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Home → Publications → Tree Planters' Notes → Tree Planters' Notes Volume 61, Number 1 (2018) → Height Growth of Planted Shrubs and Trees in a Semiarid Rangeland in Western Montana

Height Growth of Planted Shrubs and Trees in a Semiarid Rangeland in Western Montana

We evaluated height development of restoration spe- cies in two studies in the semiarid foothills of the Sapphire Range in western Montana. In one study, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.) that were planted on a partially degraded site were given supplemental irrigation for 2 years, after which irrigation was discontinued for a subset of plants. Subsequent height growth did not differ, indicating that irrigation after plants have established and reached a certain level of maturity may not provide an advantage. In the other study, Rocky Mountain juniper, antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata [Pursh] DC.), and mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt.) were planted on dry, south-facing slopes and measured for annual growth. Plants grew 5 to 30 percent during the first two seasons and 49 to 73 percent in the third season. These results help provide realistic expectations for restoration plantings in semiarid sites.


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Author(s): Daniel W. Stone, Michael R. McTee, Lucas McIver, Philip W. Ramsey

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 61, Number 1 (2018)

Volume: 61

Number: 1