GREAT BASIN NATIVE PLANT SELECTION AND INCREASE PROJECT 2011 PROGRESS REPORT USDA FOREST SERVICE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION AND USDI BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, BOISE, ID APRIL 2012 COOPERATORS USDI Bureau of Land Management, Great Basin Restoration Initiative, Boise, ID USDI Bureau of Land Management, Plant Conservation Program, Washington, DC USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Research Program, Boise, ID and Provo, UT Boise State University, Boise, ID Brigham Young University, Provo, UT Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area, Grand Junction, CO Eastern Oregon Stewardship Services, Prineville, OR Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR Private Seed Industry Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX Truax Company, Inc., New Hope, MN University of Idaho, Moscow, ID University of Idaho Parma Research and Extension Center, Parma, ID University of Nevada, Reno, NV University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Elko and Reno, NV University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY Utah State University, Logan, UT USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan, UT USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR USDA Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT USDA Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, WA USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID USDA Forest Service, National Seed Laboratory, Dry Branch, GA USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT Utah Crop Improvement Association, Logan, UT ii Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project 2011 Progress Report The Interagency native Plant Materials Development Program outlined in the 2002 Report to Congress (USDI and USDA 2002), USDI Bureau of Land Management programs and policies, and the Great Basin Restoration Initiative encourage the use of native species for rangeland rehabilitation and restoration where feasible. This project was initiated to foster the development of native plant materials for use in the Great Basin and to provide information that will be useful to managers when making decisions about selecting appropriate plant materials for seedings. A second major objective is to provide the equipment and techniques required for reestablishing diverse native communities. Research priorities include: 1) increased understanding of genetic variability in native plant species under consideration for use in revegetation; 2) development of seed transfer zones to provide native plant materials adapted to major bio-geographic areas of the Great Basin; 3) improved availability of native plant seed; 4) development of seed technology and cultural practices required for agricultural seed increase of native forbs and grasses; 5) native pollinator management for native seed production and investigation of post-wildfire pollinator recovery; 6) provision for in situ and ex situ conservation of important populations; 7) management or re-establishment of wildland shrub stands to improve seed availability and conserve native populations; 8) investigation of the biology of native forbs, emphasizing seed germination and seedling establishment; 9) assessment of interactions among restoration species and between restoration species and invasive exotics; 10) evaluation of rangeland drills and strategies for establishing diverse native communities; and 11) science delivery. We thank our collaborators for their expertise and the in-kind contributions of their agencies that have made it possible to address many of the issues involved in native plant materials development and use. We especially thank Erin Denney for her patience in formatting and compiling the report. We also thank Jan Gurr and Matt Fisk for assisting with completion of the report. Nancy Shaw Mike Pellant USDA Forest Service USDI Bureau of Land Management Rocky Mountain Research Station Great Basin Restoration Initiative Boise, ID Boise, ID [email protected] [email protected] Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/greatbasin.shtml Great Basin Restoration Initiative: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/gbri.html The results in this report should be considered preliminary in nature and should not be quoted or cited without the written consent of the Principal Investigator for the study. The use of trade or firm names in this report is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or U.S. Department of the Interior of any product or service. The USDA and USDI are equal opportunity providers and employers. iii 2011 Highlights NATIONAL AWARD RECIPIENT The Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project received the Joint USDI Bureau of Land Management/USDA Forest Service Conservation Partner Award, which was presented at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This annual award recognizes an organization or individual representing a conservation organization for their outstanding leadership in the development and implementation of conservation programs and activities that have directly benefited fish, wildlife, and/or plants on public lands or their use, enjoyment, and appreciation. GENETICS, COMMON GARDENS, AND SEED ZONES Adapted Thurber’s needlegrass for the Great Basin Elizabeth Leger and Richard Johnson . Seedlings of Thurber’s needlegrass, grown from seed collected primarily from the Oregon, Idaho and Nevada regions of the Great Basin, were transported to the University of Nevada, Reno in the fall of 2011 and transplanted into a common garden; measurement of plant traits will begin in spring 2012. Analysis of the variation in plant traits will be used to map seed transfer zones for Thurber’s needlegrass in the Great Basin. Genetic diversity and genecology of bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) Brad St. Clair, Richard Johnson, and Nancy Shaw . Bluebunch wheatgrass populations differ substantially for traits of growth, reproduction, leaf morphology, and floral phenology. Moderate correlations of population means with the climates of seed sources suggest that presence of adaptively significant genetic variation that should be considered when moving populations in restoration projects. Geographic genetic variation is mapped based on the relationships between traits and climate, and seed zones are delineated that guide the choice of adapted populations for revegetation and restoration of grasslands in the interior Pacific Northwest and Great Basin. Conservation, adaptation and seed zones for key Great Basin species Richard Johnson, Mike Cashman, and Ken Vance-Borland . Proposed seed zones for Indian ricegrass germplasm, representing the southern and eastern Central Basin and Range across to the Southwestern Tablelands ecoregions, were completed based on data collected from common garden studies established in 2007. Germplasm collection for Sandberg bluegrass and Basin wildrye was completed across the Great Basin. Seeds from each location were germinated, grown under greenhouse conditions, and transplanted to common garden sites. The Sandberg bluegrass gardens were established in 2008; data was collected in 2009 and 2010. Analyses so far indicate strong differences among plants from different locations indicating strong genetic variation. Common gardens of basin wildrye were established in 2010; data collection for phenology, production, and morphological traits was completed in 2011 and will continue in 2012 and 2013. iv 2011 Highlights Ecological genetics of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata): Genetic structure and climate-based seed zone mapping Bryce Richardson, Nancy Shaw, and Joshua Udall . Phylogenetic analyses of 24 genes (12,000 base pairs of DNA sequence) suggest diploid Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana and Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata are distinct (monophyletic) subspecies. Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis is not a monophyletic subspecies, originating from different diploid lineages of Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and vaseyana. Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis is a tetraploid complex with varying affinities to diploid Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and vaseyana. Tetraploid lineages are likely formed locally or regionally from nearby populations of diploid Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and vaseyana. Selecting sagebrush seed sources for restoration in a variable climate: Ecophysical variation among genotypes Matt Germino . Physiological fitness of different seed sources for big sagebrush restoration is under evaluation, utilizing common gardens previously established for the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project. The results will fill a key data gap for development of climatic seed-transfer zones. Preliminary data suggest that the populations (seed sources) differ appreciably in 1) water status and associated photosynthetic carbon gain and growth at midsummer, and 2) physiological tolerance of freezing during wintertime. We anticipate that further analysis of the data will reveal that selection for rapid initial growth appears to confer stress resistance and establishment success, in contrast to the traditional