Fire Impacts on the Mojave Desert Ecosystem: Literature Review
The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is located within the Mojave Desert, which is the driest region in North America. Precipitation on the NNSS varies from an annual average of 130 millimeters (mm; 5.1 inches) with a minimum of 47 mm (1.9 inches) and maximum of 328 mm (12.9 inches) over the past 15 year period to an annual average of 205 mm (8.1 inches) with an annual minimum of 89 mm (3.5 inches) and maximum of 391 mm (15.4 inches) for the same time period; for a Frenchman Flat location at 970 meters (m; 3182 feet) and a Pahute Mesa location at 1986 m (6516 feet), respectively. The combination of aridity and temperature extremes has resulted in sparsely vegetated basins (desert shrub plant communities) to moderately vegetated mountains (mixed coniferous forest plant communities); both plant density and precipitation increase with increasing elevation. Whereas some plant communities have evolved under fire regimes and are dependent upon fire for seed germination, plant communities within the Mojave Desert are not dependent on a fire regime and therefore are highly impacted by fire (Brown and Minnich, 1986; Brooks, 1999). As noted by Johansen (2003) natural range fires are not prevalent in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts because there is not enough vegetation present (too many shrub interspaces) to sustain a fire. Fire research and hence publications addressing fires in the Southwestern United States (U.S.) have therefore focused on forest, shrub-steppe and grassland fires caused by both natural and anthropogenic ignition sources. In the last few decades, however, invasion of mid-elevation shrublands by non-native Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens and Bromus tectorum (Hunter, 1991) have been highly correlated with increased fire frequency (Brooks and Berry, 2006; Brooks and Matchett, 2006). Coupled with the impact of climate change, which has already been shown to be playing a role in increased forest fires (Westerling et al., 2006), it is likely that the fire frequency will further increase in the Mojave Desert (Knapp 1998; Smith et al., 1987; Smith et al., 2000).
- Research Organization:
- Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC52-06NA26383, DE-NA0000939
- OSTI ID:
- 1046478
- Report Number(s):
- Pub. 45238 DOE/NV/26383-24; TRN: US201215%%637
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CLIMATES
COMMUNITIES
DESERTS
FORESTS
GERMINATION
IGNITION
MOUNTAINS
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
RANGELANDS
SEEDS
SHRUBS
The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is located within the Mojave Desert
which is the driest region in North America. Precipitation on the NNSS varies from an annual average of 130 millimeters (mm
5.1 inches) with a minimum of 47 mm (1.9 inches) and maximum of 328 mm (12.9 inches) over the past 15 year period to an annual average of 205 mm (8.1 inches) with an annual minimum of 89 mm (3.5 inches) and maximum of 391 mm (15.4 inches) for the same time period
for a Frenchman Flat location at 970 meters (m
3182 feet) and a Pahute Mesa location at 1986 m (6516 feet)
respectively. The combination of aridity and temperature extremes has resulted in sparsely vegetated basins (desert shrub plant communities) to moderately vegetated mountains (mixed coniferous forest plant communities)
both plant density and precipitation increase with increasing elevation. Whereas some plant communities have evolved under fire regimes and are dependent upon fire for seed germination
plant communities within the Mojave Desert are not dependent on a fire regime and therefore are highly impacted by fire (Brown and Minnich
1986
Brooks
1999). As noted by Johansen (2003) natural range fires are not prevalent in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts because there is not enough vegetation present (too many shrub interspaces) to sustain a fire. Fire research and hence publications addressing fires in the Southwestern United States (U.S.) have therefore focused on forest
shrub-steppe and grassland fires caused by both natural and anthropogenic ignition sources. In the last few decades
however
invasion of mid-elevation shrublands by non-native Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens and Bromus tectorum (Hunter
1991) have been highly correlated with increased fire frequency (Brooks and Berry
2006
Brooks and Matchett
2006). Coupled with the impact of climate change
which has already been shown to be playing a role in increased forest fires (Westerling et al.
2006)
it is likely that the fire frequency will further increase in the Mojave Desert (Knapp 1998
Smith et al.
1987
Smith et al.
2000).