Invasive Species
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This study found that soil disturbance and plant community disturbance interact to promote the initial invasion of Bromus tectorum in Intermountain West valley ecosystems.
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This study concluded that, although increases in native species could possibly be obtained by repeating crested wheatgrass control treatments, reducing crested wheatgrass opens a window for invasion by exotic weed species.
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The information and map products described in this report can help land managers prioritize conservation efforts at the species’ range scale.
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These abstracts of recent papers on range management in the West were prepared by Charlie Clements, Rangeland Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Reno, NV.
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This brief synthesizes best-management practices for reducing non-native grasses while increasing native species and desirable features in desert tortoise habitats.
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In this study, researchers determined vegetation response to fuel reduction by tree mastication (shredding) or seeding and then shredding by measuring cover of shrub and herbaceous functional groups on shredded and adjacent untreated areas on 44 sites in Utah. Findings suggested that shredding or seeding and then shredding should facilitate wildfire suppression, increase resistance to weed dominance, and lead toward greater resilience to disturbance by increasing perennial herbaceous cover.
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These abstracts of recent papers on rangeland management in the West were prepared by Charlie Clements, Rangeland Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Reno, NV.
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The Sage Grouse Initiative Interactive Web App is a tool to catalyze and improve habitat conservation efforts across the western United States. It presents cutting-edge geospatial data covering 100 million acres, which helps visualize, distribute, and interact with information about the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem.
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In this article, researchers report a dramatic population number expansion of Salsola ryanii in the decade since it was originally documented. Salsola ryanii has every indication of being just as invasive as its highly invasive parents.
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This study suggests that introduced species have disproportionately expanded their ranges upward in elevation over the past century when compared with native species. While these shifts in introduced species may not be exclusively driven by climate, they highlight the importance of considering the interacting factors of climate-driven range shifts and invasion to understand how floras are responding in the face of anthropogenic change.