Ecologically-based management of snakeweed-infested sagebrush steppe communities in the Great Basin

Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) is a native weed that thrives after disturbances on semiarid rangelands of the western U.S. The objectives of this research were to: (1) identify the components of a native community that prevent snakeweed invasion following disturbances; and (2) evaluate the ability of selected seeded species to suppress snakeweed establishment and growth. A comparison of different plant community phases showed that an abundant understory of perennial bunchgrasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass (Elymus spicatus), were able to resist invasion by broom snakeweed. A greenhouse study showed that crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum) was consistent across treatments and years in suppressing snakeweed seedling growth. A field study also showed that crested wheatgrass was the most consistent species in terms of its ability to establish on snakeweed-infested sites and suppress snakeweed growth.