Three hypotheses were tested relating to Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis (Beetle and Young) revegetation on coal-mined land in Wyoming: (1) that fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.) seeded > 2.2 kg pure live seed (pls)/ha would exclude sagebrush, (2) the contrasting view that the saltbush, as a "pioneer plant", facilitated sagebrush stand deve...

Shrub fecundity is critical to long term persistence of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.) populations at our research site on the shortgrass steppe in Colorado. We conducted a 2-year experiment to test hypotheses concerning the impact of cattle-browsing on fecundity-related variables in fourwing saltbush. Protection from cattle browsing was significantly associated with flora...

Photoluminescence of plant extract solutions has been investigated for discrimination of plant life forms (grasses, forbs, and shrubs) using principal component analysis (PCA). Clippings from each of six plant species representing three different plant life forms potentially found in the diets of free-ranging herbivores in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America were investigated for possible di...

Photoluminescence spectroscopic probes offer the potential for differentiation among plant species in real-time. Spectral emission signatures (excitation at 365 nm) from three different pH (2.2, 7.5 and 12.5) phosphate buffered saline (PBS) extracts from two grasses, Sporobolus flexuosus (Thurb. ex Vasey) Rydb., [mesa dropseed], and Pleuraphis mutica Buckley [tobosa], two forbs, Dimorphocarpa w...

Atriplex canescens (fourwing saltbush) is a C4 perennial fodder shrub with excellent resistance to salinity. However, the mechanisms underlying the salt tolerance in A. canescens are poorly understood. In this study, 5-weeks-old A. canescens seedlings were treated with various concentrations of external NaCl (0-400 mM). The results showed that the growth of A. canescens seedlings was significan...