Twenty quadrats within the burn perimeter of a September 2021 wildfire outside of Boise, Idaho were surveyed for the abundance of fire effects, biocrusts and vascular plants immediately post-fire. The fire was too small to be named. Char was measured as a proxy for fire intensity. Biocrusts were surveyed by morphogroup (crustose lichens, cup lichens, fruticose lichens, gelatinous lichens, short moss, tall moss) and vascular plants were surveyed by functional group (annual forbs, perennial grasses). Char was measured ocularly and biocrust/plant abundance was measured via point-vertex intercept at 40 points per quadrat.

Fifteen fires from the Chronosequence dataset (see Knutson et al. 2014) were visited in 2012 and 2013 and surveyed for cover of lichens and mosses. Fires were selected to cover the range of average precipitation for each of three water years following fire, fire severity, time since fire, season of ignition, total acres burned and grazing intensity. Cattle grazing was characterized by distance from water sources for cattle, cow dung density counts and Animal Unit Months from the Rangeland Administration System of the Bureau of Land Management. Fire was characterized by whether or not a site burned, time since fire, the area burned, and an estimated amount of shrub cover consumed by the fire as compared to seemingly comparable unburned sites. In total, 99 plots were surveyed.

Top-down and bottom-up factors affecting invasive populations are rarely considered simultaneously, yet their interactive responses to disturbances and management interventions can be essential to understanding invasion patterns. We evaluated post-fire responses of the exotic perennial forb Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed) and its biocontrol agents to landscape factors and a post-fire combined herbicide (imazapic) and bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain MB906) treatment that targeted invasive annual grasses in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Biocontrol agents released against C. juncea in previous decades included Cystiphora schmidti (gall midge), Aceria chondrillae (gall mite), and Puccinia chondrillina (rust fungus). C. juncea abundance was greater in sprayed than unsprayed plots, and where soils were coarser, slopes faced southwest, solar heat loads and topographic water accumulation were greater, and cover of deep-rooted native perennials was lower. Mite infestation was greater in unsprayed plots, midge infestation was greater at higher elevations on steeper slopes, and midges were more abundant while rust was less abundant on gravelly soils. Biocontrol infestation levels varied considerably between years and could not be predicted in 2019 from 2018 infestation levels. Multiple biocontrol species were often present at the same plots but were rarely present on the same C. juncea individuals. These results suggest that spatial patterns of invasion by C. juncea are related to deep-soil water availability, warmer conditions, and alleviation of competition. Treatments designed to reduce invasive annual grasses may inadvertently release C. juncea by both reducing plant competition for soil resources and affecting biocontrol agent (mite) abundance.

Top-down and bottom-up factors affecting invasive populations are rarely considered simultaneously, yet their interactive responses to disturbances and management interventions can be essential to understanding invasion patterns. We evaluated post-fire responses of the exotic perennial forb Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed) and its biocontrol agents to landscape factors and a post-fire combined herbicide (imazapic) and bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain MB906) treatment that targeted invasive annual grasses in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Biocontrol agents released against C. juncea in previous decades included Cystiphora schmidti (gall midge), Aceria chondrillae (gall mite), and Puccinia chondrillina (rust fungus). C. juncea abundance was greater in sprayed than unsprayed plots, and where soils were coarser, slopes faced southwest, solar heat loads and topographic water accumulation were greater, and cover of deep-rooted native perennials was lower. Mite infestation was greater in unsprayed plots, midge infestation was greater at higher elevations on steeper slopes, and midges were more abundant while rust was less abundant on gravelly soils. Biocontrol infestation levels varied considerably between years and could not be predicted in 2019 from 2018 infestation levels. Multiple biocontrol species were often present at the same plots but were rarely present on the same C. juncea individuals. These results suggest that spatial patterns of invasion by C. juncea are related to deep-soil water availability, warmer conditions, and alleviation of competition. Treatments designed to reduce invasive annual grasses may inadvertently release C. juncea by both reducing plant competition for soil resources and affecting biocontrol agent (mite) abundance.

Post-fire vegetation status and condition have multiple implications. They are indicative of burn severity and the lasting impacts of fire the land; they also help inform post-fire debris flow modeling and related risk analyses, hydrology and water quality assessments, and vulnerability to invasive species. Monitoring vegetation recovery over time enables continuous re-evaluation of various post-fire hazards, thereby facilitating informed and timely responses to post-fire risks by land managers at the local level. Structure metrics were derived from spaceborne Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar data and used to map pre- and post-fire structure. Pre- and post-fire Landsat or Sentinel satellite data were obtained from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS; https://www.mtbs.gov/) program. GEDI data were intersected with each satellite band and XGBoost models were built using band values as independent variables and GEDI vegetation structure values as dependent values. The models were used to generate spatially continuous maps of structure, providing vegetation structural estimates throughout the fire perimeter and beyond.

