Title:

Ecological resilience and resistance to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion in southwestern U.S. drylands: 1980-2019

Author(s):

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn

Publication Year:

2024

How to Cite:

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Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn. 2024. Ecological resilience and resistance to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion in southwestern U.S. drylands: 1980-2019. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0072

Abstract:

Spatially explicit and climate sensitive information on the responses of ecosystems to global change processes is required for strategic planning and prioritization of conservation and restoration. Indicators of ecological resilience and invasion resistance (R&R) are used increasingly to understand the influence of climate regimes on ecosystem responses to global change processes and determine effective management strategies. We developed multiclass indicators of R&R based on proxy soil temperature and moisture regimes, or climate regimes, for southwestern U.S. drylands that accounted for precipitation seasonality and climate change at a scale of 1 kilometer (km) for the time period from 1980-2019. The climate variables that we used, mean annual temperature, precipitation, and monsoon index, allowed us to construct climate sensitive and ecologically meaningful climate regimes that mirrored the soil temperature and moisture regimes in the U.S. National Cooperative Soil Survey data and Ecological Site Descriptions that are widely used by managers in the western U.S. The climate regimes reflected the dominant ecological types and plant functional groups and allowed us to develop meaningful indicators of R&R. Particularly important was identification of a monsoon index value (0.30) to delineate areas with an ustic (summer moist) precipitation regime as indicated by the frequency of C4 vs. C3 grass species. The climate regimes included four temperature regimes (cryic, frigid, mesic, and hypermesic), both ustic and xeric/aridic moisture regimes, and multiple moisture subclasses based on average precipitation zones (PZ). These climate regimes were used to develop two spatial data layers (rasters in GeoTIFF format) representing R&R for the time period 1980-2019.

Keywords:

biota; climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere; environment; geoscientificInformation; Climate change; Climate change effects; Climatology; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Landscape ecology; Soil; Forest & Plant Health; Climate effects; Invasive species; ecological resilience; resistance to invasion; soil temperature; soil moisture; climate regimes; drylands; southwestern United States; Nevada; Utah; Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico

Related publications:

• Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn. Unknown. Indicators of ecological resilience and invasion resistance - accounting for precipitation seasonality and climate change in southwestern U.S. drylands. Ecological Indicators. [In review].
• Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn. 2024. Proxy soil temperature and moisture regimes (climate regimes) in southwestern U.S. drylands: 1980-2019. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0070
• Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn. 2024. Proxy soil temperature and moisture regimes (climate regimes) in southwestern U.S. drylands: 1980-1999 and 2000-2019. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0071
• Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Campbell, Steve; Green, Shane A.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Thacker, Vaughn. 2024. Ecological resilience and resistance to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion in southwestern U.S. drylands: 1980-1999 and 2000-2019. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0073

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