Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Results from this research have direct application for land management personnel from both state and federal agencies and public and private managers in the Intermountain west (e.g. BLM, Forest Service, NRCS, tribal groups, mineland industries, and private ranches; see the accomplishments section of this report for how we disseminated our results to these communities of interest). This work also drew attention from private industry. Our private industry partner, Aquatrols Corporation of America has initiated testing of the seed coating technology developed through this research in at least 14 small plot trials, in the US and Europe. Efforts are being made to commercialize the technology for use on turfgrass and various agricultural crops. Consequently, as a result of investments from the USDA-Rangeland Research Program a new technology is being developed that will not only aid in the restoration of rangelands in the western US, but may improve seeding success for various agricultural systems across the globe. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This research project has provided funding for the completion of two M.S. projects and employment of at least 11 undergraduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? During this reporting period research results were presented at 9 conferences in the USA, Brazil, Australia, Austria, and Germany. Of the 8 presentations two of the topics were also published as peer-reviewed conference proceedings. One U.S. patent application was submitted. Two M.S. Thesis’s were completed at Brigham Young University. We published findings in three per-reviewed journals (see attached citations). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During this reporting period, two graduate thesis projects were completed. One thesis project examined the extent, severity and thickness of post-fire soil water repellency relative to ecological site characteristics within pinyon-juniper woodlands. Results from this research demonstrated how post-fire soil water repellency is widespread within pinyon-juniper woodlands and is almost always found in the tree mound zones or closely adjacent to the burned tree. In addition to tree cover, soil water repellency is also significantly correlated to tree age, soil texture, soil pH, and relative humidity levels prior to the fire. Subsequently these results suggest that as infilling processes enhance pinyon-juniper canopy cover in the coming years, post-fire soil water repellency extent and severity will increase. In addition, reductions in relative humidity brought about by a changing climate may have the potential to link additively with increased tree expansion to increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires and produce stronger soil water repellency over a greater spatial extent. The second thesis project determined soil water repellency’s impact on vegetation recovery and soil water and nitrogen availability. Results of this research indicate that water repellency can reduce soil wetting and plant and microbial access to available nitrogen, which subsequently leads to poor plant establishment. Application of wetting agents was shown to improve ecohydrologic properties required for plant growth and microbial activity by overcoming soil water repellency and thereby increasing the amount and duration of available water. Seed coating research in laboratory and field trials demonstrated that surfactant seed coating technology appears to be an effective means for mitigating soil water repellency limitations and improving rangeland seeding success. However, additional field trials are still needed on different sites and seeding years before this technology can be recommended. In addition to the development of wetting agent seed coating technology, another patent was completed on a new seed enhancement approach, using what we have designated as seed extrusion technology. Through this technology, an extruded pod is formed that provides seed coverage and enhanced conditions for seed germination and seedling growth. In another embodiment, seed is placed in a pod with activated carbon, which deactivates soil active herbicide in the immediate vicinity of planted seed. In another embodiment pellets are formed for drill seeding small seeded species. The pellet is formulated with swelling materials, which causes the pellet to break soil crust and bring seeds near the soil surface where they have a higher probability of emerging. Research was further completed to examine how rangeland fire rehabilitation decisions are made by land managers and to determine potential barriers to the adoption of our proposed seed enhancement technologies. Our surveys of land managers suggest that because of the limited success in restoring rangelands from seed (primarily low-elevation sites), they would incorporate seed enhancement technologies after they have been proven to be successful through adequate field trials.

