Dispersal and Germination of Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Seeds

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate seed dispersal and germination of seeds in the soil as factors in establishment of big sagebrush seedlings. Seed dispersal began at seed maturity in December. Under the shrub canopy the dispersal of seeds was greater to the east. Between shrubs the dispersal of seeds tended to be uniform. For 6 months of each year there were no detectable germinable seeds in the litter and surface soil at the sites sampled. Germinable seeds in the soil increased rapidly during seed dispersal but were not detected by June of the next season. Enrichment of bioassay samples with GA3or KNO3did not enhance emergence of big sagebrush seedlings. Big sagebrush seedlings were found at very low densities in areas previously burned in wildfires. This suggests the presence of viable big sagebrush seeds in the soil at a very low density.

Effects of fire and environmental variables on plant structure and composition in grazed salt desert shrublands of the Great Basin (USA)

“…Compounding the effects of grazing and competition on A. spinescens recovery may be its lack of efficient long-range dispersal. Although we could find no specific information on its dispersal, it likely resembles other sagebrush taxa which generally lack efficient long-range dispersal mechanisms (Marlette and Anderson, 1986;Young and Evans, 1989). A. confertifolia, on the other hand, has a persistent seedbank which may play a role in stand reestablishment following fire (Meyer et al, 1998).…”

Effects of resource availability and propagule supply on native species recruitment in sagebrush ecosystems invaded by Bromus tectorum

“…Propagule supply clearly plays a major role in structuring the plant community during the process of vegetation recovery (D'Antonio et al 2001;. In contrast to B. tectorum, which is neither seed limited nor dispersal limited, native perennial species are seed limited due to depleted seed banks, the absence of mature seed-bearing individuals in the community, and limited dispersal from surrounding areas (Young and Evans 1989). Adding propagules of native perennial species can partially overcome this limitation, but the numbers required are large.…”

History of fire and Douglas-fir establishment in a savanna and sagebrush–grassland mosaic, southwestern Montana, USA

“…This species is killed by surface fires and does not sprout, but reestablishes from seed (Daubenmire, 1975;Morris et al, 1976). Although the seeds are short-lived (Stevens et al, 1981) and likely do not form persistent seedbanks (Young and Evans, 1989), it was likely that sagebrush quickly reestablished from seed sources within our study area because none of the surface fires that we reconstructed burned the entire area (Fig. 3).…”