Semiarid Rangeland Is Resilient to Summer Fire and Postfire Grazing Utilization

Most wildfires occur during summer in the northern hemisphere, the area burned annually is increasing, and fire effects during this season are least understood. Understanding plant response to grazing following summer fire is required to reduce ecological and financial risks associated with wildfire. Forty 0.75-ha plots were assigned to summer fire then 0, 17, 34 or 50% biomass removal by grazing the following growing season, or no fire and no grazing. Root, litter, and aboveground biomass were measured before fire, immediately after grazing, and 1 yr after grazing with the experiment repeated during 2 yr to evaluate weather effects. Fire years were followed by the second driest and fifth wettest springs in 70 yr. Biomass was more responsive to weather than fire and grazing, with a 452% increase from a dry to wet year and 31% reduction from a wet to average spring. Fire reduced litter 53% and had no first-year effect on productivity for any biomass component. Grazing after fire reduced postgrazing grass biomass along the prescribed utilization gradient. Fire and grazing had no effect on total aboveground productivity the year after grazing compared to nonburned, nongrazed sites (1 327 vs. 1 249 ± 65 kg · ha^-1). Fire and grazing increased grass productivity 16%, particularly for Pascopyrum smithii. The combined disturbances reduced forbs (51%), annual grasses (49%), and litter (46%). Results indicate grazing with up to 50% biomass removal the first growing season after summer fire was not detrimental to productivity of semiarid rangeland plant communities. Livestock exclusion the year after summer fire did not increase productivity or shift species composition compared to grazed sites. Reduction of previous years' standing dead material was the only indication that fire may temporarily reduce forage availability. The consistent responses among dry, wet, and near-average years suggest plant response is species-specific rather than climatically controlled.     

Grazing History Effects on Rangeland Biomass,Cover and Diversity Responses to Fire and Grazing Utilization

Exclusion of large grazers from rangelands that evolved with significant grazing pressure can alter natural processes and may have legacy effects by changing magnitude or direction of community responses to subsequent disturbance. Three moderately grazed pastures were paired with 12-ha areas with 15 yr of livestock exclusion. Six treatments were assigned to each in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of fire (fall fire or no fire) and grazing utilization (0%, 50%, or 75% biomass removal) to determine grazing history effects on rangeland response to subsequent disturbance. Livestock exclusion increased C₃ perennial grass (1 232 vs. 980 ± 50 kg ? ha^-1) and forbs (173 vs. 62 ± 19 kg ? ha^-1) and reduced C₄ perennial grass (36 vs. 180 ± 25 kg ? ha^-1) with no effect on total current-year biomass. Diversity was greater in pastures than exclosures (H’ = 1.5400 vs. 1.3823 ± 0.0431). Every biomass, cover, and diversity measure, except subshrub biomass, was affected by fire, grazing utilization, or both. Contrary to expectations, grazing history only interacted with fire effects for old standing dead material and interactions with grazing utilization were limited to old dead, bare ground, richness and dominance. Fire by grazing utilization interaction was limited to bare ground. Fire reduced annual grass (64 vs. 137 ± 29 kg ? ha^-1), forbs (84 vs. 133 ± 29 kg ? ha^-1), and diversity (H’ = 1.3260 vs. 1.5005 ± 0.0537) with no difference in total current-year biomass (1 557 vs. 1 594 ± 66 kg ? ha^-1). Grazing to 75% utilization reduced total current-year biomass (1 467 vs. 1 656 ± 66 kg ? ha^-1) and dominance (0.4824 vs. 0.5584 ± 0.0279). Grazing history affected starting points for most variables, but changes caused by grazing utilization or fire were similar between pastures and exclosures, indicating management decisions can be made based on independent knowledge of grazing or fire effects.     

Effect of fire intensity on the grass and bush components of the Eastern Cape thornveld

Abstract

Fire intensity is an important component of the fire regime and its effect on the grass sward and bush were investigated in the Eastern Cape thornveld. Research indicated that fire intensity had no effect on the recovery of grass after a burn. Conversely it had a marked effect on the topkill of bush to a height of 2 m. The results provide valuable guidelines for the use of fire in controlling bush encroachment.     

Can Mowing Substitute for Fire in Semiarid Grassland?

Accumulating data indicate the importance of fire in rangeland systems. Mowing is a common management technique sometimes considered a surrogate for fire. However, direct comparisons of fire and mowing effects are limited. Our objective was to determine whether mowing can substitute for fire in rangeland by comparing effects on plant biomass, composition, cover, soil nutrients, and forage quality. Three disturbance treatments (nontreated control, spring mowing with clipping removal, and spring fire) were randomly assigned to 21 plots (5 × 5 m) each on silty and claypan ecological sites in a completely randomized design, with seven replications per site. Current-yr biomass was similar among control, mowed, and burned treatments (1 003, 974, 1 022 ± 64 kg ● ha^− 1). Mowing shifted functional group composition by reducing C₃ perennial grass 12% and increasing forbs 8%. Non-native species were a larger component of mowed (12%) than control (6%) or burned plots (4%). Fire increased bare ground 35%, reduced litter 32%, and eliminated previous yrs’ growth the first growing season. Plant-available soil N and S more than doubled with fire, and there was a trend for more P in burned plots. Mowing effects were limited to a trend for less soil Fe. Mowing affected 42% of the forage quality variables with a 2% average improvement across all variables. Fire affected 84% of the variables, with a 12% average improvement. Mowing increased forage P and K, whereas fire increased forage concentrations of N, K, P, S, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Cu. Total digestible nutrients increased 1.1% with mowing and 2.1% with fire. In vitro dry matter disappearance increased 2.2% with mowing and 6.7% with fire. Burned plots had greater in vitro fermentation than controls or mowed plots. Although mowing can be a useful management tool, it is not a substitute for the ecological effects of rangeland fire.     

Region-Wide Ecological Responses of Arid Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities to Fuel Treatments

If arid sagebrush ecosystems lack resilience to disturbances or resistance to annual invasives, then alternative successional states dominated by annual invasives, especially cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), are likely after fuel treatments. We identified six Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) locations (152–381 mm precipitation) that we believed had sufficient resilience and resistance for recovery. We examined impacts of woody fuel reduction (fire, mowing, the herbicide tebuthiuron, and untreated controls, all with and without the herbicide imazapic) on short-term dominance of plant groups and on important land health parameters with the use of analysis of variance (ANOVA). Fire and mowing reduced woody biomass at least 85% for 3 yr, but herbaceous fuels were reduced only by fire (72%) and only in the first year. Herbaceous fuels produced at least 36% more biomass with mowing than untreated areas during posttreatment years. Imazapic only reduced herbaceous biomass after fires (34%). Tebuthiuron never affected herbaceous biomass. Perennial tall grass cover was reduced by 59% relative to untreated controls in the first year after fire, but it recovered by the second year. Cover of all remaining herbaceous groups was not changed by woody fuel treatments. Only imazapic reduced significantly herbaceous cover. Cheatgrass cover was reduced at least 63% with imazapic for 3 yr. Imazapic reduced annual forb cover by at least 45%, and unexpectedly, perennial grass cover by 49% (combination of tall grasses and Sandberg bluegrass [Poa secunda J. Presl.]). Fire reduced density of Sandberg bluegrass between 40% and 58%, decreased lichen and moss cover between 69% and 80%, and consequently increased bare ground between 21% and 34% and proportion of gaps among perennial plants &spigt; 2 m (at least 28% during the 3 yr). Fire, mowing, and imazapic may be effective in reducing fuels for 3 yr, but each has potentially undesirable consequences on plant communities.     

不同利用方式下山地高草草甸群落结构的变化

以位于天山北坡中段的山地高草草甸为对象,研究了放牧、刈割+放牧、刈割3种不同利用方式对草地群落结构的变化。结果表明:1)生物量和高度均表现为刈割+放牧刈割放牧;2)不同利用方式对植物重要值影响不同,刈割+放牧方式的草地提高了禾草在草群中的比重,降低了杂类草的比重,而刈割和放牧方式的禾草、杂类草的比重表现不明显。     

Allelopathic Cover Crop Prior to Seeding Is More Important Than Subsequent Grazing/Mowing in Grassland Establishment

