Digital Commons Network^™

Isolation Of The Phycodnavirus Pbcv-1 By Biological Laser Printing, Lisa A. Fitzgerald, Peter K. Wu, James R. Gurnon, Justin C. Biffinger, Bradley R. Ringeisen, James L. Van Etten

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The Phycodnaviridae family of viruses is diverse genetically but similar morphologically. These viruses infect eukaryotic algal hosts from both fresh and marine waters, and are an important component of aqueous environments. They play important roles in the dynamics of algal blooms, nutrient cycling, algal community structure, and possibly gene transfer between organisms. As such, it is important to identify new viruses within the Phycodnaviridae family. Biological laser printing (BioLP) was used to isolate single virus particles from solution. BioLP prints droplets containing a single virus particle directly onto a host medium, thereby enabling viruses to be isolated from unmodified samples. …

Deep And Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Of Rice Plants Infested By The Beet Armyworm (Spodoptera Exigua) And Water Weevil (Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus), R. C. Venu, M. Sheshu Madhav, M. V. Sreerekha, Kan Nobuta, Yuan Zhang, Peter Carswell, Michael J. Boehm, B. C. Meyers, Kenneth L. Korth, Guo-Liang Wang

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) and the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus) are two important insect pests in rice production. To identify insect-responsive genes in rice, we performed a deep transcriptome analysis of Nipponbare rice leaves infested with both beet armyworm and water weevil using massively parallel signature sequencing (MPSS). Many antisense, alternative, and novel transcripts were commonly and specifically induced and suppressed in the infested tissue. Key genes involved in the defense metabolic pathways such as salicylic acid and jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathways were up-regulated in the infested leaves. To validate theMPSS results, we analyzed …

Emissions Savings In The Corn-Ethanol Life Cycle From Feeding Coproducts To Livestock, Virgil R. Bremer, Adam Liska, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson, Haishun Yang, Daniel T. Walters, Kenneth G. Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Environmental regulations on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn (Zea mays L.)-ethanol production require accurate assessment methods to determine emissions savings from coproducts that are fed to livestock. We investigated current use of coproducts in livestock diets and estimated the magnitude and variability in the GHG emissions credit for coproducts in the corn-ethanol life cycle. The coproduct GHG emissions credit varied by more than twofold, from 11.5 to 28.3 g CO₂e per MJ of ethanol produced, depending on the fraction of coproducts used without drying, the proportion of coproduct used to feed beef cattle (Bos taurus …

Complementary Genetic And Genomic Approaches Help Characterize The Linkage Group I Seed Protein Qtl In Soybean, Yung-Tsi Bolon, Bindu Joseph, Steven B Cannon, Michelle A Graham, Brian W. Diers, Andrew Farmer, Gregory D May, Gary J. Muehlbauer, James Specht, Zheng Jin Tu, Nathan Weeks, Wayne W Xu, Randy C. Shoemaker, Carroll P Vance

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: The nutritional and economic value of many crops is effectively a function of seed protein and oil content. Insight into the genetic and molecular control mechanisms involved in the deposition of these constituents in the developing seed is needed to guide crop improvement. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) on Linkage Group I (LG I) of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) has a striking effect on seed protein content.

Results: A soybean near-isogenic line (NIL) pair contrasting in seed protein and differing in an introgressed genomic segment containing the LG I protein QTL was used as a resource to demarcate …

Spring Grazing Impacts On The Vegetation Of Reed Canarygrass–Invaded Wetlands, Heidi Hilhouse, Susan J. Tunnell, James L. Stubbendieck

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The Rainwater Basin region in Nebraska is critically important stopover habitat for spring waterfowl migrations, but the ability of these sites to produce sufficient food for migrating waterfowl is endangered by the invasion of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). This species produces thick litter layers and abundant aboveground biomass, reducing germination and seedling survival of the annual plant species responsible for much of the seed production in the area. Cattle grazing often is used as a management tool in the Rainwater Basin to slow or reverse reed canarygrass invasion and to improve growing conditions for more desirable plant species. …

Rna-Seq Atlas Of Glycine Max: A Guide To The Soybean Transcriptome, Andrew J. Severin, Jenna L. Woody, Yung-Tsi Bolon, Bindu Joseph, Brian W. Diers, Andrew Farmer, Gary J. Muehlbauer, Rex T. Nelson, David Grant, James E. Specht, Michelle A. Graham, Steven B. Cannon, Gregory D. May, Carroll P. Vance, Randy C. Shoemaker

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Next generation sequencing is transforming our understanding of transcriptomes. It can determine the expression level of transcripts with a dynamic range of over six orders of magnitude from multiple tissues, developmental stages or conditions. Patterns of gene expression provide insight into functions of genes with unknown annotation.

