Sankey, J.B., Germino, M.J., Glenn, N.F., 2012, Dust supply varies with sagebrush microsites and time since burning in experimental erosion events: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 117, no. G01013, p. 1-13, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001724.
Matthew J Germino
Biography
Education
Ph.D. Botany, 2000, University of Wyoming
M.S. Botany, 1996, University of Wyoming
B.S. Environmental Science, 1994, University of Massachusetts
Specialty
Plant-soil-environment relationships
Research Interests
Plant-soil-environment relationships, with a focus on forest and rangelands; post-fire rehabilitation and restoration; invasive species; integrating science and adaptive land management.
Science and Products
Date published: March 10, 2020
Status: Active Weed-Suppressive Bacteria – Testing a Control Measure for Invasive Grasses in the West
Recent popular news has implied that Weed-Suppressive Bacteria (WSB) holds promise for cheatgrass control, yet a lack of peer-reviewed research exists to support this claim. USGS researchers stepped up to the challenge of objectively and rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of WSB for controlling exotic annual grasses, such as...
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Date published: May 23, 2019
Status: Active Cheatgrass and Medusahead
Invasive annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), are one of the most significant stressors to rangeland ecosystems in the western U.S. Their expansion and dominance across this area are the most damaging ecosystem agents on this iconic landscape.
Date published: November 16, 2017
Status: Active Plant-Soil-Environment Laboratory (FRESC)
We produce basic and applied science needed to manage landscapes in ways that make them resistant and resilient to stressors such as wildfire, exotic plant invasions, drought, and temperature extremes. These stressors impact ecosystem productivity and functioning and pose costly risks to human health and safety in the western United States. We team with other state and federal agencies to find...
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: November 14, 2017
Status: Active Wildfire Impacts, and Post-Fire Rehabilitation and Restoration
Land use and unintentional (e.g., wildfire) disturbances are increasingly dominant factors affecting land-use planning and management of semiarid landscapes, particularly in sagebrush steppe rangelands. In the last 10-20 years, wildfires are occurring more frequently and increasingly in very large burn patches.
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: November 13, 2017
Status: Active Plant Responses to Temperature and Water Limitation
Weather and climate impacts on dominant native perennials must be understood in order to efficiently manage our western landscapes. We use an ecophysiological approach, linking to population, community, and landscape ecology, to understand the impacts and responses of plants on or to their environment.
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: November 13, 2017
Status: Active Integrating Science and Adaptive Land Management
Widespread habitat deterioration due to fire and invasive species in the Great Basin have created a need for coordination across land agencies and between science and management activities in the Great Basin.
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Date published: July 17, 2017
Status: Active Webinar: Sagebrush Ecosystems in a Changing Climate: Key Opportunities for Adaptive Management
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring adaptation management strategies for sagebrush ecosystems.
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Date published: January 1, 2012
Status: Completed Sagebrush Ecosystems in a Changing Climate
Climate responses of sagebrush are needed to inform land managers of the stability and restoration of sagebrush ecosystems, which are an important but threatened habitat type. We evaluated climate responses of sagebrush using two approaches: (1) experimental manipulations of temperature and precipitation for natural plants in the field, and (2) assessment of how climate adaptation and weather...
Contacts: Matthew J Germino
Year Published: 2021
Intraspecific variation mediates density dependence in a genetically diverse plant species
Interactions between neighboring plants are critical for biodiversity maintenance in plant populations and communities. Intraspecific trait variation and genome duplication are common in plant species and can drive eco-evolutionary dynamics through genotype-mediated plant–plant interactions. However, few studies have examined how species-wide...
Zaiats, Andrii; Germino, Matthew; Serpe, Marcelo D; Richardson, Bryce; Caughlin, TrevorAttribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Weather affects post‐fire recovery of sagebrush‐steppe communities and model transferability among sites
Altered climate, including weather extremes, can cause major shifts in vegetative recovery after disturbances. Predictive models that can identify the separate and combined temporal effects of disturbance and weather on plant communities and that are transferable among sites are needed to guide vulnerability assessments and management...
Applestein, Cara; Caughlin, Trevor; Germino, Matthew
Year Published: 2021
Post-fire management targeting invasive annual grasses may have inadvertently released the exotic perennial forb Chondrilla juncea and suppressed its biocontrol agent
Top-down and bottom-up factors affecting invasive populations are rarely considered simultaneously, yet their interactive responses to disturbances and management interventions can be essential to understanding invasion patterns. We evaluated post-fire responses of the exotic perennial forb Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed) and its...
