PubTalk 8/2010 — Invasives and Wildfires in the West

New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management

by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist

• Exponential spread of non-native grasses is a pressing environmental issue in American Deserts
• Invasive grasses increased fuel continuity and large wildfires in desert scrub that previously experienced little or no fire
• Impacts include threats to biodiversity, conservation efforts, life and property, and local and regional economies
• Successful mitigation will need unparalleled collaboration among scientists, managers, policy makers and general public