Results: The RNA Seq-Atlas presented here provides a record of high-resolution gene expression in a set of fourteen diverse tissues. Hierarchical clustering of transcriptional profiles for these tissues suggests three clades with similar profiles: aerial, underground and seed tissues. We also investigate the relationship between gene structure and gene expression and find …

Economic Potential Of Substituting Legumes For Synthetic Nitrogen In Warm Season Perennial Grasses Used For Stocker Cattle Grazing, Maru Kering, John Biermacher, Ryan Reuter, Twain Butler, Job D. Springer, James Rogers, John Blanton, Joe Bouton, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Stocker cattle grazing warm season perennial grasses is an important economic activity in the southern Great Plains. Substantial increases in the price of nitrogen fertilizer is negatively affecting forage producers‟ profitability. Two alternative nitrogen management systems that use annual and perennial legumes have been developed for bermudagrass pastures. The goal of the study is to determine if the legumes systems are more profitable than the conventional practice of applying synthetic sources of nitrogen. Results of the two-year grazing study show that the legume systems could not compete economically with the common practice.

Fertilizer Rate Effects On Forage Yield Stability And Nutrient Uptake Of Midland Bermudagrass, John A. Guretzky, Maru K. Kering, Jagadeesh Mosali, Eddie Funderburg, Jon T. Biermacher

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our objectives were to document effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizer rates on forage yields and uptake of N, P, and K by Midland bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] on a Minco fine, sandy loam in southern Oklahoma. After six years of this long-term experiment, forage yield responses to fertilization were mixed and depended on year. Stability analysis indicated forage yields responded positively to N fertilization during favorable weather conditions but negatively during poor weather conditions. Application of 112 kg N ha⁻¹ provided the best yield stability and mean annual forage yield among treatments, …

Evaluation Of The Intercom Model For Predicting Growth Of Forest Herbs, Zorica S. Popović, J. L. Lindquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The ecophysiological model INTERCOM was evaluated for its suitability in predicting the growth of perennial forest herbs. A field experiment was conducted to obtain data on photosynthesis and growth parameters of two spring flowering understorey geophytes. Results were used to parameterize the model and its performance was evaluated using the average normalized difference (AE) between predicted and observed biomass and the leaf area index. The model was assumed to provide accurate simulations if the AE was smaller than 0.4. Adjusting the photosynthetic intensity parameters in the model to reflect observed changes in photosynthesis throughout the growing period resulted in the …

Selecting Strawberry Cultivars For Winter Greenhouse Production, Ellen T. Paparozzi, Stacy A. Adams, George E. Meyer, M. Elizabeth Conley, Vicki L. Schlegel, Erin E. Blankenship, Paul E. Read

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Costs of transportation and food safety concerns have spawned an increase in public support of locally grown vegetables and fruit. With this in mind, a two-phase investigation was planned with the goal of combining low start up costs for sustainable greenhouse production with selection of strawberry cultivars that would provide the greatest number and largest size of berries. Additionally, berries from each cultivar will be analyzed for their beneficial nutraceutical properties to determine if there is a difference among cultivars.

Fine Mapping The Soybean Aphid Resistance Gene Rag1 In Soybean, Ki-Seung Kim, Stephanie Bellendir, Karen A. Hudson, Curtis B. Hill, Glen L. Hartman, D. L. Hyten, Matthew E. Hudson, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) is an important soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] pest in North America. The dominant aphid resistance gene Rag1 was previously mapped from the cultivar ‘Dowling’ to a 12 cM marker interval on soybean chromosome 7 (formerly linkage group M). The development of additional genetic markers mapping closer to Rag1 was needed to accurately position the gene to improve the effectiveness of markerassisted selection (MAS) and to eventually clone it. The objectives of this study were to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near Rag1 and to position these SNPs relative to Rag1. …