Lazarus, Brynne E.; Germino, MatthewAttribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
A chemical and bio‐herbicide mixture increased exotic invaders, both targeted and non‐targeted, across a diversely invaded landscape after fire
QuestionsInvasive‐plant treatments often target a single or few species, but many landscapes are diversely invaded. Exotic annual grasses (EAGs) increase wildfires and degrade native perennial plant communities in cold‐desert rangelands, and herbicides are thus sprayed to inhibit EAG germination and establishment. We asked how EAG target and non‐...
Lazarus, Brynne E.; Germino, Matthew J.
Year Published: 2021
Weather and distance to fire refugia limit landscape‐level occurrence of fungal disease in an exotic annual grass
The enemy release hypothesis proposes that invasion by exotic plant species is driven by their release from natural enemies (i.e. herbivores and pathogens) in their introduced ranges. However, in many cases, natural enemies, which may be introduced or managed to regulate invasive species, may fail to impact target host populations. Landscape...
Applestein, Cara; Simler-Williamson, Allison Barbara; Germino, Matthew J.Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Detecting shrub recovery in sagebrush steppe: Comparing Landsat-derived maps with field data on historical wildfires
BackgroundThe need for basic information on spatial distribution and abundance of plant species for research and management in semiarid ecosystems is frequently unmet. This need is particularly acute in the large areas impacted by megafires in sagebrush steppe ecosystems, which require frequently updated information about increases in exotic...
Applestein, Cara; Germino, MatthewAttribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Comment on: Grazing disturbance promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities
No abstract available.
O'Connor, Rory; Germino, MatthewAttribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Weed-suppressive bacteria effects differ in culture compared to in soils and with or without microbial competition and separation of active ingredient
Weed-suppressive bacteria (WSB), specifically the D7 and ACK55 strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, were previously reported to selectively inhibit growth of invasive annual grasses (IAGs) that have caused severe ecosystem degradation across much of the western US. However, recent studies show highly mixed evidence for WSB effectiveness in...
Lazarus, Brynne E.; Feris, Kevin; Germino, MatthewAttribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Warming of alpine tundra enhances belowground production and shifts community towards resource acquisition traits
Climate warming is expected to stimulate plant growth in high‐elevation and high‐latitude ecosystems, significantly increasing aboveground net primary production (ANPP). However, the effects of simultaneous changes in temperature, snowmelt timing, and summer water availability on total net primary production (NPP)—and elucidation of both above‐...
Yang, Yan; Klein, Julia A.; Winkler, Daniel E.; Peng, Ahui; Lazarus, Brynne E.; Germino, Matthew; Suding, Katherine; Smith, Jane G.; Kueppers, Lara M.Attribution: Southwest Biological Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Spatial grain of adaptation is much finer than ecoregional-scale common gardens reveal
Adaptive variation among plant populations must be known for effective conservation and restoration of imperiled species and predicting their responses to a changing climate. Common‐garden experiments, in which plants sourced from geographically distant populations are grown together such that genetic differences may be expressed, have provided...
Davidson, Bill; Germino, Matthew J.Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Postfire growth of seeded and planted big sagebrush - Strategic designs for restoring Greater Sage-grouse nesting habitat
Wildfires change plant community structure and impact wildlife habitat and population dynamics. Recent wildfire‐induced losses of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial losses in habitat for sagebrush‐obligate species such as Greater Sage‐grouse. Managers are...
Pyke, David A.; Shriver, Robert K.; Arkle, Robert; Pilliod, David; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Coates, Peter S.; Germino, Matthew; Heinrichs, Julie Arlene; Ricca, Mark A.; Shaff, Scott
Year Published: 2020
Colonisation of the alpine tundra by trees: Alpine neighbours assist late-seral but not early-seral conifer seedlings
BackgroundClimate change is projected to alter the elevation and latitude of treeline globally. Seed germination and seedling survival are critical controls on treeline expansion. Neighbouring alpine plants, either through competition for resources or through altered microclimate, also affect seedlings emerging in the alpine zone. With warming,...
