Short-term vegetation response to wildfire in the eastern Sierra Nevada: Implications for recovering an endangered ungulate

W e s tu d ie d s h o r tte rm c h an g e s in v e g e ta tio n fo r tw o y e a rs fo llo w in g a s u m m e r w ild fire o n th e w in te r ra n g e s o f S ie rra N evada b ig h o rn s h e e p {Ovis canadensis sierrae). Forbs d o m in a te d b u rn e d a re a s a n d s h ru b s d o m in a te d u n b u rn e d a reas . G re en fo rage (n e w -g ro w th o f a ii fo rage c ia sses ) b io m a ss re b o u n d e d q u ick iy ; w ith in tw o y e a rs g re e n fo rag e b io m ass w as e q u a i in b u rn e d a n d u n b u rn e d a reas , a i th o u g h to ta i fo rag e b io m ass re m a in e d g re a te r in u n b u rn e d a reas . P ia n ts in th e b u rn h a d s iig h tiy h ig h e r c ru d e p ro te in b u t e q u iv a ie n t d ig e s tib iiity a n d p h e n o io g y as p ia n ts in u n b u rn e d a re a s . This, in c o m b in a tio n w ith th e s h ift to w a rd m o re fo rb b io m ass , iikeiy in c re a se d fo rage q u a iity in b u rn e d a reas . Forage m o d e is d e v e io p ed fro m g ro u n d -b a s e d m e a su re s o f b io m ass p e rfo rm e d b e t te r th a n th e NDVi a n d w e re a b ie to c a p tu re c h an g e s in fo rag e c o m p o s itio n , e m p h a s iz in g th e im p o r ta n c e o f fie id sam p iin g to m o d e i v e g e ta tio n . B ased o n m ic ro h is to io g ica i a n a iy se s o f fecai p e iie ts . S ie rra N evada b ig h o rn s h e e p w h o se w in te r ran g e s w e re e x te n s iv e iy b u rn e d c o n su m e d m o re fo rbs th a n th o s e w ith iess b u rn e d h a b ita t. V isib iiity w as g re a te r in b u rn e d a re a s c o m p a re d w ith u n b u rn e d a re as , su g g e s tin g th a t b u rn s m a y d e c re a s e p re d a t io n r isk from s ta ik in g p re d a to rs , in co n c iu sio n , w iid fire m a y h a v e b e n efic ia i e ffec ts fo r S ie rra b ig h o rn by in c rea s in g fo rb avaiiab iiity , fo rag e q u a iity a n d v isib iiity . © 2012 E isev ie r Ltd. Aii r ig h ts re se rv ed .