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Removal of perennial herbaceous species affects response of cold desert scrublands to fire
Author(s): Jeanne C. Chambers; David I. Board; Bruce A. Roundy; Peter J. Weisberg
Date: 2017
Source: Journal of Vegetation Science. 28: 975-984.
Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
Station: Rocky Mountain Research Station
PDF: Download Publication (293.0 KB)Description
Our results show that loss of perennial herbaceous species, which can result from inappropriate livestock grazing, and loss of shrubs, which often results from fire, interact to affect key functional groups. The implications are that ecosystem resilience to disturbance in Cold Desert shrublands decreases when competition from perennial native grasses and forbs for available resources no longer prevents dominance by A. tridentata and other shrubs and/ or annual invasive grasses. Managing livestock grazing to maintain or increase perennial herbaceous species, especially deep-rooted grasses, which contribute to resilience along elevation gradients, can help prevent threshold crossings to undesirable states and retain critical ecosystem services following disturbances such as wildfire.Publication Notes
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Citation
Chambers, Jeanne C.; Board, David I.; Roundy, Bruce A.; Weisberg, Peter J. 2017. Removal of perennial herbaceous species affects response of cold desert shrublands to fire. Journal of Vegetation Science. 28: 975-984.Cited
Keywords
annual invasive grasses, Artemisia tridentata, Bromus tectorum, burning, perennial native grasses, plant functional groups, resilience to disturbance, shrubs, species removalsRelated Search
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