| One of the biggest threats to the sagebrush steppe ecosystem is the invasion of cheatgrass
(Bromus tectorum). This invasion has resulted in significant reductions in suitable habitat for
basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata). To further understand the impact
cheatgrass invasion has on big sagebrush, I asked the following questions: (I) How does
cheatgrass presence affect big sagebrush survival and growth? (II) Are there significant
differences in big sagebrush growth and survival across big sagebrush populations? A common
garden experiment was used to answer these questions where basin big sagebrush seedlings were
grown in competition with cheatgrass. I qualitatively compare this to a second experiment,
where big sagebrush seedlings were in intraspecific competition. The results suggest that both
big sagebrush competition with cheatgrass and big sagebrush intraspecific competition had
significant negative effects on big sagebrush growth and there were no significant differences
found across big sagebrush populations.
Key Words: Big sagebrush, Cheatgrass, Competition, Seedling, Growth, Survival |