[RWG] Roadside refugia in Nevada, 444 more miles of the 1997 Megatransect

[Wayne Tyson]

Good for you!

In her 1964 book, Trees and Shrubs of the Witwatersrand, Barbara 
Jeppe reported that she had to resort to graveyards to find many 
South African plants.

Are you more formally reporting your results and methods?

WT

At 03:51 PM 9/14/2006, Craig Dremann wrote:
>Dear All,
>
>Regarding Native Plant Conservation, and the importance of Roadside
>Refugia---plus the impacts of weeds on those refugia, especially weeds
>intentionally sown by State DOTs---here's the second part of the Nevada
>portion of my 1997 Megatransect:
>
>US 93 and US 6, total miles 444
>Jackpot NV to Wells to Ely to Warm Springs to Tonopah to Cal. border
>
>NATIVE GRASSES ABSENT = 196 miles (44%),
>---Native grasses should have be present in 180 of those miles.
>TOWNS, riparian, playas, lava = 17 (3.8%)
>CHEATGRASS = 37 (8.3%)
>CRESTED WHEATGRASS sown along roadside by DOT = 26 (5.8%)
>
>NATIVE GRASSES PRESENT = 248 miles (55.8%)
>Oryzopsis found only within R/W = 84 (19%)
>Oryzopsis on other side of fence = 48 (11%)
>Oryzopsis solid prairies = 6 (1.3%)
>Hilaria grasslands = 22 (4.9%)
>Mixed native grasses, Stipa, Poa etc.= 59 (13.2%)
>Great Basin Wild Rye, found only within R/W = 13 (2.9%)
>Great Basin outside of R/W = 21 (4.7%)
>Great Basin Wild Rye solid beautiful prairies = 7 (1.5%)
>
>You can see for two of the native grasses, the roadside fences and thin
>strips of the Federal highway right-of-ways, were protecting nearly 100
>miles of the only remaining stands of grasses, that used to occur
>abundantly in those areas.
>
>I think that everyone will agree, when Roadside Megatransects are done
>across the United States in many of the other States,  we will begin to
>see clearly, how important and to what degree roadside right-of-ways are
>the last safe harbor and refugia for many of the local native perennial
>grasses, native herbaceous perennials, and native insect nectar plants?
>
>Sincerely,  Craig Dremann, Redwood City, CA (650) 325-7333
>
>_______________________________________________
>PCA's Restoration Working Group mailing list
>RWG at lists.plantconservation.org
>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/rwg_lists.plantconservation.org

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