Risk-based determination of critical nitrogen deposition loads for fire spread in southern California deserts

Fire risk in deserts is increased by high production of annual forbs and invasive grasses that create a continuous fine fuel bed in the interspaces between shrubs. Interspace production is influenced by water, nitrogen (N) availability, and soil texture, and in some areas N availability is increasing due to anthropogenic N deposition. The DayCent model was used to investigate how production of herbaceous annuals changes along gradients of precipitation, N availability, and soil texture, and to develop risk-based critical N loads. DayCent was parameterized for two vegetation types within Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA: creosote bush (CB) and pi�on?juniper (PJ). The model was successfully calibrated in...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Bromus, California, Century, Ecological Applications, Ecological Society of America, All tags... Joshua Tree National Park, Larrea tridentate, Schismus, USA, arid, biogeochemical model, climate change, desert, exotic grasses, fire risk, fuel load, Fewer tags