PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #42: Restoration of Public Lands.
Wednesday, August 7. Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Exhibit Hall B & C, TCC

Sagebrush steppe vegetation recovery on wildland fire containment lines.

Blew, Roger^*,1, Forman, Amy¹, Majors, Sue¹, ¹ S.M. Stoller Corp., Idaho Falls, ID

ABSTRACT- Control of large wildland fires in sagebrush steppe generally requires construction of containment lines. The objective of this study was to compare plant recovery on containment lines with that on burned areas. Containment lines constructed around four large wildfires were sampled for vegetation recovery in 2001. The fires burned in 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2000. Transects were established in the center of containment lines and paired nearby in the burned area. A conclusion of no significant difference was based on the precautionary principle. The purpose of statistical analyses in this study was to determine if vegetation recovery on containment lines is comparable to that on burns; thus, a conclusion of no significant difference must be supported by a Type II error rate of <0.20 rather than assumed when >0.05. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) density was generally lower in burned areas than on containment lines. The frequency of cheatgrass on containment lines was significantly higher than on the undisturbed burned areas. Density of non-native forbs was higher on containment lines than in burned areas; results were similar for native forbs. Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) densities and frequencies were generally higher on containment lines than on burned areas. Perennial grass density and perennial grass cover on burned transects were more than double that found on containment line transects.

KEY WORDS: sagebrush steppe, wildland fire, fireline, invasive annuals