About the Project

Plants and Potential for Wildfire

Soils and Biogeochemistry

Water Runoff and Erosion

Birds and Insects

Economics

Citizens' and Managers' Perspectives

Land Management Treatments

SageSTEP Team Members

SageSTEP Partners

Other Sagebrush Treatments

Mowing

The Bureau of Land Management Salt Lake Field Office implemented the mowing treatment on the 75-acre core plot over the course of five days in mid-October 2006. All sagebrush in the plot was mowed to approximately 12-15 inches, while the understory remained primarily in tact.

tractor pulling mower
mowed sagebrush
Tractor pulling the mower at the Onaqui study site.
Sagebrush plant after being mowed with un-mowed plants in the background.

Herbicide

Tebuthiuron (Spike 20P) is being applied aerial at all sagebrush study sites to thin the sagebrush and encourage understory growth.

aerial application of tebuthiuron
aerial application of tebuthiuron
Aerial application of the tebuthiuron herbicide at the Moses Coulee study site.

Imazapic (Plateau) pre-emergence herbicide has been crossed with the four main treatments (prescribed fire, tebuthiuron, mowing, and control) on half of the sub-plots at all sagebrush study sites to control cheatgrass. This herbicide is applied by hand and the rate depends on the amount of understory growth on the plot.

Spraying Plateau herbicide
Plateau herbicide treatment
Plateau pre-emergence herbicide being sprayed on the Onaqui sagebrush/cheatgrass burn plot.

Mowing and herbicide treatments have been implemented at SageSTEP study sites as follows:

Fall 2008: Hart Mountain - Gray Butte, Moses Coulee, Owyhee, Saddle Mountain

Fall 2007: Hart Mountain - Rock Creek, Roberts

Fall 2006: Onaqui Sage/Cheat

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