[APWG] ARTICLE: Invasive grasses increase fire occurrence and frequency across US ecoregions

[Carr, Amanda (Mandie) N]

*From: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
*By: Emily J. Fusco, John T. Finn, Jennifer K. Balch, R. Chelsea Nagy, Bethany A. Bradley
*Date: November 19, 2019

*Significance:
One of the most notorious impacts of nonnative, invasive grasses is the alteration of fire regimes. Yet, most evidence of these impacts comes from local-scale studies, making it unclear whether they have broader implications for national and regional fire management. Our analysis of 12 invasive grasses documents regional-scale alteration of fire regimes for 8 species, which are already increasing fire occurrence by up to 230% and fire frequency by up to 150%. These impacts were demonstrated across US ecoregions and vegetation types, suggesting that many ecosystems are vulnerable to a novel grass-fire cycle. Managing existing grass invasions and preventing future introductions presents a key opportunity to remediate the ecological and economic consequences of invasive species and fire.

*Link to Article: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/47/23594

<http://www.plantconservationalliance.org/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20200724/fa4143c4/attachment.html>