A High Density Integrated Genetic Linkage Map Of Soybean And The Development Of A 1536 Universal Soy Linkage Panel For Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping, D. L. Hyten, Ik-Young Choi, Qijian Song, James E. Specht, Thomas E. Carter Jr., Randy C. Shoemaker, Eun-Young Hwang, Lakshmi K. Matukumalli, P. B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the marker of choice for many researchers due to their abundance and the high-throughput methods available for their multiplex analysis. Only recently have SNP markers been available to researchers in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] with the release of the third version of the consensus genetic linkage map that added 1141 SNP markers to the map. Our objectives were to add 2500 additional SNP markers to the soybean integrated map and select a set of 1536 SNPs to create a universal linkage panel for high-throughput soybean quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. The GoldenGate assay …

Crop Registration: The Pathway To Public Access Of Plant Genetic Materials To Build Crops For The Future, D. D. Ellis, K. A. Garland-Campbell, J. A. Grotenhuis, M. M. Jenderek, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Starting in 1926 and continuing for 80+ yr, 11,241 crop genetic materials have been registered as of 31 Dec. 2008. The crop registration process is an important pathway to publically describe and document new and useful genetic materials and to incorporate these into the public domain via the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). Crop Registration materials are now searchable via the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) and demand for registered materials remains strong with more than 9150 registered accessions distributed in the past 26 yr by the NPGS. Guidelines continue to evolve to accommodate global factors effecting germplasm exchange such …

Efficacy Of Singular And Stacked Brown Midrib 6 And 12 In The Modification Of Lignocellulose And Grain Chemistry, Scott E. Sattler, Deanna L. Funnell-Harris, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In sorghum, brown midrib (bmr) 6 and 12 impair the last two steps of monolignol synthesis. bmr genes were introduced into grain sorghum to improve the digestibility of lignocellulosic tissues for grazing or bioenergy uses following grain harvest. Near-isogenic grain sorghum hybrids (AWheatland X RTx430) were developed containing bmr6, bmr12, and the bmr6 bmr12 double mutant (stacked), and their impacts were assessed in a two-year field study. The bmr genes did not significantly impact grain or lignocellulosic tissue yield. Lignocellulosic tissue from bmr6, bmr12, and stacked hybrids had reduced lignin content and increased in …

Heterosis In Sweet Sorghum And Selection Of A New Sweet Sorghum Hybrid For Use In Syrup Production In Appalachia, T. W. Pfeiffer, M. J. Bitzer, J. J. Toy, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Although heterosis is well established in grain and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], reports of heterosis in sweet sorghum are limited to results from grain sorghum × sweet sorghum hybrids. Recent development of cytoplasmic male-sterile sweet sorghum lines allows creation of sweet sorghum hybrids for research and industry. Male sterility may also affect allocation of photosynthate to plant parts, creating the potential to increase sugar content in stems by eliminating seed as a sink. The objectives of this study were to compare performance of A₃ cytoplasmic male-sterile lines and A₃ cytoplasmic male-sterile hybrids to fertile B …

Influences Of Wind And Sandblasting On The Endangered Blowout Penstemon, James Stubbendieck, Cheryl D. Dunn, Heidi L. Hillhouse, L. M. Landholt

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Blowout penstemon Penstemon haydenii is a federally endangered species growing only in areas with active wind erosion in sand dunes of the central United States. This early seral species declines as the blowout habitat stabilizes, allowing later seral species to increase. Blowout penstemon populations and plant size declined in the 1990s when precipitation was higher than normal, resulting in reduced sand movement. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to determine whether blowing sand influenced vigor and persistence of blowout penstemon seedlings. Treatments were wind, sandblasting, wind with sandblasting, and a control. The wind treatment was a constant 14 km h^{–1 …}

Fine Mapping Of The Scn Resistance Locus Rhg1-B From Pi 88788, Myungsik Kim, David L. Hyten, Andrew F. Bent, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is the most economically damaging soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] pest in the USA and genetic resistance is a key component for its control. Although SCN resistance is quantitative, the rhg1 locus on chromosome 18 (formerly known as Linkage Group G) confers a high level of resistance. The objective of this study was to fi ne-map the rhg1-b allele that is derived from plant introduction (PI) 88788. F₂ and F₃ plants and F_3:4 lines from crosses between SCN resistant and susceptible genotypes were tested with genetic markers to …

