Great Basin wildrye or basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus) is a native grass species that has been ignored for many years but has great potential for wintering livestock, wildlife habitat, and commercial seed production. By increasing the dominance of basin wildrye on private pastures, many Great Basin ranchers can improve their economic and environmental sustainability. Advantages of such a scenario as follows:

1. reduction of winter livestock feeding costs; 
2. enhancement of wildlife habitat;
3. production of grass seed for commercial market;
4. reduction of soil erosion; and
5. competition against invasive weeds.

The results of this study will be reported in one or more fact sheets and published in the Journal of Rangeland Ecology & Management. Information will also be disseminated at scientific meetings and adapted for instructional presentations at professional development and producer workshops. Information gained from this pilot study could be incorporated into undergraduate classes focusing on sustainable use, biodiversity, and/or multiple use topics.

This pilot may will also lay the ground-work for one or more intensive graduate studies evaluating: (1) condition of livestock wintering in basin wildrye pastures; (2) economic costs/benefits of wintering livestock in basin wildrye pastures; (3) economic analysis of commercial seed production from basin wildrye pastures; and (4) wildlife use of basin wildrye pastures.

Over-arching project objective is to: increase knowledge regarding the practicality, effectiveness, and economics of managing private pastures to increase basin wildrye for wintering livestock, wildlife habitat, and/or commercial seed production.

Specific objectives/hypotheses include:

1. Burning areas with minimal basin wildrye populations will reduce shrub cover and other plant competition, releasing wildrye and resulting in its increase;
2. Treating areas with fire surrogates (herbicide and aeration) to reduce shrub cover will release basin wildrye;
3. Intensive winter livestock trampling (with hay feeding) will reduce shrub competition and release basin wildrye;
4. Improving wildrye pastures will harbor more diverse and/or abundant wildlife species;
5. Improving wildrye pastures will yield greater seed production.