invasive grasses

I used field data, gesopatial data, and spatial modeling approaches to investigate wildfire-forest-cheatgrass dynamics in low elevation forests. Key findings included that high-severity fire increased potential cheatgrass distribution when forest canopy cover was reduced to below 30%. Consequently, high-severity wildfire increased the total area susceptible to invasion in low elevation forests — allowing cheatgrass to expand into previously unsuitable sites. At the time, wildfire-forest-cheatgrass dynamics were an understudied subject and increasing our understanding of them remains critical for mitigating habitat degredation, stabilizing carbon storage, and supporting native biodiversity.