High-Throughput Snp Discovery And Assay Development In Common Bean, David L. Hyten, Qijian Song, Edward W. Fickus, Charles V. Quigley, Jong-Sung Lim, Ik-Young Choi, Eun-Young Hwang, Marcial Pastor-Corrales, Perry B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Next generation sequencing has significantly increased the speed at which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can be discovered and subsequently used as molecular markers for research. Unfortunately, for species such as common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) which do not have a whole genome sequence available, the use of next generation sequencing for SNP discovery is much more difficult and costly. To this end we developed a method which couples sequences obtained from the Roche 454-FLX system (454) with the Illumina Genome Analyzer (GA) for high-throughput SNP discovery. Results: Using a multi-tier reduced representation library we discovered a total of …

Inoculation With Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Or Crop Rotation With Mycorrhizal Plants Improves The Growth Of Maize In Limed Acid Sulfate Soil, Hasao Higo, Katsunori Isobe, Dong-Jin Kang, Kazuhiro Ujie, Rhae A. Drijber, Ryuichi Ishii

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) improve the uptake of immobile mineral nutrients such as phosphate, thereby improving plant growth. In acid sulfate soil (ASS), AMF spore density is generally low which impacts root colonization and phosphate uptake. Thus, inoculation may help increase AMF colonization of crops grown in ASS. AMF spore density decreases after cultivation of a non-host crop or bare fallow. In addition, preceding crops affect the growth and yield of subsequent crops. The production of AMF inocula requires AMF-compatible plants. The objective of the present study is to elucidate the effect of preceding crops on the persistence of inoculated …

Elevated Co2 Effects On Semi-Arid Grassland Plants In Relation To Water Availability And Competition, Feike A. Dijkstra, Dana Blumenthal, Jack A. Morgan, Daniel R. Lecain, Ronald F. Follett

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

1. It has been suggested that much of the elevated CO₂ effect on plant productivity and N cycling in semi-arid grasslands is related to a CO₂-induced increase in soil moisture, but the relative importance of moisture-mediated and direct effects of CO₂ remain unclear.

2. We grew five grassland species common to the semi-arid grasslands of northern Colorado, USA, as monocultures and as mixtures of all five species in pots. We examined the effects of atmospheric CO₂ concentration (ambient vs. 780 p.p.m.) and soil moisture (15 vs. 20% m⁄m) on plant biomass and plant N uptake. …

Fine Mapping Of The Soybean Aphid-Resistance Gene Rag2 In Soybean Pi 200538, Ki-Seung Kim, Curtis B. Hill, Glen L. Hartman, D. L. Hyten, Matthew E. Hudson, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The discovery of biotype diversity of soybean aphid (SA: Aphis glycines Matsumura) in North America emphasizes the necessity to identify new aphid-resistance genes. The soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plant introduction (PI) 200538 is a promising source of SA resistance because it shows a high level of resistance to a SA biotype that can overcome the SA-resistance gene Rag1 from ‘Dowling’. The SA-resistance gene Rag2 was previously mapped from PI 200538 to a 10-cM marker interval on soybean chromosome 13 [formerly linkage group (LG) F]. The objective of this study was to fine map Rag2. This fine mapping …

Weed Genomics Advance: A Commentary, Stephen O. Duke, Jonathan Gressel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A recent book edited by Neal Stewart summarized the salient information about the genomics of weeds. It is a relatively slim volume, in part because so little is known of weed genomics. The rapidly evolving weeds of modern agriculture cry out for understanding their evolution at the genomic level. Still, granting agencies have been reluctant to fund weed genomics in the past, stating that it was enough to support the sequencing of economically important plants (crops), and forgetting that there may be use to sequencing plants that have extremely negative economicimpactsonthose crops. This attitude hasbeenchanging, and the costs have come …

Horticulture Of Ribes, K. E. Hummer, A. Dale

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The genus Ribes L., known as currants and gooseberries, contains more than 150 diverse species indigenous throughout the northern hemisphere and along the Rocky Mountain, Sierra Nevada and Sierra Madres in North America through mountain ranges of Central America to the Andes in South America. Beginning in the 1400s, four main crop types, black currants (Ribes, subgenus: Ribes, section: Botrycarpum), red and white currants (Ribes, subgenus: Ribes, section: Ribes) and gooseberries (Ribes, subgenus: Grossularia) were domesticated from European species. American and Eurasian species were selected and combined into …

