339Chapter 12
Assessing Restoration and Management Needs
for Ecosystems Invaded by Exotic Annual
Bromus Species
Thomas A. Monaco , Stuart P. Hardegree , Mike Pellant ,
and Cynthia S. Brown
Abstract Invasive annual grass research and management in arid and semiarid eco-
systems of the Western United States (USA) have historically focused on reducing
weed abundance as opposed to ecosystem restoration, which addresses the underly-
ing processes responsible for their persistence. Given the current impact of invasive
annual grasses and their continued spread in this region, we identifi ed common
characteristics responsible for persistence of the most problematic exotic annual
Bromus. For heavily invaded areas, these include transient, yet typically large seed
banks, altered soil resource availability and litter production, displacement of native
species, and frequent disturbance from fi re. To better address these common charac-
teristics for future management, we illustrate how an adaptive management frame-
work can reduce existing uncertainty associated with the restoration of arid and
semiarid ecosystems. We also assess how research and management infl uence these
characteristics with a case study of treatment outcomes for Bromus tectorum L.
(cheatgrass or downy brome) control and a case study of current approaches used by
T. A. Monaco (*)
US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research
Laboratory , Utah State University , Logan , UT 84322-6300 , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
S. P. Hardegree
US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service , Northwest Watershed
Research Center , Boise , ID 83712 , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
M. Pellant
US Department of Interior , Bureau of Land Management , Boise , ID 83709 , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
C. S. Brown
Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management , Colorado State University ,
Fort Collins , CO 80523-1177 , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
M.J. Germino et al. (eds.), Exotic Brome-Grasses in Arid and Semiarid
Ecosystems of the Western US, Springer Series on Environmental Management,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_12