Evalutaion of Native Plant Seeds and Seeding in the East-Side Central Cascades Ponderosa Pine Zone

In dry, open coniferous forests of the montane West, stand-replacing wildfires and land use activities alter the composition and abundance of native grasses and forbs by degrading the habitat and accelerating the invasion of exotic annuals. On these lands, native forbs and grasses delayed or prevented from recovery by natural processes may require intervention through supplementary seeding. However, effective seeding of native plants requires that their seed traits and the potential outcome of the seeding be better understood. This study evaluated seeds and seedlings of 13 native forbs and 5 grasses common in the dry Pinus ponderosa/Purshia tridentata/ Festuca idahoensis plant communities east of the Oregon Cascades crest and their potential for establishment in a landscape altered by past grazing and a recent, stand-replacing wildfire.