Publications

• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Daniel L. Zvirzdin. 2012. Post-fire soil water repellency: extent, severity and thickness relative to ecological site characteristics within pi�on-juniper woodlands. Thesis. Brigham Young University, Provo Utah. 31 p.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Kaitlynn J. Fernelius, Post-fire Interactions between soil water repellency, islands of fertility, and Bromus tectorum invasibility. Thesis. Brigham Young University, Provo Utah. 37 p.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Madsen, M.D., D.L. Zvirzdin, B.A. Roundy, and S.J. Kostka. 2014. Improving reseeding success after catastrophic wildfire with surfactant seed coating technology. Journal of ASTM International. (In Press).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Madsen, M.D., K.W. Davies, D.L. Mummey, and T.J. Svejcar. 2014. Improving imazapic selectivity through activated carbon seed enhancement technologies. Rangeland Ecology & Management: 67: 61-67.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Madsen, M.D., K.W. Davies, C.S. Boyd, and J.D. Kerby, D.L. Carter, and T.J. Svejcar. 2013. Restoring North Americas sagebrush steppe ecosystem using seed enhancement technologies. Proceedings of the International Grassland Congress, Sydney, Australia  September 15-19, 2013. (Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., E.G. Coronel, and B.G. Hopkins. 2013. Soil surfactant products for improving hydrologic function in post-fire water repellent soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal 77: 18251830.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., S.J. Kostka, A. Hulet, B.E. Mackey, M.A. Harrison, and M.F. McMillan. 2013. Surfactant Seed Coating  A strategy to improve turfgrass establishment on water repellent soils. International Symposium on Adjuvants for Agrochemicals, Foz do Igua�u, Brazil - April 22-26, 2013.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D. 2013. Seed enhancement technologies for improving native plant establishment. Intermountain Native Plant Summit VII. Boise, Idaho. March 26-27.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., S.J. Kostka, A. Hulet, B.E. Mackey, M.A. Harrison, and M.F. McMillan. 2013. Surfactant Seed Coating  A strategy to improve turfgrass establishment on water repellent soils. Biohydrology Conference, Landau/Pfalz, Germany, May 21-24.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., D.L. Zvirzdin, and S.J. Kostka. 2013. Improving reseeding success after catastrophic wildfire  shifting the paradigm with surfactant seed coatings. Biohydrology Conference, Landau/Pfalz, Germany, May 21-24.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., D.L. Zvirzdin, and S.J. Kostka. 2013. Improving rangeland seeding success in post-fire water repellent soil using surfactant seed coating technology. European Geosciences Union General Assembly. Vienna, Austria. April 7-12.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., and D.L. Zvirzdin. 2013. Improving rangeland seeding success in post-fire water repellent soil using surfactant seed coating technology. Annual Meeting for the Society of Range Management. Oklahoma, Oklahoma City. February 2-8.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Madsen, M.D., S.J. Kostka, A. Hulet, B.E. Mackey, M.A. Harrison, and M.F. McMillan. 2013. Surfactant Seed Coating  A strategy to improve turfgrass establishment on water repellent soils. International Symposium on Adjuvants for Agrochemicals, Foz do Igua�u, Brazil - April 22-26, 2013.

Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: OUTPUTS: Team members have made progress in meeting all objectives of the study, which were to 1) develop a knowledge base of the physical and temporal controls influencing the extent and severity of soil water repellency following fire in pinyon-juniper woodlands, 2) quantify the extent water repellency influences establishment success of native vs. invasive species, 3) further develop seed coating technologies for applying newly-developed wetting agents to native seeds, for improving seedling survival in water repellent soil, 4) seek useful relationships between process knowledge developed in objectives 1-3, to facilitate the development of models that predict how current and future PJ woodland encroachment will impact soil health and revegetation success after fire; incorporate knowledge gained into state and transition theory, and 5) enhance opportunities for land owners and land managers to confidently incorporate native species in restoration projects by lowering thresholds to knowledge, technology, access, and support. Objective 1 and 4: In helping to meet the first and fourth objective of the project we completed our 3rd and final year of sampling the extent, severity and thickness of soil water repellency, and plant community composition across 40 1,000 m2 plots that are disturbed across wildland fires that burned during the 2009 fire season. From this research models have been produced that predict the susceptibility of a site to postfire soil water repellency and impact on revegetation success. Objective 2: Progress on the second objective included the publication of two mechanistic greenhouse studies that focused on the impact soil water repellency has on soil moisture and seedling emergence and survival, and on potential amelioration treatments for overcoming this condition. We also resampled field plots that are designed to verify greenhouse studies, and implemented studies that are focused on understanding how water repellency influences nitrogen availability. Objective 3: Research associated with meeting objective 3 included the publication of laboratory and greenhouse research on the development wetting agent seed coating technology. We also resampled wetting-agent seed coating trials that were established during the 2010 and 2011 fire seasons. Efforts are being made in collaboration with Aquatrols Corporation of America (Paulsboro, NJ) to install large-scale wetting-agent seed coating demonstration trials on wildfires that take place during the 2012 fire season. Objective 5: Progress in accomplishing objective 5 included the construction of a survey designed to understand how fire rehabilitation decisions are made for rangelands and potential barriers to the adoption of our proposed seed coating technologies. This survey will be conducted in the winter of 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Research associated with objective 1 and 4 suggest that as pinyon-juniper canopy cover increases due to infilling processes in the coming years, post-fire soil water repellency extent and severity will increase. As the effects of a changing climate in the Intermountain West link additively with infilling processes to increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires, the net effect will be stronger soil water repellency over a greater spatial extent. To cope with these changes, land managers can apply the predictive models developed in this research to prioritize fuel control and post-fire restoration treatments with respect to soil water repellency. Greenhouse research publications associated with objective 2 are the first to demonstrate that water repellency limits reseeding success within pinyon-juniper woodland soils by decreasing soil water infiltration and retention within the top few centimeters of the soil profile. Research associated with objective 3 has provided a novel solution to improve reseeding success in post-fire water repellent soils by coating the seeds with wetting agent. Laboratory and greenhouse research has shown that after planting, precipitation transfers the wetting agent from the seed into soil where it ameliorates the water repellency within the seed's microsite. This treatment then increases soil water infiltration, percolation, and retention surrounding the seed, which leads to improved seedling emergence and plant survival. Additional monitoring of field plots is still required before conclusions can be drawn from this technology. Preliminary results are showing that uncoated seedings in burned pinyon-juniper woodlands fail to produce enough plants to be considered successful, whereas at least half of the species treated with wetting agent seed coating technology produced plant densities that were above the required threshold. A patent on wetting agent seed coatng technology was filed in United States, Israel, China, Brazil, Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. Aquatrols Corporation of America (Paulsboro, New Jersey) has licensed the technology from Brigham Young University and has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Agricultural Research Service for the evaluation of wetting agent seed coating technology in rangeland, turfgrass, horticulture, and agriculture, within and outside the United States. Consequently, as a result of investments from the USDA-Rangeland Research Program a new technology is being developed that will not only aid in the restoration of rangelands in the Western US, but may also have global ramifications for various agricultural systems.

Publications

• Madsen, M.D., S. J. Kostka, A.L. Inouye, and D.L. Zvirzdin. 2012. Innovative Use of Seed Coating Technology for the Restoration of Soil Hydrology and Wildland Vegetation in Post-fire Water Repellent Soil. Rangeland Ecology and Management 65:253-259.
• Madsen, M. D., K. W. Davies, C. J. Williams, and T. A. Svejcar. 2012. Agglomerating Seeds to Enhance Native Seedling Emergence and Growth. Journal of Applied Ecology 49:431-438.
• Madsen, M.D., S.L. Petersen, B.A. Roundy, B.G. Hopkins, and A.G. Taylor. 2012. Comparison of post-fire soil water repellency amelioration strategies on bluebunch wheatgrass and cheatgrass survival. Rangeland Ecology and Management 65: 182-188.
• Madsen, M.D., S.L. Petersen, K. J. Neville, B.A. Roundy, A.G. Taylor, and B.G. Hopkins. 2012. Influence of soil water repellency on seedling emergence and plant survival in a burned semi-arid woodland. In Press Arid Land Research and Management.

