Astragalus mulfordiae - Population dynamics and the effect of cattle grazing in the Vale District, BLM

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This document summarizes monitoring of Astragalus mulfordiae (Mulford’s milkvetch) on land managed by the BLM Vale District. In 2012, we monitored plots testing for effects of herbivory on A. mulfordiae along with transects looking at long-term population trends and plant community composition. • We found a decline in A. mulfordiae in all of our research plots, with densities at their lowest since 2008. • Astragalus mulfordiae decreased in size between 2010 and 2012, and plants present also produced fewer inflorescences. • The proportion of native to invasive species at many of the study sites changed from 2010 to 2012 into plant communities dominated by invasive species. • Cover of Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) increased greatly from 2010 to 2012 at all of the study sites. • Continued monitoring and immediate attention may be necessary to mitigate any future losses of this rare species.

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Reference Code: B12GRA01IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Gray, E.C., and D. Giles-Johnson. 2012. Astragaulus mulfordiae: Population dynamics and effects of cattle grazing in the Vale District BLM. Institute for Applied Ecology, Corvallis, Oregon and USDI Bureau of Land Management, Vale District. vii. + 54 pp. <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: PLANT SPECIES: {Astragalus mulfordiae}