-Plant roots and soil organisms increase phosphorus availability by releasing acid and alkaline phosphatase. Organic phosphorus compounds are hydrolysed into plant-available forms through the action of these enzymes. Phosphatase is of particular importance under conditions of low phosphorus availability which is commonly found in pinon-juniper soils. Acid and alkaline phosphatase activities (mg...

Piñon–juniper (PJ) fire regimes are generally characterised as infrequent high-severity. However, PJ ecosystems vary across a large geographic and bio-climatic range and little is known about one of the principal PJ functional types, PJ savannas. It is logical that (1) grass in PJ savannas could support frequent, low-severity fire and (2) exclusion of frequent fire could explain increased tree ...

I dedicate this paper to my wife Inna and my daugther Sabina-Stefany.