Great Basin Native Plant Project 2016 Progress Report Providing knowledge, technology, and research to improve the availability of native plant materials for restoring diverse native plant communities across the Great Basin GREAT BASIN NATIVE PLANT PROJECT 2016 PROGRESS REPORT USDA FOREST SERVICE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION AND USDI BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, BOISE, ID November 2018 COOPERATORS USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Research Program, Boise, ID, Provo, UT, and Albuquerque, NM USDI Bureau of Land Management, Plant Conservation Program, Washington, DC Boise State University, Boise, ID Brigham Young University, Provo, UT Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ Oregon State University, Corvallis and Bend, OR Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR Private Contractors and Land Owners Native Seed Industry University of Idaho, Research and Extension Center, Aberdeen, ID University of Nevada, Reno, NV University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Elko and Reno, NV Utah State University, Logan, UT USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Oregon Agriculture Research Center, Burns, OR USDA Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT USDA Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, Reno, NV USDA Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Plant Introduction Center, Pullman, WA USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest, Olympia, WA USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID USDI Bureau of Land Management, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State Offices US Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID US Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV US Geological Survey Colorado Plateau Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT i GREAT BASIN NATIVE PLANT PROJECT 2016 PROGRESS REPORT The Interagency Native Plant Materials Development Program outlined in the 2002 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and United States Department of Interior (USDI) Report to Congress encouraged use of native plant materials for rangeland rehabilitation and restoration where feasible. The Great Basin Native Plant Project is a cooperative project lead by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Plant Conservation Program and the United States Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station that was initiated to provide information that will be useful to managers when making decisions about the selection of genetically appropriate materials and technologies for vegetation restoration. The Project is supported by the USDI Bureau of Land Management, Plant Conservation Program and administered by the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Research Program. Research priorities are to: . Increase the variety of native plant materials available for restoration in the Great Basin. Provide an understanding of species variability and potential response to climate change to improve seed transfer guidelines. Develop seeding technology and equipment for successful reestablishment of native plant communities. Transfer research results to land managers, private sector seed growers, and restoration contractors. We thank our many collaborators for their dedication and their institutions for their in-kind contributions. The wide array of expertise represented by this group has made it possible to address the many challenges involved with this endeavor. Special thanks also to our resident technicians and volunteers: Kimberly Stocks and Chirs Link for help in compiling this report and for managing our field and laboratory research. Francis Kilkenny USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Boise, ID [email protected] Great Basin Native Plant Project www.GreatBasinNPP.org Citation Kilkenny, Francis; Edwards, Fred; Irwin, Jessica; Barga, Sarah. 2017. Great Basin Native Plant Project: 2016 Progress Report. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 211 p. ii FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY GBNPP PROJECTS Closing Projects 0 Continuing Projects 18 New Projects 5 PROJECT ACTIVITY Presentations 29 Publications 18 iii 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 accuracy, reliability, and originality of work presented in this report are the responsibility of the individual authors. The use of trade or firm names in this report is for reader information only and does not imply endorsement by the USDA or USDI of any product or service. Pesticide Precautionary Statement: This publication reports some research involving pesticide use. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife― if they are not handled or applied appropriately. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. The USDA and USDI are equal opportunity providers and employers. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS I. GBNPP PROJECT OVERVIEW COOPERATORS ............................................................................................................................ i PROGRESS REPORT INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ ii FY2016 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... iii DISCLAIMER .............................................................................................................................. iv II. PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS NEW PROJECTS ...........................................................................................................................1 CONTINUING PROJECTS ...............................................................................................................4 III. GENETICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Seedling Traits, Seed Production, Phenology, and Soil Phenotype Relationships Kathryn Alexander, Matt Orr, Ron Reuter, Francis Kilkenny, Brad St. Clair, and Holly Prendeville .....................................................................................................................14 Genetic and Environmental Regulation of Functional Traits: New Approaches for Restoration in a Changing Climate – NEW PROJECT Brad Butterfield .......................................................................................................................19 Evaluation of Local Adaptation in Achnatherum hymenoides and Artemisia spp.: Implications for Restoration in a Changing Regional Climate Lesley DeFalco, Daniel Shryock, and Todd Esque..................................................................24 Analyses of Common-Gardens to Inform Seed-Transfer Guidelines in the Great Basin Matt Germino ...........................................................................................................................34 Conservation, Adaptation, and Seed Zones for Key Great Basin Species R.C. Johnson, Vicki Bradley, Mike Cashman, and Steve Love ................................................41 Climate Niche Comparisons of Cold Desert Forbs Using Herbarium Records Elizabeth Leger and Sarah Barga............................................................................................47 v Climate Change Effects on Native Plant Establishment and Annual Grass Invasion: Implicatins for Restoration Beth Newingham and Keirith Snyder .......................................................................................58 Testing the Efficacy of Seed Zones for Re-establishment and Adaptation of Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) Holly Prendeville, Francis Kilkenny, and Brad St. Clair ........................................................64 Morphological and Genetic Characterization of Blue Penstemon (Penstemon cyaneus) Mikel Stevens and Robert Johnson ..........................................................................................71 IV. PLANT MATERIALS AND CULTURAL PRACTICES Developing Protocols to Maximize Seedling Establishment and Seed Production for Utah Trefoil (Lotus utahensis Ottley) B. Shaun Bushman and Douglas Johnson ...............................................................................82 Great Basin Research Center Seed Increase – NEW PROJECT Kevin Gunnell ..........................................................................................................................87 Plant Material Work at the Provo Shrub Science Lab Scott Jensen ..............................................................................................................................91 Seed Production of Great Basin Native Forbs Clinton Shock, Erik Feibert, Joel Felix, Nancy Shaw, and Francis Kilkenny 1. Irrigation Requirements for Native Buckwheat Seed Production in a Semi-arid Environment .......................................................................................................................97