Ag Data Commons
Browse

Long-term effects of restoration treatments in a juniper woodland invaded by annual exotic grasses: juniper removal, pile burning and native seeding

dataset
posted on 2025-01-22, 00:09 authored by Michelle A. Day, Becky K. Kerns
These data document understory vegetation cover and juniper overstory cover for a juniper removal study with unthinned controls on the Crooked River National Grassland in central Oregon, USA. Juniper removal was conducted in 2008-2010, slash was piled and burned, and piles and skid trails were later seeded with two different seed mixes. Both plot- and transect-level data were measured. Plot data include understory vegetation cover by vascular species measured with randomly placed 1-meter (m) plots in two different experiments of disturbance type: 1) slash piles, and 2) skid trails, followed by three native seeding treatments 1) cultivar, 2) local sources, and 3) no seed. Both seed mixes contained western yarrow (Achillea millefolium), bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata). Plots were measured prior to juniper removal in 2008 in the slash pile disturbance experiment, and then following treatment in both the slash pile and skid trail disturbance experiments in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017. Plot measurements include ground cover by type, plant cover by species, and juniper basal area. For transect data, understory vegetation cover by vascular species and juniper overstory were measured with systematically placed line-point transects across the landscape for a nine year period - prior to thinning in 2008, and then in 2013 and 2017, three and seven years post-treatment, respectively. Transect measurements include ground cover by type, plant cover by species, and juniper density (high or low).
Understory vegetation and juniper overstory data were collected to examine the long-term (~8 years) effectiveness of both post-treatment seeding and the project treatments more generally in terms of restoring sagebrush community composition and structure and increasing ecosystem resilience, and to assess if pre-treatment juniper basal area affected restoration outcomes. Understory vegetation data were also collected to examine the impact of juniper removal and the longer-term effectiveness of post-fuel reduction and in particular, the response of three invasive annual grasses: cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), medusahead (Tainantherum caput-medusae) and ventenata (Ventenata dubia).

Funding

USDA-FS

History

Data contact name

Michelle Day

Data contact email

michelle.day@usda.gov

Publisher

Forest Service Research Data Archive

Use limitations

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation: Day, Michelle A.; Kerns, Becky K. 2020. Long-term effects of restoration treatments in a juniper woodland invaded by annual exotic grasses: juniper removal, pile burning and native seeding. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2020-0032

Temporal Extent Start Date

2008-01-01

Temporal Extent End Date

2017-12-31

Theme

  • Not specified

Geographic Coverage

{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"type": "Feature", "geometry": {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-121.34639, 44.53464], [-121.34639, 44.51231], [-121.32639, 44.51231], [-121.32639, 44.53464], [-121.34639, 44.53464]]]}, "properties": {}}]}

Geographic location - description

This study took place on the Crooked River National Grassland in central Oregon. Data were collected at a treatment unit in a wildland urban interface on 125 1x1-m plots. Additionally, 166 transec...

ISO Topic Category

  • biota

National Agricultural Library Thesaurus terms

Forestry, Wildland Management

OMB Bureau Code

  • 005:96 - Forest Service

OMB Program Code

  • 005:059 - Management Activities

Pending citation

  • No

Public Access Level

  • Public

Identifier

RDS-2020-0032