Yeasts Associated With Nectarines And Their Potential For Biological Control Of Brown Rot, W. J. Janisiewicz, C. P. Kurtzman, J. S. Buyer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Resident fruit microflora has been the source of biocontrol agents for the control of postharvest decay of fruits and the active ingredient in commercialized biocontrol products. With the exception of grapes and apples, information on the resident microflora of other fruits is only fragmentary, but greater knowledge in this area can be very helpful in developing biocontrol strategies. We characterized the yeast microflora of nectarines (‘Croce del Sud’) from the early stages of fruit development until harvest. The fruit samples were collected from trees in an unmanaged orchard. The resident fruit microflora was separated from the occasionally deposited microorganisms by …

Role Of The Oviduct In Maintaining Sustained Fertility In Hens, M. R. Bakst

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In poultry, sperm transferred by natural mating or AI into the distal end of the vagina immediately begin their ascent to the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) at the anterior end of the vagina. However, due to an intense selection process in the vagina, less than 1% of the sperm transferred actually reach the UVJ. Those sperm that do reach the UVJ enter numerous tubular invaginations of the vagina’s surface epithelium located in the UVJ mucosa, collectively referred to as the sperm-storage tubules (SST). Sperm residing in the SST lumen are capable of surviving up to several weeks while retaining their fertilizing …

Restoration Of Spermatogenesis After Transplantation Of C-Kit Positive Testicular Cells In The Fowl, Pavel Trefil, Murray R. Bakst, Haifen Yan, Jiří Hejnar, Jiří Kalina, Jitka Mucksová

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Transplantation of male germ line cells into sterilized recipients has been used in mammals for conventional breeding as well as for transgenesis. We have previously adapted this approach for the domestic chicken and we present now an improvement of the germ cell transplantation technique by using an enriched subpopulation of c-Kit-positive spermatogonia as donor cells. Dispersed c-Kit positive testicular cells from 16 to 17 week-old pubertal donors were transplanted by injection directly into the testes of recipient males sterilized by repeated gamma irradiation. We describe the repopulation of the recipient’s testes with c-Kit positive donor testicular cells, which resulted in …

Proteomic Analysis Of The Major Cellular Proteins Of Bovine Trophectoderm Cell Lines Derived From Ivp, Parthenogenetic And Nuclear Transfer Embryos: Reduced Expression Of Annexins I And Ii In Nuclear Transfer-Derived Cell Lines, Neil C. Talbot, Anne M. Powell, Thomas J. Caperna, Wesley M. Garrett

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Trophectoderm cell lines were established from 8-day in vitro-cultured embryos of cattle derived from fertilization (IVF), somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT), or parthenogenetic activation (P) of in vitro-matured oocytes and from five 8-day-old in vivo (V) embryos. The most abundant cellular proteins of 5 V-, 16 NT-, 12 P-, and 16 IVF-derived cell lines were compared by 2D-gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry; that is, the unaltered thiourea/urea extract of each cell culture was analyzed. Common protein spots (n = 118) were examined, and 95% were identified with significant scores from protein and gene database searches. Of the proteins …

Field Applications Of Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria Bassiana And Metarhizium Anisopliae F52 (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) For The Control Of Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Kirby C. Stafford Iii, Sandra A. Allan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Two commercial formulations of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin were applied to residential sites in Old Lyme, CT, for the control of nymphs of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, in 1999 and 2000. The pyrethroid bifenthrin was applied to other premises for comparison with B. bassiana. A wood chip barrier was installed and maintained at six of the treated properties. In 1999, control of I. scapularis nymphs ranged from 74.5 to 83.0% on lawns without wood chips and from 88.9 to 90% on lawns with wood chip barriers. As a control check, no ticks (n= 23) collected …

Native Species Interactions With Red Brome: Suggestions For Burn-Area Revegetation, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

In deserts, native perennial plants often actually facilitate the establishment of exotic annual grasses. One of our focal areas of research is to identify native species for use in revegetation projects that reduce the establishment of exotic annual grasses, or at least do not strongly facilitate exotic species establishment. An initial research effort involving a competition experiment of red brome with native species and a correlational field study of brome distribution among native perennial plants is in press with the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management.

Trying To Beat The Brome: Understanding Establishment Thresholds And Choosing Competitive Native Species At Parashant National Monument, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Desert fires fueled by exotic grasses like the omnipresent red brome (Bromus rubens) can be intense and cause widespread mortality of native vegetation. Native desert scrub communities such as those dominated by blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) do not readily reestablish after fire (Abella 2009) and may even become more abundant in the post-burn landscape initiating a fire cycle that occurs at a greater frequency than the recovery time of the long-lived desert perennial community.