Jabis, Meredith D.; Germino, Matthew; Kueppers, Lara M.Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Ecosystems
Pre-USGS Publications
Sankey, J.B., Germino, M.J., Sankey, T.T., Hoover, A.N., 2012, Fire effects on the spatial patterning of soil properties in sagebrush steppe, USA - a meta-analysis: International Journal of Wildland Fire, v. 21, no. 5, p. 545-556, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF11092.
Wilcox, B.P., Turnbull, L., Young, M.H., Williams, C.J., Ravi, S., Seyfried, M.S., Bowling, D.R., Scott, R.L., Germino, M.J., Caldwell, T.G., Wainwright, J., 2012, Invasion of shrublands by exotic grasses- ecohydrological consequences in cold versus warm deserts: Ecohydrology, v. 5, p. 160-173, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.247.
Hasselquist, N.J., Germino, M.J., Sankey, J.B., Ingram, L.J., Glenn, N.F., 2011, Aeolian nutrient fluxes following wildfire in sagebrush steppe- implications for soil carbon storage: Biogeosciences, v. 8, p. 3649-3659, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-3649-2011.
Hill, J.P., Germino, M.J., Alongi, D.A., 2011, Carbon-use efficiency in green sinks is increased when a blend of apoplastic fructose and glucose is available for uptake: Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 62, no. 6, p. 2013-2022, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erq407.
Reinhardt, K., Castanha, C., Germino, M.J., Kueppers, L.M., 2011, Ecophysiological variation in two provenances of Pinus flexilis seedlings across an elevation gradient from forest to alpine: Tree Physiology, v. 31, p. 615-625, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpr055.
Sankey, J.B., Eitel, J.U., Glenn, N.F., Germino, M.J., Vierling, L.A., 2011, Quantifying relationships of burning, roughness, and potential dust emission with laser altimetry of soil surfaces at submeter scales: Geomorphology, v. 135, p. 181-190, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.08.016.
Exotic plants increase and native plants decrease with loss of foundation species in sagebrush steppe
Prevey, J.S., Germino, M.J., Huntly, N.J., Inouye, R.S., 2010, Exotic plants increase and native plants decrease with loss of foundation species in sagebrush steppe: Plant Ecology, v. 207, no. 1, p. 39-51.
Linking carbon balance to establishment patterns - comparison of whitebark pine and Engelmann spruce seedlings along an herb cover exposure gradient at treeline
Bansal, S., Reinhardt, K., Germino, M.J., 2010, Linking carbon balance to establishment patterns - comparison of whitebark pine and Engelmann spruce seedlings along an herb cover exposure gradient at treeline: Plant Ecology, v. 212, no. 2, p. 219-228.
Loss of foundation species increases population growth of exotic forbs in sagebrush steppe
Prevey, J.S., Germino, M.J., Huntly, N.J., 2010, Loss of foundation species increases population growth of exotic forbs in sagebrush steppe: Ecological Applications, v. 20, no. 7, p. 1890-1902.
Montaine meadow change during drought varies with background hydrologic regime and plant functional group
Debinski, D.M., Wickham, H., Kindscher, K., Caruthers, J.C., Germino, M.J., 2010, Montaine meadow change during drought varies with background hydrologic regime and plant functional group: Ecology, v. 91, no. 6, p. 1672-1681.
Relationships of aeolian erosion and deposition with LiDAR-derived landscape surface roughness following wildfire
Sankey, J.B., Glenn, N.F., Germino, M.J., Gironella, A.N., Thackray, G.D., 2010, Relationships of aeolian erosion and deposition with LiDAR-derived landscape surface roughness following wildfire: Geomorphology, v. 119, no. 1-2, p. 135-154.
Bansal, S., Germino, M.J., 2010, Unique responses of respiration, growth, and non-structural carbohydrate storage in sink tissue of conifer seedlings to an elevation gradient at timberline: Environmental and Experimental Biology, v. 69, no. 3, p. 313-319, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2010.05.002.
Variation in ecophysiological properties among conifers at an ecotonal boundary- Comparison of establishing seedlings and established adults at timberline
Bansal, S., Germino, M.J., 2010, Variation in ecophysiological properties among conifers at an ecotonal boundary- Comparison of establishing seedlings and established adults at timberline: Journal of Vegetation Science, v. 21, p. 133-142.
