Click on a project name or just scroll down to see some of the projects we are currently working on.

• Aster vialis (wayside aster) Research and Restoration
• Abronia umbellata ssp. breviflora (pink sand-verbena) Reintroduction and Monitoring
• Restoration and Monitoring of Rare Prairie Species in the Willamette Valley
• Demography of Cypripedium fasciculatum (clustered lady's slipper)
• Control of Brachypodium sylvaticum (false-brome)

Aster vialis (wayside aster) Research and Restoration

The goal of this research and restoration plan is to improve habitat for, and connectivity between, populations of Aster vialis. Based on a review of available information, we believe the species responds favorably to light but may be limited by browsing from deer. Individual plants appear to be very long lived (often > 10 years and possible more) and recruitment of seedlings is rare. Many populations have suppressed plants that rarely, if ever, flower, probably due to insufficient light and/or deer browsing.

We are currently testing three hypotheses: 1) Opening of the forest canopy will result in the growth and flowering of suppressed individuals; 2) Greenhouse-grown transplants can be moved to a forest environment and successfully grown to establish new populations; and 3) Seedling establishment can be enhanced by artificially exposing mineral soil and sowing seeds. This work is a cooperative project with the Eugene District BLM.

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Abronia umbellata ssp. breviflora (pink sand-verbena) Reintroduction and Monitoring

Pink sand-verbena is listed as an endangered species by the State of Oregon and is considered a Species of Concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Historically, this species was known from beaches along the Pacific Coast from Vancouver Island (British Columbia) to northern California. Invasion by introduced European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) and disturbance by off-road vehicles have contributed to the steep decline in the number of pink sand-verbena; there are currently only about ten populations of pink sand-verbena in Oregon.

There are two main goals of our work with pink sand-verbena. First, we have been monitoring sites that have historically supported populations of pink sand-verbena since the mid-1990's. Second, we have been involved in several reintroduction efforts on beaches were European beach grass has been removed. Through our monitoring and reintroduction efforts, we have gained a large amount of knowledge about the types of conditions that are required for successful reestablishment of pink sand-verbena. This work is a cooperative project with the Coos By District BLM, Oregon State Parks, and Siuslaw National Forest.

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Restoration and Monitoring of Rare Prairie Species in the Willamette Valley

Development, agriculture, and conversion to coniferous forests has greatly reduced the area of upland prairies, wetland prairies, and oak savannas in the Willamette Valley. Consequently, many of the species that are dependent on these habitat types have become extremely rare and several are currently listed by the state or US Fish and Wildlife Service as Threatened or Endangered. Restoration of these rare and endangered species of the Willamette Valley involves a comprehensive effort to develop seed germination and plant propagation methods, field studies with direct seeding and transplants, and follow -up monitoring to determine effective site preparation strategies and optimal micro-sites for planting. This work is a cooperative project with the Eugene District BLM, and is focused in the West Eugene Wetlands. Species included in these efforts are Erigeron decumbens (Willamette daisy), Horkelia congesta (Shaggy Horkelia), Lomatium bradshawii (Bradshaw's Lomatium), and Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii (Kincaid's lupine).

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 Demography of Cypripedium fasciculatum

(clustered lady's slipper)

Cypripedium fasciculatum (clustered lady’s slipper) is a rare woodland orchid that occurs in coniferous forests in several western states. Cypripedium fasciculatum is a long lived perennial that can enter dormancy for one or more years and then reemerge above-ground. Many questions remain about the habitat requirements of C. fasciculatum, in part because of its complex life history. The goals of this long-term project are to:

• Assess the status and demographic structure of C. fasciculatum populations in southwest Oregon.

• Describe habitat characteristics and relationship of the species population characteristics to major environmental variables.

• Identify biological traits useful in monitoring.

• Evaluate the effects of thinning and ground disturbance on C. fasciculatum populations.

This project is in cooperation with the Medford District BLM.

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Control of Brachypodium sylvaticum (false-brome)

False-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv) is an invasive perennial grass with a high potential for rapid expansion in the Pacific Northwest.  False-brome can form near-monotypic stands in both forest understories and upland prairies. In cooperation with Eugene District BLM, we have been conducting experiments testing different methods for control of false-brome, including treatment with Waipuna hot-foam, grubbing and pulling, different combinations of herbicide treatments, and mulching. We are also conducting experiments looking at the impacts of false-brome on soil microbial communities and ecosystem properties. More information on false-brome can be found on the false-brome working group website.

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