Viable Seedbank Composition Under a Gradient of Western Juniper Cover

Corinne Duncan, M.S. candidate, Oregon State University, duncan@onid.orst.edu

Jane Mangold, Ecologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Burns, Oregon, 541-573-4073, http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/EOARC/abouthome/Mangold.htm

Rick Miller, Dave Pyke, Jaime Ratchford

These researchers are interested in how seed pools change with increasing juniper canopy cover and volume.

The objective of this study is to determine the composition of plant species found in the seed bank under a gradient of increasing western juniper abundance during early fall (the standard burning season).

Soil core samples will be collected in the fall before and after prescribed burning. Since fire destroys seeds in the litter layer, researchers will separate litter from the mineral soil. The seed pool will be evaluated by direct germination carried out in a greenhouse.

For additional information, please contact the researchers directly.