Experimental Warming Changes Phenology and Shortens Growing Season of the Dominant Invasive Plant Bromus tectorum (Cheatgrass)

Howell, Armin J.; Winkler, Daniel E.; Phillips, Michala L.; McNellis, Brandon E.; Reed, Sasha C.

doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.570001

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 115 publications

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“…However, the dry and warm conditions that characterized much of the study period likely greatly constrained B. tectorum dominance and productivity (Howell et al, 2020; Miller et al, 2006), in addition to lack of wildfire (Pierson et al, 2011) and lack of disturbance (Seipel et al, 2018). Ecological limitations to the spread of B. tectorum also likely limited the impacts of observed changes to soil nutrient cycling and food webs on plant communities over longer time periods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem resilience to invasion and drought: Insights after 24 years in a rare never‐grazed grassland

Duniway,

Finger‐Higgens,

Geiger

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

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Understanding the resilience of ecosystems globally is hampered by the complex and interacting drivers of change characteristic of the Anthropocene. This is true for drylands of the western US, where widespread alteration of disturbance regimes and spread of invasive non‐native species occurred with westward expansion during the 1800s, including the introduction of domestic livestock and spread of Bromus tectorum, an invasive non‐native annual grass. In addition, this region has experienced a multi‐decadal drought not seen for at least 1200 years with potentially large and interacting impacts on native plant communities. Here, we present 24 years of twice‐annual plant cover monitoring (1997–2021) from a semiarid grassland never grazed by domestic livestock but subject to a patchy invasion of B. tectorum beginning in ~1994, compare our findings to surveys done in 1967, and examine potential climate drivers of plant community changes. We found a significant warming trend in the study area, with more than 75% of study year temperatures being warmer than average (1966–2021). We observed a native perennial grass community with high resilience to climate forcings with cover values like those in 1967. In invaded patches, B. tectorum cover was greatest in the early years of this study (1997–2001; ~20%–40%) but was subsequently constrained by climate and subtle variation in soils, with limited evidence of long‐term impacts to native vegetation, contradicting earlier studies. Our ability to predict year‐to‐year variation in functional group and species cover with climate metrics varied, with a 12‐month integrated index and fall and winter patterns appearing most important. However, declines to near zero live cover in recent years in response to regional drought intensification leave questions regarding the resiliency of intact grasslands to ongoing aridification and whether the vegetation observations reported here may be a leading indicator of impending change in this protected ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem resilience to invasion and drought: Insights after 24 years in a rare never‐grazed grassland

Duniway,

Finger‐Higgens,

Geiger

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

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“…4, Table 3). The increase in percent green under moderate water reduction in Montana may be due to the competitive advantage of bromes over natives to use moisture early in the season (Howell et al 2020). Further, following imposed water treatments, we found annual bromes delayed time to senescence in Montana, with weaker support for this in Wyoming.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of Rainfall Manipulations for Invasive Annual Grasses Vary Across Grazed Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie Sites

Frost

Komatsu

Porensky³

et al. 2023

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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“…Recent studies also found that leaf senescence date by the end of this century likely will be earlier than previously predicted (Wu et al, 2018) and growing season lengths will be shortened by climate warming (Howell et al, 2020). In addition, climatic forecasting models have shown that although climate warming will increase the number of days above freezing globally, suitable growing days for plants will actually decrease because of other limitations such as water availability and solar radiation.…”

Section: Ta B L E 1 Model Coefficients Of Leaf Senescence Based On In Situ Datamentioning

confidence: 94%

Urbanization delays plant leaf senescence and extends growing season length in cold but not in warm areas of the Northern Hemisphere

Stucky

Baiser

et al. 2021

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim: Urbanization is becoming one of the most important drivers of global environmental change as human population and economic development rapidly increase.However, the effects of urbanization on plant phenology are still poorly understood, especially for leaf senescence and growing season length across large spatial scales.We aimed to fill this knowledge gap by combining in situ observations and remote sensing phenological data.

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Experimental Warming Changes Phenology and Shortens Growing Season of the Dominant Invasive Plant Bromus tectorum (Cheatgrass)

Cited by 13 publications

References 115 publications

Ecosystem resilience to invasion and drought: Insights after 24 years in a rare never‐grazed grassland

Ecosystem resilience to invasion and drought: Insights after 24 years in a rare never‐grazed grassland

Consequences of Rainfall Manipulations for Invasive Annual Grasses Vary Across Grazed Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie Sites

Urbanization delays plant leaf senescence and extends growing season length in cold but not in warm areas of the Northern Hemisphere

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