Forest Sciences Commons^™

Pinus Ponderosa Seedling Establishment And The Influence Of Competition With The Bunchgrass Agropyron Spicatum, Peter F. Kolb, Ronald Robberecht

Forest Management Faculty Publications

Interspecific competition between Agropyron spicatum (Pursh.) Scrib. & Smith bunchgrasses and naturally established seedlings of Pinus ponderosa was examined within a pine/bunchgrass community. A wire mesh was used to separate bunchgrass culms from pine seedling shoots to determine if the bunchgrass canopy influenced the survival of pine seedlings. In addition, two lengths of root exclusion tubes were used to determine the effects of bunchgrass root overlap on pine seedlings. The bunchgrass canopy did not significantly affect pine seedling survival. However, root competition, presumably for water, significantly decreased pine seedling survival. Exclusion of bunchgrass roots from a 0.15-m- and 0.30-m-deep root …