Interaction of historical and nonhistorical disturbances maintains native plant communities

Historical disturbance regimes are often considered a critical element in maintaining native plant communities. However, the response of plant communities to disturbance may be fundamentally altered as a consequence of invasive plants, climate change, or prior disturbances. The appropriateness of historical disturbance patterns under modern conditions and the interactions among disturbances are issues that ecologists must address to protect and restore native plant communities. We evaluated the response of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Beetle & A. Young) S.L. Welsh plant communities to their historical disturbance regime compared to other disturbance regimes. The historical disturbance regime of these...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Artemisia tridentata, Bromus tectorum, Ecological Applications, Ecological Society of America, Northern Great Basin Experimental Range, All tags... Oregon, USA, cheatgrass, ecosystem management, fire, grazing, historical conditions, invasive plants, prior disturbance, sagebrush, Fewer tags