Wildfire and cattle legacies on gradients of soil nitrogen underlie patterns of annual brome invasion

Human activities are increasing wildfires and livestock activity in arid ecosystems with potential implications for the spread of invasive grasses. The objective of this study was to test whether fire history and cattle activity alter soil resource gradients, thereby affecting patterns of Bromus rub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 2023-12, Vol.203 (3-4), p.361-370
Main Authors: St. Clair, Elijah A., St. Clair, S. Isaac, St. Clair, Bryn E., St. Clair, Seth B., St. Clair, Grace E., St. Clair, Daniel A., Lowry, Samuel J., St. Clair, Samuel B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bromus
Bromus rubens
Cattle
Density
Deserts
Ecology
Fires
Germination
Gradients
Grasses
Height
Hydrology/Water Resources
Life Sciences
Livestock
Nitrogen
Original Research
Plant Sciences
Seed production
Seeding
Seeds
Soil
Soil moisture
Wildfires
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Summary:Human activities are increasing wildfires and livestock activity in arid ecosystems with potential implications for the spread of invasive grasses. The objective of this study was to test whether fire history and cattle activity alter soil resource gradients, thereby affecting patterns of Bromus rubens L. (red brome) invasion. Six paired burned and unburned transect lines (1-km long) were established in the northeast Mojave Desert along the boundaries of four independent wildfire scars. At 100-m transect increment points, we measured the distance to the two nearest cowpats, and two random points and measured the density, height, biomass, and seed production of red brome, soil moisture and inorganic nitrogen (N). Cattle activity was 29% greater along burned transects compared to unburned transects ( P  
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s00442-023-05470-2