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St Clair EA, St Clair SI, St Clair BE, St Clair SB, St Clair GE, St Clair DA, Lowry SJ, St Clair SB. Wildfire and cattle legacies on gradients of soil nitrogen underlie patterns of annual brome invasion. Oecologia 2023; 203:361-370. [PMID: 37889314 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05470-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Human activities are increasing wildfires and livestock activity in arid ecosystems with potential implications for the spread of invasive grasses. The objective of this study was to test whether fire history and cattle activity alter soil resource gradients, thereby affecting patterns of Bromus rubens L. (red brome) invasion. Six paired burned and unburned transect lines (1-km long) were established in the northeast Mojave Desert along the boundaries of four independent wildfire scars. At 100-m transect increment points, we measured the distance to the two nearest cowpats, and two random points and measured the density, height, biomass, and seed production of red brome, soil moisture and inorganic nitrogen (N). Cattle activity was 29% greater along burned transects compared to unburned transects (P < 0.05). Red brome height, density, and seed production were 11-34% greater along burned transects than unburned transects (P < 0.05). Red brome height, biomass, density, and seed production were twofold to tenfold greater next to cowpats compared to random points (P < 0.05). Soils along burned transects and beneath cowpats had greater soil inorganic N (P < 0.05), which was positively correlated with red brome density, height, biomass, and seed production (R2 = 0.60-0.85, P < 0.0001). Transgenerational effects were evident as seeds from red brome next to cowpats had 27% higher germination than seeds collected from random points. Positive responses of red brome to increased inorganic N related to fire and cattle activity may contribute fine fuel infill that drives invasive grass-fire cycles in deserts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah A St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - S Isaac St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Bryn E St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Seth B St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Grace E St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Daniel A St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Samuel J Lowry
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Samuel B St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4124 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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Germino MJ, Kluender CR, Anthony CR. Plant community trajectories following livestock exclusion for conservation vary and hinge on initial invasion and soil‐biocrust conditions in shrub steppe. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Germino
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
| | - Chad R. Kluender
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
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3
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O'Connor RC, Germino MJ. Comment on: Grazing disturbance promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02277. [PMID: 33320997 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rory C O'Connor
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, 83706, USA
| | - Matthew J Germino
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, 83706, USA
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4
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Post-fire management targeting invasive annual grasses may have inadvertently released the exotic perennial forb Chondrilla juncea and suppressed its biocontrol agent. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02481-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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5
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Terry TJ, Madsen MD, Gill RA, Anderson VJ, St. Clair SB. Selective herbicide control: using furrows and carbon seed coatings to establish a native bunchgrass while reducing cheatgrass cover. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyson J. Terry
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT United States
| | - Matthew D. Madsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT United States
| | - Richard A. Gill
- Department of Biology Brigham Young University Provo UT United States
| | - Val Jo Anderson
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT United States
| | - Samuel B. St. Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT United States
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6
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Roundy BA, Chambers JC. Effects of elevation and selective disturbance on soil climate and vegetation in big sagebrush communities. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Roundy
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah84602USA
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7
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Pik D, Lucero JE, Lortie CJ, Braun J. Light intensity and seed density differentially affect the establishment, survival, and biomass of an exotic invader and three species of native competitors. COMMUNITY ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-020-00027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Roundy BA, Miller RF, Tausch RJ, Chambers JC, Rau BM. Long‐term effects of tree expansion and reduction on soil climate in a semiarid ecosystem. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Roundy
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah84602USA
| | - R. F. Miller
- Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon97331USA
| | - R. J. Tausch
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Reno Nevada89521USA
| | - J. C. Chambers
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Reno Nevada89521USA
