Shallow Limestone Hill
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1 More details
- Restoration pathway NR More details
- Transition T2 More details
- Restoration pathway NR More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
Introduced annuals such as red brome, schismus and redstem stork's bill have invaded the reference plant community and have become a dominant component of the herbaceous cover. This invasion of non-natives is attributed to a combination of factors including surface disturbances, changes in the kinds of animals and their grazing patterns, drought, and changes in fire history. Following wet years, dried non-natives annuals can provide enough fuel to carry wildfires where large, intense wildfires historically have been infrequent.
Submodel
Description
This state is characterized by the inability of blackbrush to return to the site. An abiotic and/or biotic threshold has been crossed, due to insufficient climatic conditions and/or lack of an available seed source, respectively. In the absence of ideal conditions blackbrush will not return to the site. Shrubs with high growth rates and high reproductive capacities will persist after invasion by non-native annuals. However, other shrubs, such as blackbrush, are unsuccessful competitors in the disturbance regime created by the non-natives and can be removed from the system.
Submodel
Mechanism
Introduction of non-native species due to a combination of factors including; surface disturbance, changes in the kinds of animals and their grazing patterns, drought, changes in fire history or any other type of vegetation removal. Non-natives can alter disturbance regimes significantly from their natural or historic range and change ecological processes by increasing fire frequency. Naturalization of non-natives has created an unlikely scenario to restore the site back to reference.
Mechanism
No Recovery (NR) - Non-native annuals species have become naturalized in these systems creating an unlikely scenario to restore the site back to reference.
Mechanism
Large scale high intensity fire in combination with insufficient conditions for the re-establishment of blackbrush.
Model keys
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