Conservation of imperiled species often demands addressing a complex suite of threats that undermine species viability. Regulatory approaches, such as the US Endangered Species Act (1973), tend to focus on anthropogenic threats through adoption of policies and regulatory mechanisms. However, persistent ecosystem-based threats, such...
Author(s): Jeanne C. Chambers, Jeremy D. Maestas, David A. Pyke, Chad S. Boyd, Michael L. Pellant, Amarina Wuenschel
Year Published: 2017
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article Two of the primary global change factors that threaten shrublands worldwide are loss of native perennial herbaceous species due to inappropriate livestock grazing and loss of native shrubs due to altered fire regimes.We asked: (1) how do the separate and interacting effects of removal of perennial herbaceous species and burning...
Author(s): Jeanne C. Chambers, David Board, Bruce A. Roundy, Peter J. Weisberg
Year Published: 2017
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article The exotic annual grass Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) dominates vast acreages of rangeland in the western USA, leading to increased fire frequency and ecosystem degradation that is often irreversible. Episodic regeneration failure (“die-off”) has been observed in cheatgrass monocultures and can have negative ecosystem consequences,...
Author(s): Peter J. Weisberg, Thomas E. Dilts, Owen W. Baughman, Susan E. Meyer, Elizabeth A. Leger, K. Jane Van Gunst, Lauren Cleeves
Year Published: 2017
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article A longer growing season with climate change is expected to increase net primary productivity of many rangeland types, especially those dominated by grasses, although responses will depend on local climate and soil conditions. Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide may increase water use efficiency and productivity of some species. In...
Author(s): Matthew C. Reeves, Mary Manning, Jeff P. DiBenedetto, Kyle Palmquist, William Lauenroth, John Bradford, Daniel Schlaepfer
Year Published: 2017
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article Understanding the drivers of ecosystem responses to disturbance is essential for management aimed at maintaining or restoring ecosystem processes and services, especially where invasive species respond strongly to disturbance. In this study, we used repeat vegetation surveys from a network of prescribed fire treatments at the...
Author(s): Alexandra K. Urza, Peter J. Weisberg, Jeanne C. Chambers, Jessica M. Dhaemers, David Board
Year Published: 2017
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article Exotic plant invasions present a global threat to natural ecosystems, yet the efficacy of management efforts in mitigating invader impacts remains unclear. A rapidly emerging problem is that of secondary invasion — an increase in abundance of non-target exotics following treatment of targeted invasive plants. Here, we present a...
Author(s): Dean E. Pearson, Yvette K. Ortega, Justin B. Runyon, Jack L. Butler
Year Published: 2016
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article, Synthesis Climate change, historical fire suppression, and a rise in human movements in urban-forest boundaries have resulted in an increased use of long-term fire retardant (LTFR). While LTFR is an effective fire-fighting tool, it contains high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, and little is known about how this nutrient pulse...
Author(s): Abigail Marshall, Lauren Waller, Ylva Lekberg
Year Published: 2016
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article The invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) forms a positive feedback with fire in some areas of western North America's sagebrush biome by increasing fire frequency and size, which then increases B. tectorum abundance post-fire and dramatically alters ecosystem structure and processes. However, this positive response to...
Author(s): Kimberly Taylor, Tyler Brummer, Lisa J. Rew, Matt Lavin, Bruce D. Maxwell
Year Published: 2014
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article This Report provides a strategic approach for conservation of sagebrush ecosystems and Greater Sage- Grouse (sage-grouse) that focuses specifically on habitat threats caused by invasive annual grasses and altered fire regimes. It uses information on factors that influence (1) sagebrush ecosystem resilience to disturbance and...
Author(s): Jeanne C. Chambers, David A. Pyke, Jeremy D. Maestas, Michael L. Pellant, Chad S. Boyd, Steven B. Campbell, Shawn Espinosa, Douglas W. Havlina, Kenneth E. Mayer, Amarina Wuenschel
Year Published: 2014
Type: Document :
Management or Planning Document Alien grass invasions in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are resulting in grass-fire cycles and ecosystem-level transformations that severely diminish ecosystem services. Our capacity to address the rapid and complex changes occurring in these ecosystems can be enhanced by developing an understanding of the environmental factors and...
Author(s): Jeanne C. Chambers, Bethany A. Bradley, Cynthia S. Brown, Carla M. D'Antonio, Matthew J. Germino, James B. Grace, Stuart P. Hardegree, Richard F. Miller, David A. Pyke
Year Published: 2014
Type: Document :
Book or Chapter or Journal Article