Honors Theses (Environmental Studies Program)

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Browsing Honors Theses (Environmental Studies Program) by Author "Bailey, Zoey"

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    Invasive annuals increase with fire frequency in the Northern Great Basin
    (University of Oregon, 2023) Bailey, Zoey; Hallett, Lauren; Aoyama, Lina; Moffitt, Michael
    Wildfire, although a natural part of the sagebrush-steppe ecology in the Great Basin, is poised to occur at more frequent intervals due to the combined influence of rampant annual grass invasion and increasingly long dry seasons. Deviations from the historic fire return interval of 25-75 years to a mere 3-5-year cycle disrupt the establishment of later-seral species, such as the keystone shrub, sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata). More frequent fire can further alter the structure of plant communities by favoring early colonizing annual grass and forbs. As fire frequency increases, the resilience of native species is diminished, and the site becomes more vulnerable to vegetation compositional conversions. The conversion of mixed sagebrush and perennial grass-dominated sites to monocultures of invasive annual species jeopardizes human and wildlife needs on the landscape. To better understand the effects of increased fire frequency on annual species invasion, I surveyed vegetation cover in sites with variable burn history at the North Great Basin Experimental Range in July of 2022. The relative abundance of plant functional groups, as well as two critical invasive annual species, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and desert alyssum (Alyssum desertorum), were recorded in plots burned in 5, 10, and 20 year intervals since 2002. The relationship between forb cover and fire frequency was the only statistically significant difference identified (p=0.02). General trends in the data supported the hypotheses that the mean percent cover of Bromus tectorum and Alyssum desertorum would be higher in sites burned more frequently. These preliminary findings indicate the relationship between fire frequency and invasive annual species warrants greater attention with future larger-scale vegetation surveys. A better understanding of fire frequency effects on vegetation conversion may help restoration practitioners effectively prioritize areas for post-fire restoration to limit loss of native species.