Estimating Potential Downy Brome Competition after Wildfires

To plan for revegetation and management of big sagebrush communities burned in wildfires, wildland managers need guidelines for estimating potential downy brome competition. A bioassay technique was used to determine the density of viable downy brome caryopsis in relation to burn and seedbed characteristics. The amount of unburned organic matter was found to be the characteristic most highly correlated with potential populations of downy brome. By determining the relative cover of ash and unburned organic matter, land managers can estimate potential reinfestation of downy brome and thus determine best weed control-seeding techniques in wildfire rehabilitation.