The effects of grazing, mowing, and type of cover crop were evaluated in a previous winter wheat–fallow cropland seeded to grassland under the Conservation Reserve Program in eastern Colorado. Prior to seeding, the fallow strips were planted to forage sorghum or wheat in alternating strips (cover crops), with no grazing, moderate to heavy grazing, and mowing (grazing treatments) superimposed 4 yr after planting and studied for 3 yr. Plots previously in wheat had more annual and exotic species than sorghum plots. Concomitantly, there were much greater abundances of perennial native grass and all native species in sorghum than wheat cropped areas. The competitive advantage gained by seeded species in sorghum plots resulted in large increases in rhizomatous western wheatgrass. Sorghum is known to be allelopathic and is used in crop agriculture rotations to suppress weeds and increase crop yields, consistent with the responses of weed and desired native species in this study. Grazing treatment had relatively minor effects on basal and canopy cover composition of annual or exotic species versus perennial native grass or native species. Although grazing treatment never was a significant main effect, it occasionally modified cover crop or year effects. Opportunistic grazing reduced exotic cheatgrass by year 3 but also decreased the native palatable western wheatgrass. Mowing was a less effective weed control practice than grazing. Vegetative basal cover and aboveground primary production varied primarily with year. Common management practices for revegetation/restoration currently use herbicides and mowing as weed control practices and restrict grazing in all stages of development. Results suggest that allelopathic cover crop selection and opportunistic grazing can be effective alternative grass establishment and weed control practices. Susceptibility, resistance, and interactions of weed and seeded species to allelopathic cover species/cultivars may be a fruitful area of research.     

草原碳汇管理对策

我国约4亿hm²草原,草原具有强大碳汇功能,但人们对草原碳汇管理的认识和研究还不足。综述了CO₂、温度及降雨等气象因子和草原开垦、放牧、割草、施肥、人工草地建植等草地管理措施对草原碳汇功能的影响及其作用机制,以期对我国草原管理实践提供借鉴。温度和降雨的改变对不同类型草原的碳汇功能影响不同,以碳汇为目标的草地管理,必须综合考虑气候变化对碳固持的影响。草地退化生产力下降,土壤理化环境恶化,土壤有机碳含量降低,退化草地具有较大的固碳潜力,采用合理的草原管理措施能够极大的提高草地有机碳含量,据估算全国重度退化草地如果全面实施围栏封育措施,固碳潜力每年达12.01 Tg C。过度放牧改变了草原植被群落结构,降低净初级生产力,C∶N增加,土壤氮的亏缺限制碳的固持,枯落物的量也降低,减少有机质的形成,草原碳汇功能降低。合理放牧管理增强草原碳汇功能。草原开垦减少枯落物的输入增加了土壤侵蚀,使土壤有机质暴露在空气中,土壤有机质的氧化分解加快,降低土壤有机质含量。高强度的刈割利用不利于草地碳汇,刈割利用要选择合适的刈割时间和刈割高度,并通过粪尿或施肥等管理措施,返还割草地损失的营养物质。施肥、补播、耕翻和灌溉等改良措施促进草原植被更新,提高草原生产力,增强草原固碳能力。农田弃耕和围封禁牧增强草地碳汇功能,配合施肥补播等其他管理措施,可以促进植被恢复,提高其固碳效率。退耕还草增加草原碳汇,牧草固碳能力强弱为:豆禾混播＞多年生豆科牧草＞多年生禾本科牧草＞一年生禾草。     

Vegetation Response to Mowing Dense Mountain Big Sagebrush Stands

A decrease in fire frequency and past grazing practices has led to dense mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) stands with reduced herbaceous understories. To reverse this trend, sagebrush-reducing treatments often are applied with the goal of increasing herbaceous vegetation. Mechanical mowing is a sagebrush-reducing treatment that commonly is applied; however, information detailing vegetation responses to mowing treatments generally are lacking. Specifically, information is needed to determine whether projected increases in perennial grasses and forbs are realized and how exotic annual grasses respond to mowing treatments. To answer these questions, we evaluated vegetation responses to mowing treatments in mountain big sagebrush plant communities at eight sites. Mowing was implemented in the fall of 2007 and vegetation characteristics were measured for 3 yr post-treatment. In the first growing season post-treatment, there were few vegetation differences between the mowed treatment and untreated control (P > 0.05), other than sagebrush cover being reduced from 28% to 3% with mowing (P < 0.001). By the second growing season post-treatment, perennial grass, annual forb, and total herbaceous vegetation were generally greater in the mowed than control treatment (P < 0.05). Total herbaceous vegetation production was increased 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold with mowing in the second and third growing seasons, respectively (P < 0.001). However, not all plant functional groups increased with mowing. Perennial forbs and exotic annual grasses did not respond to the mowing treatment (P > 0.05). These results suggest that the abundance of sagebrush might not be the factor limiting some herbaceous plant functional groups, or they respond slowly to sagebrush-removing disturbances. However, this study suggests that mowing can be used to increase herbaceous vegetation and decrease sagebrush in some mountain big sagebrush plant communities without promoting exotic annual grass invasion.     

