Cheatgrass communities: response to wildfire

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5837984

Rickard, W H

A wildfire in August 1981 destroyed standing dead plants and charred the litter of two 40 year-old cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, communities on the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve in southeastern Washington. By the end of March 1982, cheatgrass and its associated annual forbs provided 53 and 66 percent ground cover on each of the two communities. Peak shoot biomass averaged 527 g per m/sup 2/ on one site and 270 g on the other. Shoot production in both communities was greater than ten-year averages indicating that cheatgrass has a strong capacity to recover from summer burning. The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium concentrations of cheatgrass shoots were not appreciably changed as a result of burning.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5837984
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-10986; CONF-830376-1; ON: DE83014258
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BIOMASS
CALCIUM
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FIRES
GRASS
GROWTH
METALS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUTRIENTS
PHOSPHORUS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
POTASSIUM
PRODUCTIVITY
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES