Date of Award:

5-2016

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Committee Chair(s)

Eric T. Thacker

Committee

Eric T. Thacker

Committee

Terry A. Messmer

Committee

Thomas A. Monaco

Abstract

On Parker Mountain located in south central Utah, management actions such as controlling mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana), with mechanical and chemical treatments can increase forage for livestock and benefit wildlife such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Tebuthiuron treatments were applied on Parker Mountain from 2000-2012 with assistance from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Treatments applied to mountain big sagebrush on Parker Mountain provide an important opportunity to evaluate the value of mountain big sagebrush treatments in an adaptive management approach.

Previous research demonstrated that chemical and mechanical treatments implemented to reduce mountain sagebrush canopy cover resulted in increased forb canopy cover. Subsequent tebuthiuron treatments were then applied (0.37 kg ha-1 -0.74 kg ha-1 active ingredient) to approximately 202 ha per year over 6 years. The Parker Mountain Adaptive Resources Management local working group in conjunction with Utah State University Extension proposed a two-year research project to evaluate the long-term vegetation responses to sagebrush canopy cover reduction treatments on herbaceous biomass. The project proponents were also interested in documenting the vegetation composition of the black sagebrush (Artemisia nova A. Nelson) community on Parker Mountain because approximately 70% of the mountain is the black sagebrush ecotype. The research project provided important information and quantified the herbaceous vegetation responses in terms of vegetation canopy cover relative to sagebrush management techniques used on Parker Mountain.

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