Plant species dynamics in the Southern Tall Grassveld under grazing,resting and fire

An analysis of temporal changes in botanical composition in a long‐term grazing trial indicates that species dynamics in the Southern Tall Grassveld of Natal are determined by the specific combination of grazing, mowing and fire impacts. Species composition of a grazing systems trial was recorded at intervals during 16 years, and in the 14 years following the removal of herbivores, during which time the experimental area was burnt periodically. Site trajectories in ordination space facilitated the assessment of the nature, magnitude and rate of species composition change under various combinations of impacts. Under rotational grazing and mowing, botanical change was minimal, both during the grazing and the subsequent rest and fire phases of the trial. It is suggested that the interruption of continuous grazing at a high stocking rate by a seasonal rest (rotational resting) promoted the invasion of the sward by Aristida junciformis. This also occurred in the continuously‐grazed treatment at a high stocking rate when stock were removed from the treatment and periodic burning was introduced. It appears that swards dominated by A. junciformis remain stable under a rest and burning regime.     

Presidentielerede

Abstract

Present methods of evaluating veld composition in relation to grazing capacity can be criticised on grounds of subjectivity, especially with regard to the assignment of relative values to the constituent species. Data relating to botanical composition and estimated grazing capacity, derived from long‐term animal production systems trials, were used to examine the possibility of increasing objectivity. A “multiplier‐correlation” method involving four palatability classes was devised, which appears to provide valid estimates of the status of different species in term of grazing capacity. Multivariate analysis of the proportional species composition, classified into four palatability classes, provided confirmation of the validity of the multiplier‐correlation method.     

利用枯草落叶放牧是防止山林火灾的有效途径

我国北方冬春季节气候干燥，经常发生多起山林火灾，损失巨大。其中，林下积累了过多的枯草落叶等易燃物，是山林火灾发生的主要原因。通过适当放牧的生态方式清除利用枯草落叶，是化害为利，防止山林火灾，降低防扑火成本，提高养殖业经济效益的有效途径。     

不同利用方式对新源县春秋草地土壤理化性质的影响

通过调查确定了新源县则克台镇春秋草地的4种利用方式：打草、自由放牧、分段放牧、划区轮牧,对比分析了不同利用方式下的土壤理化性质。结果表明,自由放牧方式土壤砂粒含量最高,平均达到21.23%,粉粒含量最低,且在10～20 cm土层显著高于划区轮牧方式（P<0.05）。4种利用方式下,土壤容重为1.08～1.26 g·cm-3,土壤没有表现出压实效应。放牧利用方式下土壤有机质、碱解氮、有效磷含量高于打草地,其中,划区轮牧和自由放牧草地土壤有机质含量高于分段放牧方式,自由放牧方式仅使土壤表层碱解氮显著升高,其土壤速效钾和有效磷的含量均低于分段放牧和划区轮牧。因此,划区轮牧和分段放牧是研究区较为合理的利用方式,可防止土壤养分降低。但是,与划区轮牧相比,分段放牧使土壤表层砂粒含量增高,容重增大,有机质含量降低,所以,采用分段放牧时,应适当降低利用强度。     

A Hierarchical Perspective to Woody Plant Encroachment for Conservation of Prairie-Chickens

Encroachment of Great Plains grasslands by fire-sensitive woody plants is a large-scale, regional process that fragments grassland landscapes. Using prairie grouse (Tympanuchus spp.) of conservation concern, we apply hierarchy theory to demonstrate how regional processes constrain lower-level processes and reduce the success of local management. For example, fire and grazing management may be locally important to conservation, but the application of fire and grazing disturbances rarely cause irreversible fragmentation of grasslands in the Great Plains. These disturbance processes cause short-term alterations in vegetation conditions that can be positive or negative, but from a long-term perspective fire maintains large tracts of continuous rangelands by limiting woody plant encroachment. Conservation efforts for prairie grouse should be focused on landscape processes that contribute to landscape fragmentation, such as increased dominance of trees or conversion to other land uses. In fact, reliance on local management (e.g., maintaining vegetation structure) to alter prairie grouse vital rates is less important to grouse population persistence given contemporary landscape level changes. Changing grass height, litter depth, or increasing the cover of forbs may impact a few remaining prairie-chickens, but it will not create useable space at a scale relevant to the historic conditions that existed before land conversion and fire suppression.     

