Short-term soil inorganic N pulse after experimental fire alters invasive and native annual plant production in a Mojave Desert shrubland
Esque TC, Kaye JP, Eckert SE, DeFalco LA, Tracy CR. 2010. Short-term soil inorganic N pulse after experimental fire alters invasive and native annual plant production in a Mojave Desert shrubland. Oecologia. 164(1):253-263
Post-fire changes in desert vegetation patterns are known, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Theory suggests that pulse dynamics of resource availability confer advantages to invasive annual species, and that pulse timing can influence survival and competition among species. Precipitation patterns in the American Southwest are predicted to shift toward a drier climate, potentially altering post-fire resource availability and consequent vegetation dynamics. We quantified post-fire inorganic N dynamics and determined how annual plants respond to soil inorganic nitrogen variability following experimental fires in a Mojave Desert shrub community.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Esque, Todd; Kaye, Jason; Eckert, Sara; DeFalco, Lesley; Tracy, C.
- Date of Issue
- 2010-04-24
- Units
- PARA
- Keywords
- fire, Mojave Desert, Parashant, plant production