Hallett, LaurenCodding, Ellie2023-09-282023-09-282023-05https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2892316 pagesAfter large wildfires, land managers reseed burned areas with native perennial grass species such as blue bunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) to support the regeneration of grasslands and prevent soil erosion and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion. The seeds used for restoration often have lower genetic diversity than native populations, which would in turn lower the local genetic variation of the restored population. Low genetic variation is a concern for restoration because it lowers the population's adaptability and resilience to environmental changes. I want to learn the effects of reseeding on the genetic diversity of grasslands to enhance post-fire restoration. This study explores the effect of post-fire reseeding on the genetic diversity of the native bluebunch wheatgrass. I hypothesized that burned plots of grass that have not been reseeded will have a higher level of genetic diversity than that of the burned plots that were reseeded. After completing my analysis, I did not find any significance between the genetic diversity of the reseeded versus unseeded plots. These findings are likely due to the genetic makeup of the seed and how they established in the ecosystem. This research is important because post-fire restoration ecology is increasingly important to maintain the Northern Great Basin grasslands with the presence of invasive species.enCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USecologyrestorationgenetic diversityGreat Basinpost fire reseedingnative grassThesis / Dissertation