1. Ecological Site Based
Shrubland Management
For Utah
Rebecca Mann, MS Ecology, Utah State University
Tom Monaco, USDA-Agricultural Research Station
Kari Veblen, Wildlands Resources Department, Utah State University

2. Steep and shallow loamy hillsides, Salina wildrye
Land grouped by:
Sandy Loam bottoms, Alkali sacaton
Slide by Jamin Johanson, NRCS
•
•
•
•
•
Soil type
Landscape position
Climate
Hydrology
Potential natural plant
communities

3. Steep and shallow loamy hillsides, Salina wildrye
Sandy Loam bottoms, Alkali sacaton
Slide by Jamin Johanson, NRCS
Different
potential plant
communities
across different
sites

4. Ecological Site-Based
Management
Ecological Sites: A Tool
for Effective
Management

5. Ecological Site-Based
Management
Experimental Framework
 Shrub Reduction
• Herbicide Application
• Mowing
 Herbaceous Understory
Increase
• Broadcast Seeding
 8 Ecological Sites
 Landscape scale
& Small-plot scale

6. Research Objectives
Goal 1
Determine the magnitude
of shrub reduction in
response to herbicide and
mowing, and rate of
recovery of four target
shrubs in the Great Basin
study area.

7. Research Objectives
Goal 2
Determine the
magnitude and duration
of herbaceous species
increase following
reduction of four target
shrubs in the Great Basin
study area.

8. Research Objectives
Goal 3
Evaluate how outcomes
of shrub management
tactics vary due to
Ecological Site,
at the small plot scale and
the landscape scale.

9. Study Area
Bear Lake: Sagebrush
Artemisia spp.
Park Valley: Greasewood
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
Two Ecological
Sites per ranch
Cedar Fort: Snakeweed
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Birdseye: Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosus

10. Experimental Design
80-400 Acres
Ecological Site A
1½ -acre
study area
Sampling
transects
Ecological Site B
Untreated
Control
Herbicide
Treatment

11. Site Summary
Cedar Fort
Birdseye
Black
Greasewood
Snakeweed
Rubber
Rabbitbrush
Tebuthiuron 20P
(Alligare)
Low
(2.5lbs/acre)
Upland Loam
(Wyoming Big Sagebrush)
Kerl Loam
Lonjon Silt Loam
Semidesert Loam
(Wyoming Big Sagebrush)
Lembos Loam
Kunzler Loam
Upland Shallow Hardpan
(Pinyon-Utah Juniper)
Borvant Cobbly
Loam
Upland Stony Loam
(Mountain Big Sgebrush)
Park Valley
Wyoming Big
Sagebrush
Ecological Sites
Associated Soil
Series
Semidesert Alkali Loam
(Black Greasewood)
Bear Lake
Herbicide
Application
Rate
Upland Stony Loam
(Black Sagebrush)
Location
Dominant
Shrub
Donnardo Stony
Loam
Upland Loam
(Basin Big Sagebrush)
Ant Flat Loam
Upland Loam
(Mountain Big Sagebrush)
Doyce Loam
Escort XP
(DuPont)
Cimmaron Max
(DuPont)
Picloram + D
(Alligare)
Med-High
(2.0 oz/acre)
Low
(1.0 oz/acre)
Med-High
(4 pts/acre)

12. Landscape Scale
Measurements
2013 - 2016
 Shrub Density
• 1m x 20m belt transect
• By age class
• Live vs. dead
 Herbaceous Cover, Frequency
• Ten, ¼ m2 quadrats
 Herbaceous Biomass
• Two ¼ m2 quadrats/year

13. Small Plot Experimental Design
20'
Rep 4
10'
RE
CM
CT
KI
CM
RE
CT
KI
SP
KI
RE
SP
CT
CM
RE
CM
KI
SP
CT
CM
SP
RE
KI
CT
KI
SP
CT
RE
CM
CT
CM
KI
RE
SP
KI
CT
CM
SP
RE
Rep 3
SP
Rep 1
Rep 2
O
40'
20'
Gate

