Invasive Plant Cover in the Mojave Desert, 2009 - 2013 (ver. 2.0, April 2021)
Dates
Publication Date
2019-10-30
Start Date
2009
End Date
2013
Revision
2021-04-07
Citation
Klinger, R.C., Underwood, E.C. and Brooks, M.L., 2019, Invasive plant cover in the Mojave Desert, 2009 - 2013 (ver. 2.0, April 2021): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9GUST4Q.
Summary
We assessed the impacts of co-occurring invasive plant species on fire regimes and postfire native communities in the Mojave Desert, western USA by analyzing the distribution and co-occurrence patterns of three invasive annual grasses known to alter fuel conditions and community structure: Red Brome (Bromus rubens), Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), and Mediterranean grass (Schismus spp.: Schismus arabicus and Schismus barbatus), and an invasive forb, red stemmed filaree (Erodium cicutarium) which can dominate postfire sites. We developed species distribution models (SDMs) for each of the four taxa and analyzed field plot data to assess the relationship between invasives and fire frequency, years postfire, and the impacts on postfire native [...]
Summary
We assessed the impacts of co-occurring invasive plant species on fire regimes and postfire native communities in the Mojave Desert, western USA by analyzing the distribution and co-occurrence patterns of three invasive annual grasses known to alter fuel conditions and community structure: Red Brome (Bromus rubens), Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), and Mediterranean grass (Schismus spp.: Schismus arabicus and Schismus barbatus), and an invasive forb, red stemmed filaree (Erodium cicutarium) which can dominate postfire sites. We developed species distribution models (SDMs) for each of the four taxa and analyzed field plot data to assess the relationship between invasives and fire frequency, years postfire, and the impacts on postfire native herbaceous diversity.
The data include:
(1) A shapefile of the Mojave Desert that was used as our study area boundary (MojaveEcoregion_TNS_UTM83.shp). The original shapefile was obtained from NatureServe in 2009.
(2) Two Comma Separated Values (CSV) files with the geographic location (Survey Plot Information.csv) and abundance (percent cover) of the four invasive taxa (Cover Measurements.csv) throughout the Mojave Desert.
(3) Four Tagged-Interchange Format (TIF) raster datasets representing the SDMs.
These data support the following publication:
Underwood, E.C., Klinger, R.C. and Brooks M.L., 2019, Effects of invasive plants on fire regimes and postfire vegetation diversity in an arid ecosystem, Ecology and Evolution, 00:1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5650
The authors of these data require that data users contact them regarding intended use and to assist with understanding limitations and interpretation. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Purpose
Besides the large geographic extent, the data are representative of environmental conditions in the Mojave. We are unaware of any dataset on these four taxa in the Mojave Desert with such large geographic and environmental extents. Thus, these data would be very suitable for numerous types of analyses, especially those related to niches, range shifts, and potential ecosystem transformations.