| | - B. M. Rau
- USGS New England Water Science Center Northborough Massachusetts01532USA
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9
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Fire, livestock grazing, topography, and precipitation affect occurrence and prevalence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in the central Great Basin, USA. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02120-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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10
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Chambers JC, Brooks ML, Germino MJ, Maestas JD, Board DI, Jones MO, Allred BW. Operationalizing Resilience and Resistance Concepts to Address Invasive Grass-Fire Cycles. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Seeding native species increases resistance to annual grass invasion following prescribed burning of semiarid woodlands. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01951-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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12
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Richardson BA, Chaney L. Climate-based seed transfer of a widespread shrub: population shifts, restoration strategies, and the trailing edge. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:2165-2174. [PMID: 30198207 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Genetic resources have to be managed appropriately to mitigate the impact of climate change. For many wildland plants, conservation will require knowledge of the climatic factors affecting intraspecific genetic variation to minimize maladaptation. Knowledge of the interaction between traits and climate can focus management resources on vulnerable populations, provide guidance for seed transfer, and enhance fitness and resilience under changing climates. In this study, traits of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) were examined among common gardens located in different climates. We focus on two subspecies, wyomingensis and tridentata, that occupy the most imperiled warm-dry spectrum of the sagebrush biome. Populations collected across the sagebrush biome were recorded for flower phenology and survival. Mixed-effects models examined each trait to evaluate genetic variation, environmental effects, and adaptive breadth of populations. Climate variables derived from population-source locations were significantly associated with these traits (P < 0.0001), explaining 31% and 11% of the flower phenology and survival variation, respectively. To illustrate our model and assess variability in prediction, we examine fixed and focal point seed transfer approaches to map contemporary and climate model ensemble projections in two different regions of the sagebrush biome. A comparison of seed transfer areas predicts that populations from warmer climates become more prevalent, replacing colder-adapted populations by mid-century. However, these warm-adapted populations are often located along the trailing edge, margins of the species range predicted to be lost due to a contraction of the climatic niche. Management efforts should focus on the collection and conservation of vulnerable populations and prudent seed transfer to colder regions where these populations are projected to occur by mid-century. Our models provide the foundation to develop an empirical, climate-based seed transfer system for current and future restoration of big sagebrush.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A Richardson
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Moscow, Idaho, 83843, USA
| | - Lindsay Chaney
- Division of Natural Science and Mathematics, Snow College, Ephraim, Utah, 84627, USA
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Roundy BA, Chambers JC, Pyke DA, Miller RF, Tausch RJ, Schupp EW, Rau B, Gruell T. Resilience and resistance in sagebrush ecosystems are associated with seasonal soil temperature and water availability. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Roundy
- Plant and Wildlife Science Department; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602 USA
| | - Jeanne C. Chambers
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; United States Forest Service; Reno Nevada 89512 USA
| | - David A. Pyke
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; United States Geological Survey; Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Richard F. Miller
- Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center; Oregon State University; Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Robin J. Tausch
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; United States Forest Service; Reno Nevada 89512 USA
| | - Eugene W. Schupp
- Wildland Resources/Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah 84322-5230 USA
| | - Ben Rau
- Pisgah National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; North Carolina 28768 USA
| | - Trevor Gruell
- Plant and Wildlife Science Department; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602 USA
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Welshofer KB, Zarnetske PL, Lany NK, Read QD. Short-term responses to warming vary between native vs. exotic species and with latitude in an early successional plant community. Oecologia 2018; 187:333-342. [PMID: 29550949 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4111-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to favor exotic plant species over native species, because exotics tend to have wider climatic tolerances and greater phenological plasticity, and also because climate change may intensify enemy release. Here, we examine direct effects of warming (+ 1.8 °C above ambient) on plant abundance and phenology, as well as indirect effects of warming propagated through herbivores, in two heavily invaded plant communities in Michigan, USA, separated by approximately three degrees latitude. At the northern site, warming increased exotic plant abundance by 19% but decreased native plant