Between 1987 and 1988, twenty-four approximately 2-acre plots were established in Jones County, Georgia on the Hitchiti Experimental Forest which is also known as the Brender Demonstration Forest. These plots have not burned since prior to 1939. Treatments were applied to track site changes over time from five short return interval underburn treatments. These treatments, replicated 4 times, were comprised of: biennial dormant season headfires, triennial dormant season headfires, triennial dormant season backfires, triennial growing season headfires, growing season headfires every 6 years, and unburned controls. Triennial dormant season treatments were eventually combined. Variables tracked over time include the impact of fire on overstory pine growth, midstory (in this study midstory includes understory plants > 4.5 feet high) structure and composition, seedling (in this study including all woody plants < 4.5 feet high and all other plants regardless of height) species dominance, percent cover, pine seedling establishment and mortality, and forest floor consumption. Several thousand overstory and midstory trees were tagged, GPS coordinates recorded and their survival and growth followed over time. Vegetation was measured in nested circular plots and on line transects. Live and dead overstory trees on two 0.2 acre (1/5 ac) subplots per treatment plot were tallied annually by species with diameter at breast height and height, measured and pest damage/mortality by pathogen, lightning and wind damage recorded. Basal area was calculated periodically. Some overstory pines were bored to determine age (typically after death). Midstory live and dead trees were tallied annually on six 0.02 acre subplots per treatment plot. Seedlings were tallied on eighteen 0.001 acre (MA = milacre) subplots per treatment plot by species/species group, and percent of the subplot area in vines, herbs, moss, live woody material, dead plant material, and void of plant material (exposed mineral soil). Six 33 feet line transects per treatment plot were divided into 6 inch segments and dominant seedling species/species group tallied annually. Over 150 species/species groups were identified and tracked over time. Weights of likely available live fuel were determined by species/species group prior to each burn, as were weights of likely available dead fuel for various categories/size classes. Paired postburn samples were collected to determine consumption of various fuel categories. Overstory and midstory pine crown scorch, foliage consumption, and hardwood mortality were tallied within two weeks following each burn. Other vegetation datasets include pine seedling establishment and survival over time on the 18 MA subplots per treatment plot. Red cockaded woodpecker (RCW) related information was collected annually by Region 8 (Southern Region) of the USFS and is available from them. Live and dead fuel moisture data were sampled prior to every burn and can include preburn moisture content grab samples, 10-hour fuel stick readings, and random lumber probe readings. Fire behavior records of headfires and backfires can include rate of spread, flame length, flame angle, flame zone depth, short distance spotting, slopovers, burnout time, and percent of plot burned. The study plan called for observations of fire residence time as well, but such observations were rarely recorded. Weather data include on-plot hand-held instrument observations of surface wind velocity, ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH). On-site data collected can include precipitation, ambient temperature, RH and wind traces from recording gauges. Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) calculation and National Fire danger Rating System NFDRS predictions and other weather observations taken at two nearby Georgia Forestry Commission weather stations were also included.

Post-fire vegetation status and condition have multiple implications. They are indicative of burn severity and the lasting impacts of fire the land; they also help inform post-fire debris flow modeling and related risk analyses, hydrology and water quality assessments, and vulnerability to invasive species. Monitoring vegetation recovery over time enables continuous re-evaluation of various post-fire hazards, thereby facilitating informed and timely responses to post-fire risks by land managers at the local level. Structure metrics were derived from spaceborne Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar data and used to map pre- and post-fire structure. Pre- and post-fire Landsat or Sentinel satellite data were obtained from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS; https://www.mtbs.gov/) program. GEDI data were intersected with each satellite band and XGBoost models were built using band values as independent variables and GEDI vegetation structure values as dependent values. The models were used to generate spatially continuous maps of structure, providing vegetation structural estimates throughout the fire perimeter and beyond.

Post-fire vegetation status and condition have multiple implications. They are indicative of burn severity and the lasting impacts of fire the land; they also help inform post-fire debris flow modeling and related risk analyses, hydrology and water quality assessments, and vulnerability to invasive species. Monitoring vegetation recovery over time enables continuous re-evaluation of various post-fire hazards, thereby facilitating informed and timely responses to post-fire risks by land managers at the local level. Structure metrics were derived from spaceborne Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar data and used to map pre- and post-fire structure. Pre- and post-fire Landsat or Sentinel satellite data were obtained from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS; https://www.mtbs.gov/) program. GEDI data were intersected with each satellite band and XGBoost models were built using band values as independent variables and GEDI vegetation structure values as dependent values. The models were used to generate spatially continuous maps of structure, providing vegetation structural estimates throughout the fire perimeter and beyond.

The frequency and extent of wildfire is increasing globally, necessitating an increased understanding of wildfire effects on ecosystem function. Although soil-stabilizing cyanobacteria can make up a substantial portion of the biotic community in semi-arid and arid rangelands, we currently have a limited understanding of the drivers behind their abundance following wildfire. These organisms contribute to ecosystem functions, including reduced invasion by non-native species and decreased soil erosion, which are common management targets following wildfire. This data was generated to examine the probability of encountering soil-stabilizing cyanobacteria of the order Oscillatoriales following nine recent wildfires in the northern Great Basin of the western U.S. We investigated plots that burned at least once since 2012, with most sites experiencing one or two wildfires, and collected vegetation and soil data. We additionally obtained fire, soil, and ground cover characteristics for each plot.

Many non-native invasive grass species increase wildfire activity and recover more quickly than native species. This invasive grass-fire cycle has severe negative consequences for ecosystems, creating a need to understand how different invasive grass species alter fuel characteristics and fire behavior, as well as effective treatments to reduce their spread. We reviewed and compiled recent (1985-2023) scientific literature on six focal grass species common to the Intermountain West, USA: red brome [Bromus rubens (L.)], cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum (L.)], Lehmann's lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees), buffelgrass [Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link], Mediterranean grass [Schismus arabicus Nees and Schismus barbatus (Loefl. ex L.) Thell.], and medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski]. These data include information from studies that were conducted in the Intermountain West in natural systems, or in controlled lab, greenhouse, or field environments meant to simulate natural systems (cropped/urban systems were excluded). To be included, the studies must have quantified the impacts of one or more of the focal invasive grasses on fuel characteristics, wildfire behavior, or treatments to reduce their spread. These data can be used to identify and assess common treatment methods and their effectiveness, inform needs for future research, and apply knowledge learned from these invasive grasses to others with similar invasion potential and life histories.