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Mountain big sagebrush is a widely distributed shrub native to the western United States. Mountain big sagebrush ecosystems support hundreds of plant and animal species, including several sagebrush obligates. The distribution of mountain big…
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Wildland fires play a key role in the functioning and structure of vegetation. The availability of sensors aboard satellites, such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), makes possible the construction of a time series of…
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Collaborative approaches to natural resource management are becoming increasingly common on public lands. Negotiating a shared vision for desired conditions is a fundamental task of collaboration and serves as a foundation for developing management…
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Fire is returning to many conifer-dominated forests where species composition and structure have been altered by fire exclusion. Ecological effects of these fires are influenced strongly by the degree of forest change during the fire-free period.…
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In recent years, warming climate and increased fire activity have raised concern about post-fire recovery of western U.S. forests. We assessed relationships between climate variability and tree establishment after fire in dry ponderosa pine forests…
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Ecological restoration treatments are being implemented at an increasing rate in ponderosa pine and other dry conifer forests across the western United States, via the USDA Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program.…
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In this issue of the GSD Update, we take a look back at selected studies of the Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystems Science Program (GSD) that depict its strengths and focus areas. Significant results of recent research and science delivery…
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Seed production is an essential component of post disturbance recovery for mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp vaseyana [Rydb] Beetle; MBS). We tested a method for rapid estimation of MBS seed production using measurements of…
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Ecosystem resilience to climate change is contingent on post-disturbance plant regeneration. Sparse gymnosperm regeneration has been documented in subalpine forests following recent wildfires and compounded disturbances, both of which are increasing…
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Restoration treatments in dry forests of the western US often attempt silvicultural practices to restore the historical characteristics of forest structure and fire behavior. However, it is suggested that a reliance on non-spatial metrics of forest…
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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…
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Climate change is increasing the frequency and extent of high-severity disturbance, with potential to alter vegetation community composition and structure in environments sensitive to tipping points between alternative states. Shrub species display…
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Specific objectives of this review are to address the current status and future outlook of aspen across a range of ecosystems in the US Northern Rockies. Specifically, we aim to answer the following questions:
Is aspen declining in the Northern…
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In sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) ecosystems, expansion and infilling of conifers decreases the abundance of understory perennial vegetation and lowers ecosystem resilience and resistance of the once shrub grass − dominated state. We…
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Big sagebrush does not root or crown sprout but relies entirely on seed for regeneration. The soil seed bank in sagebrush communities is short-lived, with most seeds germinating within one year of dispersal (Ziegenhagen and Miller 2009). Therefore,…
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Collaborative efforts have expanded in recent years to reduce fuel loads and restore the resilience of forest landscapes to future fires. The social acceptability of harvesting and using forest biomass associated with these programs are a hot topic…
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Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is being stressed across the America West from a variety of sources including drought, herbivory, fire suppression, development, and past management practices. Rich assemblages of plants and animals that…
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Wildfire is an important disturbance in ponderosa pine communities in the Black Hills and surrounding areas. Effective management of these communities requires an understanding of historical fire regimes. This review provides a synthesis of the…
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This project had three objectives. The first objective was to identify variation in discrimination of Δ13C and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) tree rings from 1800 to 2012 at two Fire and Fire Surrogate…
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The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for…
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