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Team members have made progress in accomplishing objectives 1-3 and objective 5 of the grant proposal. Progress made this year in meeting objective 1 of the grant proposal was related to the continuation of data collection and analysis from established studies. We collected a second year of data from the 40 study sites established in 2010 on fires that burned within pinyon-juniper (PJ) woodlands in 2009. We finished analyzing soil samples collected from each of these sites for both years and made progress in processing tree cores collected from these sites. Statistical analyses of the extent, severity, and thickness of soil water repellency (WR) and its relationship to over 25 ecological site descriptors were carried out. Research directed towards objective 2 included the implementation of a field study that is focused on understanding how WR influences soil moisture, nitrogen availability, and seedling establishment. This study was repeated on two separate PJ woodland sites that burned during the 2011 wildfire season. Treatments included a factorial arrangement of plots that were seeded or left unseeded, and treated with or without wetting agent. Progress made in meeting objective 3 included the sampling of a wetting agent seed coating study that was implemented on two PJ wildland fires that occurred during the 2010 fire season. This study was also repeated on two additional PJ woodland sites that burned during the 2011 fire season. On these same two fires we also installed studies in burned PJ and big sagebrush communities that were designed to 1) quantify how surfactant coating rates influence seedling emergence and establishment, and 2) determine if other seed coating technologies are synergistic with wetting agent seed coatings. Resources from this grant are also being used to develop and refine seed coating technologies that are designed to further increase the success of post-fire reseeding efforts, by enhancing seed coverage, modify the timing of seed germination within a period that is optimal for seedling survival, and increasing the amount of wetting agent that can be added to the seed. Efforts to meet objective 5 included the completion of a book chapter on non-forested fire rehabilitation practices. This chapter includes a discussion of the development of US fire rehabilitation policy and programs and how they currently influence decisions in fire rehabilitation funding and practices. We have collected names of state fire rehabilitation coordinators and will be interviewing all of them with open-ended questions during winter 2012. We will use their responses to finalize a series of interview and survey questions for field office personnel. We plan to interview and survey these personnel by late spring or summer 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborator contributions made in the previous year's report were also made in conducting this year's research projects. We also received additional help in obtaining research sites from Ryan Elliott and Randy Beckstrand, with the Carson City and Fillmore BLM offices, respectively. TARGET AUDIENCES: This study will benefit state and federal agencies and private land owners by providing them with guidance and potential restoration tools for reseeding native species after a wildfire. Results of this research will also provide researchers with increased understanding of the ecological implications of post-fire soil water repellency on revegetation success. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Outcomes associated with objective 1 emphasize the prevalence of this soil condition following fire in PJ woodlands, and solidify the importance of woody species in the formation of soil WR. Across all sites, we found soil WR encompassed 40% of the burned PJ woodland. Around 61% of the points tested in canopy areas were water repellent, while only 14% of the intercanopy points tested were water repellent. Where found, soil WR thickness averaged 1.8 cm; median water drop penetration time (WDPT) (used as an indicator of severity) was 242 seconds; this WDPT classifies these soils as "strongly water repellent". Of the twenty five different independent variables observed, WR extent has the strongest relationship with PJ canopy cover. Canopy cover was also a key variable in models of WR severity and thickness; in all cases PJ canopy cover had a positive relationship with soil WR. Top models of WR extent also included post-fire soil pH and soil texture, with sandy soils having low pH levels evidencing soil WR most consistently. Water repellency thickness also evidenced a strong positive relationship with sandy soils. The best models of WR severity included soil pH, burn severity, and elevation; with the highest severity levels being found on higher elevation, severely burned soils with lower pH levels. With the exception of elevation, we did not find topographic characteristics (i.e. slope, aspect, and heat load) to have an important role in models of WR extent, thickness or severity. All of the significant model variables relate directly or indirectly to soil texture and pH, and the amount of litter (i.e. hydrophobic compounds) imparted to the soil during fire. Variables such as the number and size of PJ individuals within an area directly relate to the total litter amount. Elevation indirectly influences litter amount by serving as a proxy for precipitation, while burn severity controls the amount of litter that is consumed. In sum these results suggest that coarse textured soils with high levels of PJ leaf litter exposed to intense fire are most likely to evidence strongly water repellent soils. Outcomes associated with the other objectives in this proposal are still being generated.

Publications

• Madsen, M.D., S.L. Petersen, K. J. Neville, B.A. Roundy, A.G. Taylor, and B.G. Hopkins. 2011. Influence of soil water repellency on seedling emergence and plant survival in a burned semi-arid woodland. Arid Land Research and Management, In Press.
• Madsen, M.D., S.L. Petersen, B.A. Roundy, A.G. Taylor, and B.G. Hopkins. 2011. Comparison of post-fire soil water repellency amelioration strategies on bluebunch wheatgrass and cheatgrass survival. Rangeland Ecology and Management, In Press.
• Madsen, M.D., D.L. Zvirzdin, S.L. Petersen, B.G. Hopkins, B.A. Roundy, and D.G. Chandler. 2011. Soil water repellency within a burned pinyon-juniper woodland: spatial distribution, severity, and ecohydrologic implications. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75: 1543-1553.

