Project Number: 5348-21000-026-07
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 01, 2006
End Date: Jul 31, 2011

Objective:
1. Collect Indian Ricegrass from diverse sites and ecological areas in the Great Basin in areas previously uncollected, especially in the northern Great Basin. 2. Based on the current collections representing the Southern Great Basin, establish common gardens studies in contrasting environments and measure numerous phenotypic factors associated with growth and development. Continue this research on new material collected from the northern and central Great Basin. 3. Compare the patterns in phenotypic variation with molecular variation among and within Indian Ricegrass populations collected in the Great Basin. 4. Identify seed transfer zones along with complementary in situ conservation sites. 5. Make source identified plant material available through the Western Regional Plant Introduction Station seed repository and the National Plant Germplasm System.

Approach:
The Western United States includes vast areas of public land managed by federal agencies. The conservation and utilization of native plant resources on these lands, especially after disturbances such as fire, is becoming increasingly important. Yet genetic information on the best seed sources to use for restoration and reclamation in a given area is generally lacking. An understanding of the geographic and ecological distance that plant material should be transferred from original source populations is critically needed. An important species for restoration in the Great Basin is Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides). Current releases of Indian Ricegrass are useful but there is no information on how populations vary across the landscape and which may be most appropriate for a given area. Considering the importance of Indian Ricegrass in the Great Basin plant community, source identified germplasm for the Great Basin is critically needed. This information will greatly facilitate large-scale seed propagation efforts by growers, as well as ensure the adaptability of plant materials used in restoration and revegetation projects. Documents Reimbursable with Forest Service. Log 31855. Formerly 5348-21000-020-14R (9/10/08).