Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Research Program

Hilary Parkinson

email: hparkinson [at] fs.fed.us

phone: (208)373-4366

or (406) 599- 3459

Education

B.A., European Studies, Mount Holyoke College

B.S., Horticulture, Boise State University

Currently pursuing a masters degrees in Land Resources and Environmental Science at Montana State University

Research Interests

My broad interests are in the restoration and revegetation of disturbed, arid lands.  Current studies focus on the ecology and physiology of Great Basin forbs to understand factors that limit recruitment and establishment of seeded species.  Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is presumed to be a major factor limiting native plant reestablishment following disturbance based on its competitive ability (exploiting soil water in the spring), and by increasing fire frequencies above historic levels (creating a highly flammable, continuous fuel source).  Competition studies to assess the impact of cheatgrass have been done using native shrubs and grasses, but none have been conducted using native forbs.  My graduate work has focused on gaining basic physiological knowledge of selected forb species (growth rates, phenology), as well as assessing the impacts of grass interactions, particularly cheatgrass, on forb growth.  Certain physiological traits (e.g. early or late phenology, root morphology) may be identified that make some species particularly susceptible to or resistant to competition from cheatgrass. 

Current Research 

To assess the impact of soil water exploitation by cheatgrass on seedling growth, four forbs (Achillea millefolium, Eriogonum umbellum, Lomatium grayi, and Penstemon speciosus) were seeded in the fall of 2006 at two locations in the Snake River Plain with the following densities of cheatgrass (plants per m^-2): 0, 45, 90, 180 and 360.  Throughout the spring and summer (2007), soil water is being measured in the plots from 20-100 cm depth at 20 cm intervals in the plots with cheatgrass densities of 0, 180 and 360 m^-2. 

Publications

Parkinson, Hilary, compiler. 2003. Landscaping with native plants of the Intermountain Region. DeBolt, A., Rosentreter, R. and Geertson, V., eds.  Tech. Ref. #1730-3. U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Boise, ID. 47 p.

Parkinson, Hilary and DeBolt, Ann.  2005.  Propagation protocols.  USDA FS – Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, Idaho.  In: Native Plant Network.  URL:  http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org. Moscow (ID): University of Idaho, College of Natural Resources, Forest Research Nursery.