Functional plant type abundance for trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs representing 154 plant taxa from 52 woodrat midden strata were used to study vegetation/climate relationships in western Nevada.� Sampled middens were from mountainous terrain with a range of topographic conditions covering 800 m in elevation and the last 35,000 years.� Six time periods were identified, each with relatively stable climatic conditions and vegetation composition.� Significant changes in climate and vegetation composition occurred during five rapid transitions between the six time periods.� During three of these transitions (26.0 kCY, 13.5 kCY, 0.55 kCY) the rapid changes in climate included decreases in temperature.� For the remaining two transitions (15.0 kCY, 8.0 kCY) the rapid changes in climate included increases in temperature.� These changes represent a long-term cyclic pattern for climate and vegetation not previously described for the western Great Basin.� As the temperature rapidly decreased during the transitions at 26.0 kCY and 13.5 kCY herbaceous taxa dominance significantly increased.� During the transitions where temperature rapidly increased shrub dominance increased. �The largest changes in vegetation composition occurred during the rapid increase in temperature at the 15.0 kCY transition.� This included both a significant increase in shrub abundance and composition, and a significant decrease in forb abundance and composition.� A significant decline in forb abundance that occurred with the increase in temperature at the 8.0 kCY transition further reduced herbaceous dominance.� �Shrub dominance is now at its highest level, and herbaceous dominance at its lowest level, for the last 35,000 years. �These trends in increasing shrub and decreasing herbaceous dominance after 8.0 kCY appear to have provided increased opportunities for the invasion and dominance of exotic plant species. �With the temperature increases projected to occur over the rest of this century expansion in exotic dominance can be expected to continue, and even increase.
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