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Project ID: 03-3-3-11

Year: 2003

Date Started: 07/29/2003

Date Completed: 01/25/2007

Title: Effects of Fuels Treatments on Native Flora and Fauna: Restoration in Weed-Invaded Landscapes of the Northern Rocky Mountains

Project Proposal Abstract: Wildfire threat and noxious weed invasion are leading issues facing wildland managers in the western United States, and National Fire Plan initiatives call for widespread use of fuels treatments that include weed control measures to restore historic conditions. In the northern Rocky Mountains, prescribed fire together with herbicides targeting noxious weeds are being applied in the wildland-urban interface, where open forests are threatened by both fire suppression and invasion by spotted knapweed, the region's most serious weed. Our research indicates that knapweed invasion dramatically impacts the diverse native plant and animal communities associated with these open forests, and indications are that spotted knapweed and other noxious weeds proliferate following fire. Therefore, managers are increasingly implementing fuels management strategies that combine prescribed burning with herbicide treatments that suppress weeds. However, it is unknown how these combined prescribed fire and herbicide treatments will affect native flora and fauna. Such fuels treatments may lead to restoration of critical habitat attributes for wildlife species, including the control of weed invasion, but research is needed to evaluate the ecological consequences. We propose to build onan ongoing study to evaluate the effects of combined prescribed fire and herbicide treatments on big game, small mammals, birds, and habitat conditions associated with open forests. Established study sites on the Lob NF in Montana were treated with herbicide in September 2002, to be followed by prescribed burning in spring 2003. Post-treatment sampling of flora and fauna using standard protocols at 8 treatment and 8 no-treat control sites is funded through FY 2003. We request funds for FY 2004-2005 to complete quantification of treatment effects. Because pre-treatment datasets have already been compiled and extensive financial support has been obtained, research costs are greatly reduced, and definitive results will be available in a timely manner. Products of the proposed research will be directly applicable to wildland management in the northern Rocky Mountains, providing comprehensive information on the ecSlogical effects of combined burning and herbicide treatments on native plants and animals.

Principal Investigator: Yvette Ortega

Agency/Organization: Forest Service

Branch or Dept: RMRS-Forestry Sciences Lab-Missoula

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Co-Principal Investigator	Dean Pearson	Forest Service	RMRS-Forestry Sciences Lab-Missoula
Co-Principal Investigator	Diana Six	University of Montana	College of Forestry & Conservation
Co-Principal Investigator	Catherine Stewart	City of Los Alamos
Federal Cooperator	Yvette Ortega	Forest Service	RMRS-Forestry Sciences Lab-Missoula

Project Locations

Consortium

Northern Rockies

Northwest

There are no project locations identified for this project.

Project Deliverables

Final Report ("Results presented in JFSP Final Reports may not have been peer-reviewed and should be interpreted as tentative until published in a peer-reviewed source.")

There are no deliverables available for this project.

Supporting Documents

The following supporting documents are available for this project.

Brief

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