Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Mapping and monitoring cheatgrass dieoff in rangelands of the Northern Great Basin, USA
Author
Boyte, S. P.
Wylie, B. K.
Major, D. J.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015-01
Body

Understanding cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) dynamics in the Northern Great Basin rangelands, USA, is necessary to effectively manage the region's lands. This study's goal was to map and monitor cheatgrass performance to identify where and when cheatgrass dieoff occurred in the Northern Great Basin and to discover how this phenomenon was affected by climatic, topographic, and edaphic variables. We also examined how fire affected cheatgrass performance. Land managers and scientists are concerned by cheatgrass dieoff because it can increase land degradation, and its causes and effects are not fully known. To better understand the scope of cheatgrass dieoff, we developed multiple ecological models that integrated remote sensing data with geophysical and biophysical data. The models' R2 ranged from 0.71 to 0.88, and their root mean squared errors (RMSEs) ranged from 3.07 to 6.95. Validation of dieoff data showed that 41% of pixels within independently developed dieoff polygons were accurately classified as dieoff, whereas 2% of pixels outside of dieoff polygons were classified as dieoff. Site potential, a long-term spatial average of cheatgrass cover, dominated the development of the cheatgrass performance model. Fire negatively affected cheatgrass performance 1 year postfire, but by the second year postfire performance exceeded prefire levels. The landscape-scale monitoring study presented in this paper helps increase knowledge about recent rangeland dynamics, including where cheatgrass dieoffs occurred and how cheatgrass responded to fire. This knowledge can help direct further investigation and/or guide land management activities that can capitalize on, or mitigate the effects of, cheatgrass dieoff. © 2015 Society for Range Management. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/j.rama.2014.12.005
Additional Information
Boyte, S. P., Wylie, B. K., & Major, D. J. (2015). Mapping and monitoring cheatgrass dieoff in rangelands of the Northern Great Basin, USA. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 68(1), 18–28.
IISN
0022-409x
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/656952
Journal Volume
Rangeland Ecology & Management
Journal Number
68
Journal Pages
1
Journal Name
Rangeland Ecology & Management
Keywords
Bromus tectorum
ecological models
invasive species
Land cover change
MODIS
Snake River Plain