干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Fires over the past two decades eliminated an estimated 70 percent of the shrub cover on the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) Reserve on the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State. Big sagebrush was planted to aid in the recovery of sage grouse on the Reserve. A Geographic Information System screening process was used to optimize planting site selection and reduce the time required in the field to identify suitable planting sites. Criteria for selection of planting sites were geographically defined and converted into a series of map layers. Overlapping map regions meeting all criteria became the basis for field reviews leading to final planting site selection. The process of using a GIS to screen for potential planting locations was effective in optimizing plant site selection and greatly decreased the time required to locate suitable planting sites. Preliminary surveys after the first growing season indicated a high rate of seedling survival.