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Mechanism

Burned, blackbrush lost - State 3 This state is characterized by the loss of blackbrush from the plant community due to severe or recurrent fire. Data does not exist for this state, and community phase composition is based on literature review. The dynamics for this state are assumed to be similar to that described in State 2, except that blackbrush is no longer part of the plant community. Blackbrush lost Reference plant community - Community Phase 3.1 The reference plant community for this state is dominated by burrobush. Mojave yucca, Nevada ephedra, and eastern Mojave buckwheat are important secondary species. Other shrub species, subshrubs and annuals are likely to remain as described in Community phase 2.1. Community Phase Pathway 3.1a This pathway occurs in response to prolonged or severe drought. Community Phase Pathway 3.1b This pathway occurs in response to moderate or severe fire. Restoration Pathway - 1 Restoration of communities severely altered by repeat fire at the landscape scale is difficult. Methods may include aerial seeding of early native colonizers such as desert globemallow, desert needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, and threadleaf snakeweed. Increased native cover may help to reduce non-native plant invasion, helps to stabilize soils, provides a source of food and cover for wildlife, and provides microsites that facilitate California juniper, singleleaf pinyon pine, and blackbrush establishment. However, the amount of seed required for success is often prohibitive. Large-scale planting of both early colonizers and community dominants tends to be more successful in terms of plant survival, especially if outplants receive supplemental watering during the first two years. Blackbrush is difficult to cultivate for outplanting due to susceptibility to fungal pathogens in greenhouse environment. Pre-emergent herbicides (Plateau) have been used in the year immediately post-fire to attempt to inhibit or reduce brome invasion. How successful this is on a landscape scale, and the non-target effects have not yet been determined.