10-2-13 Field Note

10-2-13 Field Note

October 2, 2013

Jeff Clarke's Field Note shows road rehabilitation, reed canary grass control, and aspen exclosures.

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Snowy Bitterroot Mountains

This spring, Mike Henning and crew tackled the gnarled road systems that lead to the top of the mountain and to Wire Spoon Junction. They re-contoured slopes, added drainage ditches, put down gravel, and widened the roads.

A result of the road restoration project is barren slopes adjacent to the roads. Bare slopes like these are a vector for invasive weeds. This week, the crew spread seed (wheat, sainfoin, and native grasses and forbs) on the slopes and covered it with native hay to keep the weeds from colonizing.

A layer of hay on the slopes increases soil moisture, reduces erosion, and encourages germination. The hay, grown for restoration purposes, is packed with native seed as well.

layer of hay on the slopes increases soil moisture, reduces erosion, and encourages germination. The hay, grown for restoration purposes, is packed with native seed as well. Large patches of reed canary grass over-crowd native plant communities in our floodplains. Once established, the grass’s rhizomatous roots spread outward and form dense mats that don’t allow anything else to grow. In recent weeks, we sprayed some test plots to see if certain aquatic-friendly herbicides reduce the infestations. If the applications are effective, we will kill more fields of canary grass next year.

The sunflower fields are packed with ripened seeds. Flocks of birds have found the bounty; however, the ungulates are a bit late to find the pockets of protein. Once they find them, they won’t last long. The sporadic blooms of roadside annual sunflowers have already been devoured by mule deer.

Three years ago, exclosures were placed around small groves of browsed, suckering aspens and cottonwoods in the Northern Floodplain. This year, most of those suckers are 10+ feet tall and free from browse. Due to the exclosure’s success, I decided to add another 1,000 feet of exclosures in areas that have high stem densities. I expect large groves of aspen and cottonwoods to grow in the next five years.

Hungry beavers found another fresh grove of cottonwoods on the west side of the river. Let’s hope they stay over there for a while!

Insect eggs cover intermediate wheatgrass seed-heads.

I continue to find more patches of licorice root in the floodplains. I wonder if they are a result of the seeds we spread last fall?

fall? Travel through thick brush can be tough . . . and dangerous if you don’t pay attention. This disguised hive is larger than a football.

Snow flies in the Bitterroot Mountains.

Recent Field Work • Seed and spread hay on newly disturbed road cuts • Clean seed • Build metal exclosures on the north end of the floodplain • Mat madwart • Weed experimental plots for Ylva, Lauren, and Molly • Spray fungicide for Ylva • Cap re-bar • Pull and spray hounds tongue • Collect native seed from forbs, shrubs, and trees • Fix exclosures of all kinds • Plant seed • Mow fields • Paint Orchard House • Plant aquatic vegetation • Build buck and rails around aspens and ponds • Weedwhack and spray thistle at MPGN • Build and fix exclosures and building at MPGN

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