Aeolian sediment transport following wildfire in sagebrush steppe
Sankey, J.B., Germino, M.J., Glenn, N.F., 2009, Aeolian sediment transport following wildfire in sagebrush steppe: Journal of Arid Environments, v. 73, p. 912-919.
Opportunistic heterotrophy in gametophytes of the homosporous fern Ceratopteris richardii
Alongi, D.A., Hill, J.P., Germino, M.J., 2009, Opportunistic heterotrophy in gametophytes of the homosporous fern Ceratopteris richardii: Botany, v. 87, p. 799-806.
Relationships of post-fire aeolian transport to soil and atmospheric conditions
Sankey, J.B., Germino, M.J., Glenn, N.F., 2009, Relationships of post-fire aeolian transport to soil and atmospheric conditions: Aeolian Research, v. 1, no. 1-2, p. 75-85.
Relative suitability of indices derived from Landsat ETM+ and SPOT 5 for detecting fire severity in sagebrush steppe
Norton, J., Glenn, N.F., Germino, M.J., Weber, K., Seefeldt, S., 2009, Relative suitability of indices derived from Landsat ETM+ and SPOT 5 for detecting fire severity in sagebrush steppe: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, v. 11, p. 360-367.
Temporal variation of nonstructural carbohydrates in montane conifers- Similarities and differences among developmental stages, species and environmental conditions
Bansal, S., Germino, M.J., 2009, Temporal variation of nonstructural carbohydrates in montane conifers- Similarities and differences among developmental stages, species and environmental conditions: Tree Physiology, v. 29, p. 559-568.
The altitude of alpine treeline - A bellwether of climate change effects
Smith, W.K., Germino, M.J., Johnson, D.K., Reinhardt, K., 2009, The altitude of alpine treeline - A bellwether of climate change effects: Botanical Review, v. 75, p. 163-190.
Assessment of juniper encroachment with the use of satellite imagery and geospatial data
Sankey, T.T., Germino, M.J., 2008, Assessment of juniper encroachment with the use of satellite imagery and geospatial data: Rangeland Ecology and Management, v. 61, no. 4, p. 412-418.
Carbon balance of conifer seedlings at timberline - Relative changes in uptake, storage, and utilization
Bansal, S., Germino, M.J., 2008, Carbon balance of conifer seedlings at timberline - Relative changes in uptake, storage, and utilization: Oecologia, v. 158, p. 217-227.
PCBE Revisited- Long-Term Performance of Alternative Evapotranspiration Caps for Protecting Shallowly Buried Wastes Under Variable Precipitation
Janzen, B.C., Germino, M.J., Anderson, J.E., 2007, PCBE Revisited- Long-Term Performance of Alternative Evapotranspiration Caps for Protecting Shallowly Buried Wastes Under Variable Precipitation: U.S. Department of Energy - Idaho Operations Office STOLLER-ESER-101, p. 1-37.
Prescribed fires in Artemisia tridentata ssp. Vaseyanasteppe have minor and transient effects on vegetation cover and composition
Seefeldt, S.S., Germino, M.J., DiCristina, K., 2007, Prescribed fires in Artemisia tridentata ssp. Vaseyanasteppe have minor and transient effects on vegetation cover and composition: Applied Vegetation Science, v. 10, no. 2, p. 249-256.
Advantages in water relations contribute to greater photosynthesis in Centaurea maculosa compared with established grasses
Hill, J.P., Germino, M.J., Wraith, J.M., Olson, B.E., Swan, M.B., 2006, Advantages in water relations contribute to greater photosynthesis in Centaurea maculosa compared with established grasses: International Journal of Plant Sciences, v. 167, no. 2, p. 269-277.
Correlation of neighborhood relationships, carbon assimilation, and water status of sagebrush seedlings establishing after fire
DiCristina, K., Germino, M.J., 2006, Correlation of neighborhood relationships, carbon assimilation, and water status of sagebrush seedlings establishing after fire: Western North American Naturalist, v. 66, no. 4, p. 441-449.
Landscape- and age-based factors affecting fungal colonization of conifer seedling roots at the alpine tree line
Germino, M.J., Hasselquist, N.J., McGonigle, T., Smith, W.K., Sheridan, P.P., 2006, Landscape- and age-based factors affecting fungal colonization of conifer seedling roots at the alpine tree line: Canadian Journal of Forest Research, v. 36, p. 901-909.