Seasonal Timing of Fire Alters Biomass and Species Composition of Northern Mixed Prairie

Fire plays a central role in influencing ecosystem patterns and processes. However, documentation of fire seasonality and plant community response is limited in semiarid grasslands. We evaluated aboveground biomass, cover, and frequency response to summer, fall, and spring fires and no fire on silty and clayey sites in semiarid, C₃-dominated grassland. The magnitude of change in biomass between years was greater than any differences among fire treatments. Still, differences existed among seasons of fire. Summer fire reduced non-native annual forb frequency (3% vs. 10% ± 2%) and Hesperostipa comata, reduced native annual forbs the first year, increased Poa secunda and bare ground, and increased Vulpia octoflora the second year. Fall fire increased grass biomass (1224 vs. 1058 ± 56 kg ? ha^? 1), but fall fire effects were generally similar to those of summer fire. Spring fire effects tended to be intermediate between no fire and summer and fall fire with the exception that spring fire was most detrimental to H. comata the first growing season and did not increase bare ground. All seasons of fire reduced litter, forb biomass, and frequency of Bromus japonicus and Artemisia spp., and they reduced H. comata, V. octoflora, and native annual forbs the first year, but increased basal cover of C₃ perennial grasses (2.2% vs. 0.6% ± 0.4%). Fire during any season increased dominance of native species compared with no fire (6.6% vs. 2.0% ± 1.0% basal cover) and maintained productivity. Seasonal timing of fire manipulated species composition, but increased C₃ perennial grass cover and native species dominance with fire during any season indicated that using fire was more important than the season in which it occurred. In addition, fire effects on the vegetation components tended to be counter to previously observed effects of grazing, suggesting fire and grazing may be complementary.     

Public Perceptions of Sagebrush Ecosystem Management in the Great Basin

Intact sagebrush communities in the Great Basin are rapidly disappearing because of invasion of nonnative plants, large wildfires, and encroachment of pinyon and juniper woodlands. Land management options, including the use of prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, or mechanical treatments, can reduce the potential for wildfire and restore plant communities. Public acceptance of management actions, and trust in agencies to carry out those actions, is a critical component of developing and implementing successful long-term land management plans. This study examines citizens’ opinions and perceptions about rangeland management in the Great Basin. In fall 2006 we conducted a mail survey of randomly selected households in three urban and three rural regions of the Great Basin, receiving 1 345 valid responses for a 45% response rate. Overall, respondents perceived that the environment is moderately healthy; however, they do recognize threats to sagebrush ecosystems. Public acceptance is relatively high for the use of prescribed fire, grazing, felling woodland trees, and mowing shrubs, but low for herbicide treatment and chaining. Although respondents indicated high levels of acceptance for some management actions, they expressed relatively low levels of trust in land management agencies to implement these actions.     

草原灌丛化入侵:过程、机制和效应

草原灌丛化已成为全球性问题,也是生态学、畜牧学研究的热点问题。紧扣草原灌丛化过程、发生机理及其生态学后效等关键问题,介绍了国内外的最新研究进展。灌木入侵途径包括有意识引进入侵和自然入侵2类,入侵过程分为传播到达、定居建群和扩散入侵3个阶段。放牧、火烧、温室气体增加,干旱以及降水格局改变等均可导致草本向木本的转化,且机制复杂,主要有影响草本,木本植物盖度、水分利用效率、化感作用等。木本植物入侵打破了草原生态系统的稳定,表现出沃岛效应,影响动植物的分布以及生态系统的功能和服务。阐明草原“草本-木本”群落演替机制,可为我国研究草原灌丛化和管理提供理论借鉴。     

Coastal Prairie Recovery in Response to Shrub Removal Method and Degree of Shrub Encroachment

