Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Invasive plant species and the Joint Fire Science Program.

Author: Erickson, Heather E.; White, Rachel

Date: 2007

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-707. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 18 p.

Station ID: GTR-PNW-707

Description: Invasive nonnative plants may be responsible for serious, long-term ecological impacts, including altering fire behavior and fire regimes. Therefore, knowing how to successfully manage invasive plants and their impacts on natural resources is crucial. We present a summary of research on invasive plants and fire that has been generated through the Joint Fire Science Program—focusing specifically on ecology of species invasions, the interactions between fire and invasives, and the responses of invasives to different management practices. Selected findings include (1) prescribed fire may increase invasive species in some ecosystems; (2) fuel treatments that leave some overstory canopy, minimize exposure of bare ground, and target sites that already host species capable of resprouting may be less likely to promote invasives; and (3) postfire seeding should be approached with caution, as it can increase invasives.

Keywords: Invasive plants, fire management, cheatgrass, fuel treatments, postfire seeding, fire regimes, exotic species

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Citation

Erickson, Heather E.; White, Rachel  2007.  Invasive plant species and the Joint Fire Science Program..   Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-707. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 18 p..