1. Limitations to post-fire seedling establishment Jeremy James and Tony Svejcar

2. Seeding following fire is critical tool for soil stabilization and preventing weed spread Tens of millions of dollars are spent on seeding each year Seed success rates are extremely low on arid rangeland Reasons for low success rates are poorly understood Background

3. Following four fires, plots were seeded with a rangeland drill or by hand, and Some plots also were weeded and watered Project outline

4. Four fire complexes in southeastern Oregon Egley Bartlett Roundtop Butte

5. Native grasses and forbs recovered following all four fires

6. Establishment was 3-fold higher in plots where seeds were planted by hand

7. Weeding or watering plots did not increase establishment

8. Need techniques to determine if post-fire reseeding is really necessary We cannot assume more precipitation or fewer weeds will improve reseeding success Seeding technology remains a major limitation to our ability to restore rangeland Conclusion

9. This project is part of a larger effort by ARS Burns, OR to improve seedling establishment in rangeland restoration efforts Project information For more information contact Jeremy James 541-573-8911 (jeremy.james @oregonstate.edu) Tony Svejcar 541-573-8901 (tony.svejcar@ oregonstate.edu)