abundance by 31%, indicating that exotic species may be favored in a warmer world. Warming also resulted in earlier spring green-up (1.65 ± 0.77 days), earlier flowering (2.18 ± 0.92 days), and greater damage by herbivores (twofold increase), affecting exotic and native species equally. Contrary to expectations, native and exotic plants experienced similar amounts of herbivory. Warming did not have strong ecological effects at the southern site, only resulting in a delay of flowering time by 2.42 ± 0.83 days for both native and exotic species. Consistent with the enemy release hypothesis, exotic plants experienced less herbivory than native plants at the southern site. Herbivory was lower under warming for both exotic and native species at the southern site. Thus, climate warming may favor exotic over native plant species, but the response is likely to depend on additional environmental and individual species' traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kileigh B Welshofer
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. .,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Phoebe L Zarnetske
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nina K Lany
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Quentin D Read
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Pilliod DS, Welty JL, Arkle RS. Refining the cheatgrass-fire cycle in the Great Basin: Precipitation timing and fine fuel composition predict wildfire trends. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:8126-8151. [PMID: 29043061 PMCID: PMC5632665 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Larger, more frequent wildfires in arid and semi-arid ecosystems have been associated with invasion by non-native annual grasses, yet a complete understanding of fine fuel development and subsequent wildfire trends is lacking. We investigated the complex relationships among weather, fine fuels, and fire in the Great Basin, USA. We first modeled the annual and time-lagged effects of precipitation and temperature on herbaceous vegetation cover and litter accumulation over a 26-year period in the northern Great Basin. We then modeled how these fine fuels and weather patterns influence subsequent wildfires. We found that cheatgrass cover increased in years with higher precipitation and especially when one of the previous 3 years also was particularly wet. Cover of non-native forbs and native herbs also increased in wet years, but only after several dry years. The area burned by wildfire in a given year was mostly associated with native herb and non-native forb cover, whereas cheatgrass mainly influenced area burned in the form of litter derived from previous years' growth. Consequently, multiyear weather patterns, including precipitation in the previous 1-3 years, was a strong predictor of wildfire in a given year because of the time needed to develop these fine fuel loads. The strong relationship between precipitation and wildfire allowed us to expand our inference to 10,162 wildfires across the entire Great Basin over a 35-year period from 1980 to 2014. Our results suggest that the region's precipitation pattern of consecutive wet years followed by consecutive dry years results in a cycle of fuel accumulation followed by weather conditions that increase the probability of wildfire events in the year when the cycle transitions from wet to dry. These patterns varied regionally but were strong enough to allow us to model annual wildfire risk across the Great Basin based on precipitation alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Pilliod
- Snake River Field StationU.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIDUSA
| | - Justin L. Welty
- Snake River Field StationU.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIDUSA
| | - Robert S. Arkle
- Snake River Field StationU.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIDUSA
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Urza AK, Weisberg PJ, Chambers JC, Dhaemers JM, Board D. Post-fire vegetation response at the woodland-shrubland interface is mediated by the pre-fire community. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra K. Urza
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science; University of Nevada-Reno; Reno Nevada 89557 USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; University of Nevada-Reno; Reno Nevada 89557 USA
| | - Peter J. Weisberg
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science; University of Nevada-Reno; Reno Nevada 89557 USA
| | - Jeanne C. Chambers
- US Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station; Reno Nevada 89512 USA
| | - Jessica M. Dhaemers
- US Forest Service; Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest; Dillon Montana 59725 USA
| | - David Board
- US Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station; Reno Nevada 89512 USA
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17
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Horn KJ, Bishop TBB, St. Clair SB. Precipitation timing and soil heterogeneity regulate the growth and seed production of the invasive grass red brome. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1348-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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18
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Ecological Genetics, Local Adaptation, and Phenotypic Plasticity in Bromus tectorum in the Context of a Changing Climate. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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19
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Brooks ML, Brown CS, Chambers JC, D’Antonio CM, Keeley JE, Belnap J. Exotic Annual Bromus Invasions: Comparisons Among Species and Ecoregions in the Western United States. SPRINGER SERIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Bromus Response to Climate and Projected Changes with Climate Change. SPRINGER SERIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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