Research and Publications
Conversion of native rangelands to cheatgrass, and subsequent impacts on wildfire regimes, are one of the most challenging threats to sagebrush ecosystems today. The widespread and complex nature of the problem and lack of clarity on effective management actions are often barriers to implementing meaningful treatments and practices to reduce risks. Although there is no silver bullet, combining cheatgrass reduction treatments with promotion or restoration of perennial vegetation in an integrated, adaptive management framework can move the needle toward maintenance and recovery of functioning ecosystems. This webinar series will provide information on integrated management approaches using specific strategies and proven tools.
Webinar briefs and recordings linked below:
Cheatgrass control methods and their impacts on perennial grasses: A systematic review spanning 64 years (Tom Monaco, ARS) –
Webinar summary (print)
Webinar recording (video)
Herbicides for cheatgrass: What works? (Richard Lee, BLM)
Webinar summary (print)
Webinar recording (video)
Grazing to maintain perennial grasses and reduce nonnative annuals (Kirk Davies, ARS)
Webinar summary (print)
Webinar recording (video)
Capitalizing on strategic opportunities: Examples from the field (Brian Mealor, UW and Mike Pellant, BLM-retired)
Webinar summary (print)
Webinar recording (video)
Ecologically based invasive plant management: Lessons from the area-wide demonstration project (Roger Sheley, ARS)
Webinar summary (print)
Webinar recording (video)
Brought to you by the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange, in partnership with the USDA/NRCS, Sage Grouse Initiative, BLM, ARS, and FS.
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We did not detect a difference in mean pyrogenic carbon (PyC) concentration of the mineral soil between the spring burns and the unburned controls; however, the spring burn plots did contain a number of isolated pockets with very high concentrations of PyC, suggesting a patchier burn pattern for these plots. In general, there was no detectable difference in any of the response variables when comparing the various prescribed burn treatments to one another. Reestablishing fire in these forests resulted in minor effects on the PyC concentration and pH, which may have beneficial impacts on soil carbon and available nutrients, while having few effects on other soil characteristics. This suggests that the application of low severity prescribed fires should result in little detrimental change to soils of ponderosa pine forests of the Southern Blue Mountains, while achieving management objectives such as reduction of surface fuels.
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We surveyed Forest Service resource managers in the western United States to address this knowledge gap. Respondents engaged most frequently with science via reading research publications; direct engagement with scientists was less common. There was widespread agreement that science was a useful input to decisionmaking. Managers believed more weight should be placed on science in decisionmaking in cases of low public consensus than in cases of high public consensus. Managers with the most frequent engagement with science generally held more positive views towards science and its role in decisionmaking.
For a more accurate comparison to other mapped values, and to better inform land managers of the underlying factors determining people’s preferences, it is important to deconstruct the values that people draw upon when mapping recreation. In this study, we compare maps that included and excluded “recreation” in the values options. In the absence of recreation, other values surfaced variably by individual, providing insight to its complexity and suggesting that landscape values mapping (LVM) exercises that incorporate recreation may not be eliciting underlying, and often conflicting, values.
Using wildfire as an example, we develop a framework to expose and separate two important dimensions of resilience: the inherent properties that maintain structure, function, or states of an SES and the human perceptions of desirable or valued components of an SES. In doing so, the framework distinguishes between value-free and human-derived, value-explicit dimensions of resilience. Four archetypal scenarios highlight that ecological resilience and human values do not always align and that recognizing and anticipating potential misalignment is critical for developing effective management goals. Our framework clarifies existing resilience theory, connects literature across disciplines, and facilitates use of the resilience concept in research and land-management applications.
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In this issue:
Bird Communities in Transition after Treatments
Using Predictive Tools to Improve Seeding Success
There are two key takeaways from the research: 1) conifer removal is an effective tool for increasing sage grouse populations, and 2) sage grouse populations may take several years to respond to management actions because they are long lived and have lower reproductive output compared to other game birds.
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Study findings include:
- From 2011-2017, the extent of conifer cover in sagebrush country decreased by 1.6%. Human management efforts are responsible for 2/3 of the total reduction; the other 1/3 is due to wildfires.
- Previous estimates suggest that conifer cover in sagebrush country is growing by 0.4%-1.5% annually, which means that our efforts are keeping pace with conifer encroachment but that more needs to be done.
- Public/private partnerships are successfully reducing conifers in highly targeted priority watersheds, such as in northwest Utah.
- The maps also show that woodlands are still expanding into many sagebrush landscapes. Continued partnership efforts are needed to strategically conserve priority shrublands.
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This study used pollen and high-resolution charcoal analysis of lake sediment to reconstruct a 7600 yr vegetation and fire history from Anthony Lake, located in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. From 7300 to 6300 cal yr BP, the forest was composed primarily of Populus , and fire was common, indicating warm, dry conditions. From 6300 to 3000 cal yr BP, Populus declined as Pinus and Picea increased in abundance and fire became less frequent, suggesting a shift to cooler, wetter conditions. From 3000 cal yr BP to present, modern-day forests composed of Pinus and Abies developed, and from 1650 cal yr BP to present, fires increased. We utilized the modern climate-analogue approach to explain the potential synoptic climatological processes associated with regional fire. The results indicate that years with high fire occurrence experience positive 500 mb height anomalies centered over the Great Basin, with anomalous southerly component of flow delivering dry air into the region and with associated sinking motions to further suppress precipitation. It is possible that such conditions became more common over the last 1650 cal yr BP, supporting an increase in fire despite the shift to more mesic conditions.
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To forestall loss of ecological values associated with forests, land managers need to consider where and when to prioritize active reforestation following major disturbance events. To aid this decision-making process, we summarize recent research findings pertaining to the Sierra Nevada region of California, USA to identify contexts in which active reforestation or passive recovery may best promote desirable post-fire ecological trajectories. Based on our synthesis, we suggest conceptual frameworks for assessing landscape conditions and determining areas that may be the highest priorities for tree planting to avoid persistent loss of conifer forests. Field studies have shown that some large patches of high severity burn can have relatively low levels of natural regeneration, especially among desired pine species. The accumulation of fuels and competition with shrubs and resprouting hardwoods may hinder the reestablishment of mature conifer trees. However, severe fires could also play a restorative role, by promoting non-conifer forested communities, such as meadows, shrubfields, and open forests with significant hardwood components. Such communities were historically rejuvenated and maintained by fire but have been replaced by conifer forest due in part to fire suppression. Reforestation in such areas may run counter to restoring ecological function and the ecosystem services that are provided by non-conifer communities. Through this framework, managers and stakeholders may better understand the contexts in which planting and passive recovery may better support ecological restoration.