sagebrush
Variability in weather and site properties affect fuel and fire behavior following fuel treatments in semiarid sagebrush-steppe
Year of Publication
2024
Publication Type
Fuel-treatments targeting shrubs and fire-prone exotic annual grasses (EAGs) are increasingly used to mitigate increased wildfire risks in arid and semiarid environments, and understanding their response to natural factors is needed for effective landscape management.
Fire needs annual grasses more than annual grasses need fire
Year of Publication
2023
Publication Type
Sagebrush ecosystems of western North America are experiencing widespread loss and degradation by invasive annual grasses. Positive feedbacks between fire and annual grasses are often invoked to explain the rapid pace of these changes, yet annual grasses also appear capable of achieving dominance among vegetation communities that have not burned for many decades.
Episodic occurrence of favourable weather constrains recovery of a cold desert shrubland after fire
Year of Publication
2021
Publication Type
1. Key to the long-term resilience of dryland ecosystems is the recovery of foundation plant species following disturbance. In ecosystems with high interannual weather variability, understanding the influence of short-term environmental conditions on establishment of foundation species is essential for identifying vulnerable landscapes and developing restoration strategies.
Invasive grasses: A new perfect storm for forested ecosystems?
Year of Publication
2020
Publication Type
Exotic grasses are a widespread set of invasive species that are notable for their ability to significantly alter key aspects of ecosystem function.
Repeated fire altered succession and increased fire behavior in basin big sagebrush–native perennial grasslands
Year of Publication
2020
Publication Type
The structure and composition of sagebrush-dominated ecosystems have been altered by changes in fire regimes, land use, invasive species, and climate change. This often decreases resilience to disturbance and degrades critical habitat for species of conservation concern. Basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.
Not all Fuel-Reduction Treatments Degrade Biocrusts: Herbicides Cause Mostly Neutral to Positive Effects on Cover of Biocrusts
Year of Publication
2019
Publication Type
In response to increasing fire, fuel-reduction treatments are being used to minimize large fire risk. Although biocrusts are associated with reduced cover of fire-promoting, invasive grasses, the impact of fuel-reduction treatments on biocrusts is poorly understood.
Long-Term Effects of Fire on Vegetation Structure and Predicted Fire Behavior in Wyoming Big Sagebrush Ecosystems
Year of Publication
2018
Publication Type
Fire historically occurred across the sagebrush steppe, but little is known about how patterns of post-fire fuel accumulation influence future fire in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) communities.
Fall and spring grazing influence fire ignitability and initial spread in shrub steppe communities
Year of Publication
2017
Publication Type
The interaction between grazing and fire influences ecosystems around the world. However, little is known about the influence of grazing on fire, in particular ignition and initial spread and how it varies by grazing management differences.