{"id":2200,"date":"2022-05-31T14:53:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T20:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2022-05-31T15:09:47","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T21:09:47","slug":"research-weed-management-post%e2%80%90fire-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/research\/research-weed-management-post%e2%80%90fire-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"Research: Weed Management Post\u2010Fire Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boulder County Parks & Open Space offers grants for research on county open space lands each year. All proposals are reviewed by a team of resource specialists, and awarded research projects are monitored during their activities on open space.<\/em><\/p>\n

The following is a summary of a 2021 study conducted by Christina Alba and Michelle DePrenger\u2010Levin at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The project focused on post\u2010fire assessment and incorporation of indaziflam (Rejuvra\u00ae).<\/p>\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n

Land managers are increasingly tasked with understanding interacting global change phenomena. Biological invasions and altered fire regimes are two aspects of global change that together shape vegetation dynamics and ecological function in the western United States.<\/p>\n

Non\u2010native winter annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass), which respond well to fire and change fuel characteristics, can create a plant\u2010fire cycle that leads to loss of native biodiversity and attendant ecosystem function. Recent advances with pre\u2010emergent herbicides have provided managers with an additional tool for controlling non\u2010native annuals and biennials, while potentially reducing unwanted impact on native perennials.<\/p>\n

Indaziflam (Rejuvra\u00ae) has recently been approved for use in natural areas, where its effect on propagule availability could mediate plant community response to pulsed disturbances such\u00a0as fire. For example, given the targeted effect of Rejuvra\u00ae on shortlived species, it is of interest to assess whether its use could thwart establishment by short\u2010lived native species that recruit post\u2010fire.<\/p>\n

Here we assessed plant community composition in areas of Heil Valley Ranch and nearby locations in Boulder County, Colorado, that were treated pre\u2010fire (or not) with spraying regimens that include Rejuvra\u00ae, and that were burned (or not) during the 2020 Cal-Wood Fire (setting up a naturally occurring factorial combination of treatments).<\/p>\n

Our overall objective was to determine whether sprayed areas are better primed for post\u2010fire recruitment of desirable native species than untreated areas. Within the umbrella of this objective we:<\/p>\n