the Washington is unlalOwn. Bowever, sagebrush shrubs on Department of Wildlife (1987), because they the study plots were known to be at least 50 depend upon sagebrush as nesting habitat (Poole years old (Rickard 1988). Bopsage phenology 1992, Fitzner 2000, Vander Haegen et al' 2000). is synchronous with the annual cycle of pre­ Sagebrush is easily killed by burning. Efforts cipitation and temperature. Newhopsage leaves have been made to restore it to burned areas emerge in late February or early Match, fruits by planting tube~grown and barerooted seed~ (bracted utricles) mature in May and June, lings (Durham 2000). Currently, there are no leaves drop in July and August with the onset efforts to restore spiny hopsage to burn scars. of summer soil drought, and conspicuous Spiny hopsage is a minor component of east~ overwintering buds develop. Hopsage is dop em Washingtons steppe rangeland communi­ mant in autumn and winter. Wildfires usually ties and pure stands ate scarce. Daubenmire occur in July and August when steppe shrubs (1970) observed that hopsage stands in eastern and herbs are most desiccated, air tempera~ Washington seldom, if ever, established seed­ tures are at annual highs, and soil water is lings even though seeds readily germinated in depleted (Rickard 1967). The me sensitivity of laboratory tests. This matches our own field hopsage following the 2000 wildfire may be observations. In the absence ofhopsage seed~ eXil,cerbated by slightly below normal precipi­ iings, young plants, and mortalitY of mature tation as measured at the Hanfotd Site Meteo~ shrubs, it seems likely that there was little rological Station. Normal October~June pre~ change in hopsage density between 1987 and cipitation is 152 mm. The October-Jllne pre~ 2000. OUr observations on the Columbia River cipitation was 141 mm in 1999"""-2000 and 149 plain indicate that hopsage has the potential of mm in 2000-2001. being extirpated by repetitive burnings. Hop~ Typically, managers of conservation areas sage populations are widely distributed in arid target a few selected utilitarian species fot pro­ interior valleys throughout the intermountain tection, but conservation biology must foclls regions of the western United States, and the on understanding and conserving biological species as a whole is ptobably not under any diversity (Temple 1997). In Washington State immediate threat of extinction. However, small, 526 WESTERN NORTH AMERICA! NATURALIST [Volume 63

Fig.!. Ground-level photographs of hopsage study plot 2H in June 1987, thirteen years before burning (upper), and in May 2001, eleven months after burning (lower). 2003] NOTES 527

Fig. 2. Close-up photograph oflone surviving hopsage shrub on hopsage study plot 2H.

isolated peripheral populations such as those GRAY, RH., A 0 WH. RICKARD. 1989. The protected area in the Columbia River plain and ALE Reserve of Hanford as a refugium for native plants and ani­ are threatened. As Washington's rangelands are mals. Environmental Conservation 16:251-260. JONES, B., C. GLIDDON, AND J.E.G. GOOD. 2001. The con­ steadily converted to agriculture and urban uses, servation of variation in geographically peripheral fire threats to burn-sensitive species become populations: Lloydia serotina (Liliaceae) in Britain. more pronounced. Biological Conservation 101:147-156. POOLE, L.D. 1992. Reproductive success and nesting This work was supported by the u.s. Depart­ habitat of loggerhead shrikes in shrub-steppe com­ munities. Master's thesis, Oregon State University, ment of Energy under Contract DE-AC­ Corvallis. 0676RLO. We gratefully acknowledge the'sup­ RICKARD, W.H. 1967. Seasonal soil moisture patterns in port provided by Pacific Northwest National adjacent greasewood and sagebrush stands. Ecology Laboratory and Associated Western Universi­ 48:1034-1038. ties, Richland, Washington. ___. 1988. Natural vegetation at the proposed reference repository location in southeastern Washington. Report PNL-6402, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, LITERATURE CITED WA. RICKARD, WH., AND M.C. MCSHANE. 1984. Demise ofspiny DAUBENMIRE, R 1959. A canopy-coverage method ofveg­ hopsage shrubs following summer wildfire: an authen­ etational analysis. Northwest Science 33:43-64. ___.1970. Steppe vegetation ofWashington. Washing­ tic record. Northwest Science 4:282-285. ton State Agricultural Experimental Station Techni­ RICKARD, WH., A..>m L.E. ROGERS. 1983. Industrial land­ cal Bulletin 62. use and the conservation ofnative biota in the shrub­ DURHAM, RE. 2000. Restoring Wyoming big sagebrush to steppe region of western North America. Environ­ the Hanford landscape: a study of bare-root and mental Conservation 10:205-211. tube-grown seedlings. Master's thesis, Washington RICKARD, WH., A 0 C.A. SCHULER. 1989. Descriptions of State University, Pullman. plant communities at the proposed reference reposi­ FITZNER, L.E. 2000. Reproductive ecology of the Sage tory location and implications for reclamation of dis­ Sparrow (Amphispiza belli) and its relationship to the turbed ground. Report PNL-6494, Pacific Northwest characteristics of native and cheatgrass (Bromus tec­ Laboratory, Richland, WA. tOTUm) dominated habitats. Master's thesis, Wash­ TEMPLE, S.A. 1997. The role ofthe university in conserva­ ington State University, Richland. tion biology. In: G.K. Meffe, C.R. Carroll, et aI., 528 WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST [Volume 63

WAS!UNGTON D'll:PA1ITM:JtNT OF WILPLIF.E;, NONGAMJl: DATA 8ysn.M$.1~&7. Ar.Wnal Species. W~()n .oo. D~em of , Olympiaסס .~y._,.., "'''''' ,""-J' r,., and WadwClap