14. Small Plot Experimental Design
SP
CM
KI
RE
CT
RE
KI
CT
SP
CM
Code
Mowing
Improved Seed Mix
Non-seeded Control
Standard Seed Mix
Trade name
Active Ingredient
SP
Spike
Tebuthiron 20P
CM
Cimmaron Max
2,4-D, Dicamba, +
Metsulfuron methyl
KI
Kindra
Aminocyclopyrachlor
+ 2,4-D
RE
Rejuvra
Aminocyclopyrachlor
+ Metsulfuron methyl
CT
Nontreated Control

15. 5 herbicide treatments x 3 seed treatments x 2 mowing treatments x 4 replicates
= 120 plots per experimental area
In 8 Ecological Sites
20'
Rep 4
10'
RE
CM
CT
KI
CM
RE
CT
KI
SP
KI
RE
SP
CT
CM
RE
CM
KI
SP
CT
CM
SP
RE
KI
CT
KI
SP
CT
RE
CM
CT
CM
KI
RE
SP
KI
CT
CM
SP
RE
Rep 3
SP
Rep 1
Rep 2
O
40'
20'
Gate

16. Small-Scale Plot Measurements
2013 - 2016
 Shrub Density
• 10’ x 20’ plot
• By age class
• Live vs. dead
 Shrub Cover
• 40’ Line-Intercept
 Herbaceous Cover, Frequency
• Eight ¼ m2 quadrats
 Herbaceous Biomass
• Eight ¼ m2 quadrats in 2016

17. Project Progress
 Landscape-scale herbicide
application at each ranch
(Fall 2012 - Summer 2013)
 Fenced 1½ acre Experimental
Areas established (Fall 2012)
 Pretreatment Field Measurements
(Summer 2013)
 Treatment in small plots:
Herbicide application and mowing
(Summer 2013 – Fall 2013)
 Seeding will occur in Fall 2014
 Analysis is ongoing; Finalized 2017

18. Outreach and Additional Aspects
 Field Tours of Experimental Sites 2016
 USU Extension Shrubland Management Project
https://extension.usu.edu/rangelands/htm/utah-projects/utah-shrub-project
 Utah Shrubland Management Handbook
• Review of Literature
• Analysis of state management datasets
• Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative
• Division of Wildlife Resources Range Trend

19. Management Approach Matters
Treatments very in their
capacity to reduce shrub
cover and improve
herbaceous understory.
Variability due to
• Ecological Site
• Biology of shrub
• Site History
Assessment of shrub
manipulation treatments
implemented through
Utah’s Watershed
Restoration Initiative
since 2005 (T. Monaco,
unpublished data).

20. Ecological Site-Based Handbook for
Shrubland Management in Utah
• Use best information available: contemporary data sets, current
knowledge, up to date technology for brush management and
range planting.
• Highlight how Ecological Sites influence effectiveness of range
improvement practices (for wildlife, livestock, etc).
• Use Ecological Sites to improve predictability of management
outcomes.
• Applicable for shrub-dominated sites throughout Utah

21. Outreach and Additional Aspects
 Field Tours of Experimental Sites 2016
 USU Extension Shrubland Management Project
https://extension.usu.edu/rangelands/htm/utah-projects/utah-shrub-project
 Utah Shrubland Management Handbook
• Review of Literature
• Analysis of state management datasets
• Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative
• Division of Wildlife Resources Range Trend
 Associated Questions
• Seed Production in response to shrub management at project site
• Competitive ability of native grass ecotypes across sites/stresses

22. Acknowledgements
Project Contributors
Dr. Tom Monaco, Justin Williams
Dr. Kari Veblen
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Wildlands Resources Department, Utah State University
Research Cooperators
Beth Burrit, Dr. Roger Banner
USU Extension
Jamin Johanson, Jamison Jewkes, Matthew Phillippi
USDA Nat. Res. Cons. Service
Troy Forrest, Ashley Hansen
UDAF Utah Grazing Improvement Program
Bill Kral, John Cantlon, Nevin DuPleissis
DuPont
Bill Robinson, Lance Westmoreland, Rial Berry, Monty Weston
Landholders
Field Assistance
Justin Chutich, Brittany Duncan, Sarahi Felix, Joe Lamb, Jessica Walker
Additional Support
Rebecca Mann,
Wildlands Resources Dept,
Utah State University
rkmann@gmail.com
Veblen Research Lab
University Agricultural Experiment Station
Ecology Center Utah State University
Wildlands Resources Dept., College of Natural Resources, Utah State University