Scientists examined the assumption that wildfires are the primary factor driving the expansion of invasive annual grasses that are taking over shrubland and grassland in the U.S. Great Basin and found that annual grasses are highly competitive even in the absence of significant disturbances like fire.
In fact, according to the study conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Working Lands for Wildlife-affiliated researchers at the University of Montana (UMT), almost 80% of the shrublands and grasslands in the U.S. Great Basin…