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CRAIG'S JUICY NATIVE GRASS GOSSIP & Research

No. 2 - Spring, 1996 - BLM, USFS and U.S. Military Issue
featuring Native Grass Ecotypes & Genetic Gels.

NATIVE GRASS GENETIC GEL [image]

Agropyron spicatum from Susanville BLM , 1995 gels.

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The Reveg Edge (sm) organizes samples for gel runs once or twice a year, whenever collectors have accumulated at least 70 native grass samples. Contact Craig Dremann (650)325-7333 for the next gel series deadline.

Future participants should mail the following items to P.O. Box 609, Redwood City, CA. 94064:

1.) Send a list of the native grass species you would like to collect for the gels and how many populations you might like to attempt to collect from in one season.

2.) Send a map of the area you might collect from for your gel samples, with your potential collection range (north/south/east/west) circled. A folded BLM or USFS 1:100,000 scale Surface Management Status or Forest map is best.

3.) One ounce of ripe seed is needed for the isoenzyme gels. There are several methods that you can use to tell when native grass seeds are ripe. The "thumbnail test" is where you press your thumbnail into the seeds and see how it yields; the harder the seed is, the riper it is. Another method is to collect seed from plants where the portion of the stem, where the seed is attached, has turned brown, indicating that no more nutrients will reach the seeds.

4.) #11 manila, 28 weight open-end policy envelopes are the recommended seed sample envelopes. They can be special-ordered from most stationary stores. They are a little larger than a regular mailing envelope, except that they open on the end, and you can get in and out of the envelope by just unfolding or folding the end, and they hold about one ounce of cleaned grass seed. Never use plastic! Use these envelopes or some other type of manila envelopes or paper bags to store your seed samples in.

5.) Agreements (Challenge-Cost-Share, P.O., etc.) need to be written, either a state-wide, or by individual Resource Area, Forest or Ranger District, so that I can organize your seed samples and cover the costs of preparing and running the gels.

In three year, I have received 1,228 native grass seed samples from the USFS!
I believe BLM and the U.S. military land managers have as much desire in using natives for ecological restoration and revegetation as the USFS

BOOK: Problem Analysis for the Vegetation Diversity Project.
By David A. Pike & Michael M. Borman. 1993. USDI, BLM. Technical Note, Oregon State Office, OR-036-0l. 100 pages. FREE from the National Biological Service, Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR. 97331. Phone (541) 750-7307

Pike & Borman have written one of the most important publications on ecological restoration.
It is a how-to book which outlines the scope of knowledge that will be necessary for large scale ecological restoration. They are asking: What would be necessary to do ecological restoration using locally collected natives to restore seven million acres of desert land that would not recover naturally over time?

The publication is divided into two sections: The first part -- outlines what areas of knowledge we need to do successful ecological restoration:

1.) An ecosystem description.
2.) Vegetation dynamics.
3.) Competition and Establishment.
4.) Plant materials and Seed Technology.
5.) Maintenance of Native Plant Diversity.
6.) Concerns of Land and Resource Managers.

The second part-- outlines the studies necessary to gain the knowledge we need, and has prioritized the research into small projects encouraging land managers to make accomplishments each year. Topic headings are:

1.) Plant communities for study.
2.) Long-term monitoring of Biological diversity.
3.) Competition and Establishment.
4.) Plant materials and Seed Technology.
5.) Maintenance of Desired Native Vegetation.
6.) Special Status Plants.

Under section four, for example, the Plant Materials and Seed Technology section,
there are subsections A, B and C:

A. Ecotypes and Phenotypes.
B. Problem Diaspores.
C. Seed Priming.

Then, when you look up under the subsections, like Subsection A, Ecotypes and Phenotypes, there are five prioritized experiments you can do to answer questions about plant ecotypes. How easy can it get?! The dream ecological restoration cook-book!

The literature cited lists over 250 references, and there are interesting Appendices:

A.) Commercial seed Sources.
B.) Cultural Practices [for specific species].
C.) Seed testing.
D.) Seed storage.
E.) Seed treatment studies [of specific species like Indian Ricegrass].
F.) Noxious weeds [lists state-by-state].
G.) Concerns of Land and Resource Managers [replies from staff of various BLM offices].

ARTICLE: Vanishing Grasslands. By Manfred Knaak, California State Archaeologist. January 1996 issue of the Resource Inventory Reporter, Anza-Borego Desert State Park, General Plan Team. Phone (619) 767-4879. Article hypothesizes that perennial grasslands may have been much more widespread in the Anza-Borego area, based on finding Native American grinding rocks, typically used for preparing acorn meal, far from any oak trees. It is suggested that the grinding rocks were used to process Indian Rice grass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) but those stands have been exterminated by grazing.

Updated December 23, 2022 - The Reveg Edge Ecological Restoration services.