Oscillatoriales Cover and Fire, Soil, and Topographical Characteristics of Post-Fire Natural Recovery Sites in the Great Basin, USA

The frequency and extent of wildfire is increasing globally, necessitating an increased understanding of wildfire effects on ecosystem function. Although soil-stabilizing cyanobacteria can make up a substantial portion of the biotic community in semi-arid and arid rangelands, we currently have a limited understanding of the drivers behind their abundance following wildfire. These organisms contribute to ecosystem functions, including reduced invasion by non-native species and decreased soil erosion, which are common management targets following wildfire. This data was generated to examine the probability of encountering soil-stabilizing cyanobacteria of the order Oscillatoriales following nine recent wildfires in the northern Great Basin of the western U.S. We investigated plots that burned at least once since 2012, with most sites experiencing one or two wildfires, and collected vegetation and soil data. We additionally obtained fire, soil, and ground cover characteristics for each plot.