Shrub encroachment into grasslands is a worldwide phenomenon with no signs of abating and numerous ecological consequences. In South Texas, honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.) and huisache (Vachellia farnesiana [L.] Wight & Arn.) are two shrubs encroaching into coastal prairies, reducing cover of the dominant native grass, gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae [Trin.] Merr. ex Hitchc.), and decreasing habitat for the endangered Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis), which requires grasslands or savannas for survival. To determine the best management approach for deterring shrub encroachment and restoring native grasslands, the US Fish and Wildlife Service used several shrub removal techniques within coastal prairies of the Bahía Grande Wetland Complex of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, a core site for Aplomado Falcon reintroductions. Here, we assess native grass recovery over a 2-yr period in response to these shrub removal methods (mechanical plus prescribed fire and/or herbicide treatments) and degree of shrub encroachment before treatment. In general, areas with high levels of shrub encroachment before treatment had the highest amount of bare ground and lowest grass cover immediately following an initial mechanical treatment; this legacy effect persisted throughout the study irrespective of shrub removal treatment. Regardless of degree of shrub encroachment before treatment, grasses in areas treated with either mechanical or mechanical followed by herbicide methods recovered the slowest, likely due to residual woody material that hindered seed germination. Herbicide treatment following mechanical removal or mechanical removal plus fire effectively hindered shrub regrowth. Overall, mechanical treatment followed by prescribed fire and then herbicide application most effectively promoted grass recovery while hindering shrub regrowth. These findings suggest that grassland recovery following shrub encroachment into South Texas coastal prairies may be promoted through the application of shrub removal methods that combine mechanical, fire, and herbicide treatments.     

Postfire Succession in Big Sagebrush Steppe With Livestock Grazing

Prescribed fire in rangeland ecosystems is applied for a variety of management objectives, including enhancing productivity of forage species for domestic livestock. In the big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) steppe of the western United States, fire has been a natural and prescribed disturbance, temporarily shifting vegetation from shrub–grass codominance to grass dominance. There is limited information on the impacts of grazing to community dynamics following fire in big sagebrush steppe. This study evaluated cattle grazing impacts over four growing seasons after prescribed fire on Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. Wyomingensis [Beetle & Young] Welsh) steppe in eastern Oregon. Treatments included no grazing on burned and unburned sagebrush steppe, two summer-grazing applications after fire, and two spring-grazing applications after fire. Treatment plots were burned in fall 2002. Grazing trials were applied from 2003 to 2005. Vegetation dynamics in the treatments were evaluated by quantifying herbaceous canopy cover, density, annual yield, and perennial grass seed yield. Seed production was greater in the ungrazed burn treatments than in all burn–grazed treatments; however, these differences did not affect community recovery after fire. Other herbaceous response variables (cover, density, composition, and annual yield), bare ground, and soil surface litter did not differ among grazed and ungrazed burn treatments. All burn treatments (grazed and ungrazed) had greater herbaceous cover, herbaceous standing crop, herbaceous annual yield, and grass seed production than the unburned treatment by the second or third year after fire. The results demonstrated that properly applied livestock grazing after low-severity, prescribed fire will not hinder the recovery of herbaceous plant communities in Wyoming big sagebrush steppe.     

Soil Resources Influence Vegetation and Response to Fire and Fire-Surrogate Treatments in Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystems

Current paradigm suggests that spatial and temporal competition for resources limit an exotic invader, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), which once established, alters fire regimes and can result in annual grass dominance in sagebrush steppe. Prescribed fire and fire surrogate treatments (mowing, tebuthiuron, and imazapic) are used to reduce woody fuels and increase resistance to exotic annuals, but may alter resource availability and inadvertently favor invasive species. We used four study sites within the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) to evaluate 1) how vegetation and soil resources were affected by treatment, and 2) how soil resources influenced native herbaceous perennial and exotic annual grass cover before and following treatment. Treatments increased resin exchangeable NH₄⁺, NO₃^-, H₂PO₄^-, and K⁺, with the largest increases caused by prescribed fire and prolonged by application of imazapic. Burning with imazapic application also increased the number of wet growing degree days. Tebuthiuron and imazapic reduced exotic annual grass cover, but imazapic also reduced herbaceous perennial cover when used with prescribed fire. Native perennial herbaceous species cover was higher where mean annual precipitation and soil water resources were relatively high. Exotic annual grass cover was higher where resin exchangeable H₂PO₄^- was high and gaps between perennial plants were large. Prescribed fire, mowing, and tebuthiuron were successful at increasing perennial herbaceous cover, but the results were often ephemeral and inconsistent among sites. Locations with sandy soil, low mean annual precipitation, or low soil water holding capacity were more likely to experience increased exotic annual grass cover after treatment, and treatments that result in slow release of resources are needed on these sites. This is one of few studies that correlate abiotic variables to native and exotic species cover across a broad geographic setting, and that demonstrates how soil resources potentially influence the outcome of management treatments.