Science Spotlights
Posted on: July 31, 2019
Wildfire and other disturbances to plant communities are becoming larger and more frequent across arid lands of the western U.S. Degradation caused by these disturbances affects the ability of these plant communities to deliver important food and shelter to wildlife. Understanding how to predict the presence of native seeds within the soil seed bank, and where there are abundant seeds of invasive species, will help land managers determine the regeneration potential within the seed bank and inform restoration planning to reestablish biodiversity and ecosystem function in disturbed areas. Wildfire and other disturbances to plant communities are becoming larger and more frequent across arid lands of the western U.S. Degradation caused by these disturbances affects the ability of these plant communities to deliver important food and shelter to wildlife. Understanding how to predict the presence of native seeds within the soil seed bank, and where there are abundant seeds of invasive species, will help land managers determine the regeneration potential within the seed bank and inform restoration planning to reestablish biodiversity and ecosystem function in disturbed areas.