Historically, fire acted as a dominant ecological process in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. A recent synthesis on the effects of fire in the Great Basin emphasizes the need for long term (>10 years) research on fire effects. We examined the effect of fire in shaping community composition in a basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. tridentata) communities through cover and density measurements. We used data collected over repeated intervals post-burn, in plots that range in age from 9 to 15 years, at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon. In addition, emphasis was placed on determining the effect of fire on the invasive, annual grasses, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) and on the native tree, western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook). Initial analysis shows an increase in cheatgrass cover to 58.4% at 10 years post-burn from 45.14% cover pre-burn. Cheatgrass cover remained low in plots that were dominated by native grasses, particularly Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis Elmer) pre-burn. Medusahead cover increased to 3.73% cover at 10 years post-burn over 2.05% pre-burn. The average density of basin big sagebrush declined from 11.62 individuals per 150 mp2 pre-burn to 1.29 individuals per 150 m^2 at 10 years post-burn, with immature sagebrush making up less than 0.01% of the counted individuals.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.