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Team members have made progress in accomplishing the first three objectives of the grant proposal, which were: 1) developed a knowledge base of the physical and temporal controls influencing the extent and severity of soil water repellency following fire in pinyon-juniper woodlands, 2) quantify the extent water repellency influences establishment success of native vs. invasive species, and 3) further develop seed coating technologies for applying newly-developed wetting agents to native seeds, for improving seedling survival in water repellent soil. To accomplish the first objective we selected wildland fires that burned during the 2009 fire season. For each fire, GIS data was obtained for the following site variables that have been documented in other ecosystems to influence soil water repellency: soil pH, clay and organic matter, heat load index (takes into account slope and aspect), and annual precipitation. A total of 40 study sites were then randomly selected across the distribution of each of these five variables. At each site the presence, severity and thickness of water repellency was determined and related to pinyon-juniper (PJ) biomass, trunk diameter, and burn severity collected at the site, and to preburn canopy cover, various topographic and climatological data collected remotely. Progress of the second research objective was initiated through the implementation of an extensive greenhouse study that is comparing cheatgrass (bromus tectorum L.) and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) growth and survival on three different types of water repellent soil that was 1) untreated, 2) made hydrophilic in the lab by treatment with a wetting agent immediately after the soil was collected, and 3) made hydrophilic in the field by treatment with a wetting agent two years prior to soil collection. Response variables being measured include: soil water content, nitrogen (i.e. nitrate, ammonia, and total nitrogen) loss through leachate and runoff, plant density and biomass, and soil and plant nitrogen. A similar study design is being implemented this fall within fires that burned during the 2010 wildfire season. Progress on the third research objective has included the completion of multiple laboratory and greenhouse studies that have evaluated various methods for coating seeds with wetting agents. We have evaluated: 1) ten commercially available seed coating binders for use as a barrier and wetting agent attachment site; 2) six hydrophilic powders for use in absorbing wetting agent during the seed coating process and releasing the wetting agent following seeding; 3) procedures for drying seeds after coating treatment; 4) hormonal treatments for increasing the rate of seed germination; 5) hydrophobic seed treatments designed to delay germination of fall planted seeds until conditions are favorable for growth in the spring; and 6) appropriate wetting agent seed coating rates under different soil textures, and varying water repellent severities and depths. Sites for evaluating successful wetting agent seed coating formulations are being installed at two locations in Utah and Oregon. PARTICIPANTS: In addition to outputs made by the principal investigators, significant contributions are also being made by two graduate students, Daniel Zvirzdin and Kaitlynn Neville, and four undergraduate students. Daniel Zvirzdin is focused on meeting the first objective of the grant for his Masters project, in addition to helping supervise all field instrumentation and monitoring associated with other objectives in the project. Kaitlynn Neville's Masters project is focused on meeting the second research objective of the grant. Stan Kostka from Aquatrols Corporation of America (Paulsboro, NJ, USA) has provided technical support and donation of wetting agent. Danny Summers from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources donated seed. Whit Bunting from the Bureau of Land Management and Robert Campbell from the Forest Service were instrumental in helping us obtain permission to conduct research on federal land. TARGET AUDIENCES: This study will benefit state and federal agencies, and private land owners by providing them with guidance and potential restoration tools for reseeding native species after a wildfire. Results of this research will also provide researchers with increased understanding of the ecological implications of post-fire soil water repellency on revegetation success. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Preliminary results are indicating that the extent of soil water repellency is closely correlated to PJ canopy cover, organic matter, tree biomass, and burn severity. Greenhouse results indicate that soil water repellency impairs reseeding success by decreasing soil moisture availability, while maintaining high soil nitrogen levels. This latter result may have implications for cheatgrass invasibility after soil water repellency has dissipated. Multiple laboratory and greenhouse studies have determined how to improve the effectiveness of wetting agent coated seed in ameliorating soil water repellency, and increasing seedling emergence and survival. Based on these results we predict that we will see significantly higher seed establishment of wetting agent coated seeds in our field trials this coming summer.

Publications

• No publications reported this period