To test experimental warming effects, we used and enhanced the Snake River Plain (SRP) Warming Experiment. At Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (BOP NCA), a warming frame and control plot pair were established at five locations along a 4 km distance at 3000’ ASL on loam soils with a mosaic of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Sandberg’s bluegrass (Poa secunda), and biotic soil crusts. This area is relatively disturbed and has high abundances of exotic annual grasses or naturalized restoration grasses. Plot sizes were 2.4 x 2.4 m and were installed in fall 2012. At 4800’ ASL on rocky loam soils in Hollister, five frames were arrayed with paired control plots across a 2 km transect at 4900’ ASL in a Wyoming Big Sagebrush and squirreltail [...]
Summary
To test experimental warming effects, we used and enhanced the Snake River Plain (SRP) Warming Experiment. At Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (BOP NCA), a warming frame and control plot pair were established at five locations along a 4 km distance at 3000’ ASL on loam soils with a mosaic of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Sandberg’s bluegrass (Poa secunda), and biotic soil crusts. This area is relatively disturbed and has high abundances of exotic annual grasses or naturalized restoration grasses. Plot sizes were 2.4 x 2.4 m and were installed in fall 2012. At 4800’ ASL on rocky loam soils in Hollister, five frames were arrayed with paired control plots across a 2 km transect at 4900’ ASL in a Wyoming Big Sagebrush and squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) and P. secunda community, starting in fall 2010 using 2.4 x 1.2 m frames. At Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), on cobbly alluvium soils in the Pilgrim Creek basin, we established 3 control and 3 warmed frames in an approximately one acre area having low (little) sagebrush (A. arbuscula ssp. thermopola) and a high abundance of native forbs and scarce grasses such arrowleaf (Balsamorhiza) and buckwheat (Eriogonum), in May 2010. The Teton site is pristine and was not fenced, but all other sites had 1.5 m tall barbed wire fences to exclude livestock and the BOP sites additionally had chicken wire fencing to exclude small mammals. Frames were removed just prior to and just following permanent winter snowpack accumulation at GTNP (only).
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SnakeRiverPlanWarmingStudy_Metadata.xml Original FGDC Metadata
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Purpose
The SRP Warming experiment uses passive overhead warming to achieve several degrees of surface warming at three sites: (1) in Grand Teton National Park near the headwaters of the Snake River (7,000’ ASL), (2) near Hollister, Idaho (4,200’ ASL), and (3) at the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in the lower Snake River Plain (2,900’ ASL near Boise, ID). This experiment is newly combined with snow removals at the highest site and rainout treatments at the lowest elevation site.