Microsite differentiation among conifer species during seedling establishment at alpine treeline
Maher, E.L., Germino, M.J., 2006, Microsite differentiation among conifer species during seedling establishment at alpine treeline: Ecoscience, v. 13, no. 3, p. 334-341.
Photosynthesis during an episodic drought in Abies lasiocarpa andPicea engelmanniiacross an alpine treeline
Brodersen, C.R., Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2006, Photosynthesis during an episodic drought in Abies lasiocarpa andPicea engelmanniiacross an alpine treeline: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, v. 38, no. 1, p. 34-41.
Photosynthesis during an episodic drought in Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii across an alpine treeline
Brodersen, C.R., Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2006, Photosynthesis during an episodic drought in Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii across an alpine treeline: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, v. 38, no. 1, p. 34-41.
Coordinated variation in ecophysiological properties among life stages and tissue types in an invasive perennial forb of semiarid shrub steppe
Hill, J.P., Germino, M.J., 2005, Coordinated variation in ecophysiological properties among life stages and tissue types in an invasive perennial forb of semiarid shrub steppe: Canadian Journal of Botany, v. 83, p. 1488-1495.
Interactive effects of tree and herb cover on survivorship, physiology, and microclimate of conifer seedlings at the alpine tree-line ecotone
Maher, E.L., Germino, M.J., Hasselquist, N.J., 2005, Interactive effects of tree and herb cover on survivorship, physiology, and microclimate of conifer seedlings at the alpine tree-line ecotone: Canadian Journal of Forest Research, v. 35, p. 567-574.
Hasselquist, N.J., Germino, M.J., McGonigle, T., Smith, W.K., 2005, Variability of Cenococcum colonization and its ecophysiological significance for young conifers at alpine-treeline: New Phytologist, v. 165, no. 3, p. 867-873, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2004.01275.x.
Abiotic factors limiting photosynthesis in Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii seedlings below and above the alpine timberline
Johnson, D.M., Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2004, Abiotic factors limiting photosynthesis in Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii seedlings below and above the alpine timberline: Tree Physiology, v. 24, p. 377-386.
Leaf to Landscape
Smith, S.D., Naumburg, E., Niinemets, U., Germino, M.J., 2004, Leaf to Landscape In Smith, W.K., Vogelmann, T.C., Critchley, C., eds., Photosynthetic Adaptation: Chloroplast to Landscape: New York City, NY, Springer, p. 262-294.
Another perspective on altitudinal limits of alpine timberlines
Smith, W.K., Germino, M.J., Hancock, T.E., Johnson, D.M., 2003, Another perspective on altitudinal limits of alpine timberlines: Tree Physiology, v. 23, p. 1101-1113.
Germino, M.J., Wraith, J.M., 2003, Plant water relations influence carbon gain in a grass occurring along sharp gradients of soil temperature: New Phytologist, v. 157, no. 2, p. 241-250, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00663.x.
Conifer seedling distribution and survival in an alpine-treeline ecotone
Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., Resor, A.C., 2002, Conifer seedling distribution and survival in an alpine-treeline ecotone: Plant Ecology, v. 162, no. 2, p. 157-168.
Bastian, C.T., McLeod, D.M., Germino, M.J., Reiners, W.A., Blasko, B.J., 2002, Environmental amenities and agricultural land values- a hedonic model using geographic information systems data: Ecological Economics, v. 40, no. 3, p. 337-349, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(01)00278-6.
Exploring the potential for using GIS to measure environmental and visual amenities when valuing agricultural lands
Bastian, C.T., McLeod, D.M., Germino, M.J., Reiners, W.A., Blasko, B.J., 2002, Exploring the potential for using GIS to measure environmental and visual amenities when valuing agricultural lands: Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, v. 65, no. 1, p. 43-52.
Estimating visual properties of Rocky Mountain landscapes using GIS
Germino, M.J., Reiners, W.A., Blasko, B.J., McLeod, D.M., Bastian, C.T., 2001, Estimating visual properties of Rocky Mountain landscapes using GIS: Landscape and Urban Planning, v. 53, no. 1-4, p. 71-83.
Relative importance of microhabitat, plant form and photosynthetic physiology to carbon gain in two alpine herbs
Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2001, Relative importance of microhabitat, plant form and photosynthetic physiology to carbon gain in two alpine herbs: Functional Ecology, v. 15, p. 243-251.
