Theses and Dissertations Collection

Camassia quamash (camas) is a plant that is well-known throughout its native habitat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, despite the growing decline of its preferred habitat type across the region. This plant requires specific site conditions to ensure a successful growing season. Its habitats, often referred to as camas prairies, were important traditional harvest sites for many indigenous cultures. In the 19th century federal land policies removed many tribes and first nations from their ancestral homelands and transferred ownership of those lands to early Euro-American settlers. Ultimately, these land uses proved particularly destructive to wetland prairies, including camas prairies. The decline of wetland areas across North America has resulted in significant loss of a habitat type that provides valuable ecosystem functions, while also reducing and degrading culturally significant landscapes. Camas’ cultural and ecological significance make it an ideal species to focus on for wetland restoration projects. Weippe Prairie, a well-recognized traditional harvest area used by the Nez Perce people within the Palouse Bioregion, of north-central Idaho, provides an ideal site to both study and restore camas prairie habitat. This study identified site characteristics and evaluated different restoration techniques to aid in creating a restoration protocol that can be used to rehabilitate camas prairies across the Pacific Northwest.