Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a winter annual. As such, it is an early colonizer and specifically invades disturbed areas, especially overgrazed and burned sites. Being the winter annual it is, cheatgrass is dry during the summer and fall months, providing a large fuel load during the fire season. The presence of cheatgrass increases the fire return intervals in sagebrush steppe ecosystems until the fires become so frequent sagebrush and other native plants can’t recover. This results in the conversion of sagebrush steppe to a monoculture of invasive weeds. It is a cycle that is difficult to control once it is started.
Filed under: Invasive Focus Tagged: | cheatgrass, invasive species
Great Read! I am always eager to learn as much as I can to be a better steward of our environment. We at the American Evergreen Foundation (AEF) Offer our “Conservation through Participation” programs with a never ending goal to reach out, involve and enlighten.