Restoration trade‐offs in the sagebrush steppe: early effects of seed mix design and planting method on shrub establishment and species composition

Abstract Introduction Threats such as land use change and non‐native plant invasion continually threaten sagebrush steppe ecosystem integrity, prompting widespread interest in habitat restoration and conservation. Unfortunately, sagebrush steppe restoration is unpredictable, making it challenging to identify management strategies that maximize species diversity, minimize invasion, and promote optimum shrub establishment, including Mountain big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) and Antelope bitterbrush ( Purshia tridentata ). Grand Teton National Park is restoring 4500 acres of degraded Smooth brome ( Bromus inermis ) hayfields to native sagebrush steppe and has observed poor shrub establishment and occasional native grass dominance. Objectives We established a 2 × 2 factorial randomized block field experiment to test the effects of seed mix design and planting method on shrub recruitment, species diversity, and composition. Methods Seed mix design differed in grass and forb proportions. Planting method included tillage and sowing combinations: no‐till plots were drill‐seeded, and till plots broadcast‐seeded. Results A. tridentata establishment was highest in no‐till plots with a drill‐seeded grass‐heavy seed mix, while P. tridentata establishment was highest in till plots with a broadcast‐seeded grass‐heavy seed mix. Species diversity and invasive species did not differ across treatments. Conclusions These results identify a key trade‐off between planting methods, suggesting that landscape‐scale diversity of early restoration outcomes for A. tridentata , P. tridentata , and herbaceous composition can be optimized with varied planting methods.