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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Population Genetic Structure Of Bromus Tectorum In The American Desert Southwest, Desiree Rochelle Eldon
Population Genetic Structure Of Bromus Tectorum In The American Desert Southwest, Desiree Rochelle Eldon
Theses and Dissertations
Following its introduction to North America in the late nineteenth century, Bromus tectorum L., an inbreeding invasive winter annual grass, has become dominant on millions of hectares of sagebrush steppe habitat throughout Intermountain Western North America. It appears that within the last 30-40 years, B. tectorum has expanded its range southward into the Mojave Desert and also into more climatically extreme salt desert environments. Previous research using microsatellite markers and experimental studies has suggested that lineages found in desert habitats are genetically distinct from those found in the sagebrush-steppe habitat and possess suites of traits that pre-adapt them to these …
Factors Underlying Invasive Grass Fire Regimes In The Mojave Desert And Its Consequences On Plant And Animal Communities, Kevin J. Horn
Factors Underlying Invasive Grass Fire Regimes In The Mojave Desert And Its Consequences On Plant And Animal Communities, Kevin J. Horn
Theses and Dissertations
Climate change and exotic plant invasions are significant anthropogenic threats to desert community structure and resilience . In the Mojave Desert, the invasive grass red brome (Bromusrubens L) is increasing fire frequency and extent in response to climatic factors. The resilience of this ecosystem will be affected by how plant and animal communities respond to fire. To better understand these dynamics, we studied the environmental factors underlying changes in invasive grass fire regimes in the Mojave Desert and its structural and functional effects on plant and animal communities. Following fire, reestablishment of native vegetation can be preempted by repeated burning …