Differences in microsite, plant form, and low-temperature photo inhibition in alpine plants
Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2000, Differences in microsite, plant form, and low-temperature photo inhibition in alpine plants: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, v. 32, no. 4, p. 388-396.
Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 2000, High resistance to low-temperature photoinhibition in two alpine, snowbank species: Physiologia Plantarum, v. 110, no. 1, p. 89-95, https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1399-3054.2000.110112.x.
Sky exposure, crown architecture, and low-temperature photo inhibition in conifer seedlings at alpine treeline
Germino, M.J., Smith, W.K., 1999, Sky exposure, crown architecture, and low-temperature photo inhibition in conifer seedlings at alpine treeline: Plant, Cell and Environment, v. 22, no. 4, p. 407-415.
Date published: April 9, 2021
A Chemical and Bio-Herbicide Mixture Increased Exotic Invaders, Both Targeted and Non-Targeted, Across a Diversely Invaded Landscape After Fire
Herbicides sprayed to inhibit exotic annual grass germination and establishment can have unintended effects, including the release of secondary invaders or damage to native plant species.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: April 9, 2021
Weather Affects Post-Fire Recovery of Sagebrush-Steppe Communities and Model Transferability Among Sites
Altered climate, including weather extremes, can affect vegetative recovery after disturbances. USGS researchers compared models to determine how annual and perennial grass cover and sagebrush density responded to wildfire and weather.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: April 8, 2021
Post-fire Management may have Inadvertently Released an Exotic Perennial Forb and Suppressed its Biocontrol Agents
Invasive plants that establish in sagebrush steppe ecosystems during the critical post-fire recolonization period can affect long-term vegetation community trajectories.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: March 26, 2021
Weather and Distance to Fire Refugia Limit Landscape-Level Occurrence of Fungal Disease in an Exotic Annual Grass
Exotic species invasion may occur because of the lack of natural enemies, such as pathogens, in introduced ranges.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: February 26, 2021
Detecting Shrub Recovery in Sagebrush Steppe: Comparing Landsat-Derived Maps with Field Data on Historical Wildfires
Sagebrush can be scarce after fires in a semiarid ecosystem and their paucity over vast burn areas creates challenges for detection by remote sensing.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: September 18, 2020
Post-Fire Growth of Seeded and Planted Big Sagebrush – Strategic Designs for Restoring Greater Sage-grouse Nesting Habitat
Recent wildfire-induced losses of big sagebrush are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial losses in habitat for species such as greater sage-grouse.
Date published: September 18, 2020
Future Alpine Colonization by Limber Pine More Likely than by Engelmann Spruce
Alpine treelines are expected to shift upward in elevation and latitude as a result of climate change, yet this expansion requires favorable conditions for seed germination and successful seedling establishment.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: September 18, 2020
Weed-Suppressive Bacteria Effects Differ in Culture Compared to in Soils
Weed-suppressive bacteria (WSB), specifically the D7 and ACK55 strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, were previously reported to selectively inhibit growth of invasive annual grasses. However, recent studies show highly mixed evidence for WSB effectiveness in field settings.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: September 11, 2020
Spatial Grain of Adaptation is Much Finer than Ecoregional-Scale Common Gardens Reveal
Common-garden experiments, in which plants sourced from geographically distant populations are grown together such that genetic differences may be expressed, can provide insight on adaptive variation of sagebrush.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: September 11, 2020
Bacterial Soil Amendment MB906 Shows Inconsistent Control of Invasive Annual Grasses
In 2016, land managers began using a soil amendment called MB906, a weed-suppressive bacteria, to control invasive annual grasses, yet the success of MB906 is inconclusive.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: April 24, 2020
Partitioning Surface Energy Balance Components in a Semi-Arid Environment
Understanding ecosystem energy and hydrological response is important for predicting and managing future water resources under climate and land-cover changes.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Date published: April 24, 2020
Surface Energy Fluxes, Soil Moisture, and Evapotranspiration Across Three Ecosystems in a Semiarid Climate
Understanding the land-atmosphere interaction at the ecosystem scale is important for water resource management and regional or global climate studies. Researchers examined surface fluxes of energy and moisture for three different ecosystems - sagebrush, cheatgrass, and lodgepole pine - in the Snake River Plain of Idaho.
Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center