Cited by 682Fire effects on ecosystemsRangeland and Wildlife ManagementEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

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Introduced annual grass increases regional fire activity across the arid western USA(1980–2009)

Balch, Jennifer K., Bradley, Bethany A., D'Antonio, Carla M., Gómez‐Dans, José·2013·Global Change Biology

DOI 10.1111/gcb.12046

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Abstract

Non-native, invasive grasses have been linked to altered grass-fire cycles worldwide. Although a few studies have quantified resulting changes in fire activity at local scales, and many have speculated about larger scales, regional alterations to fire regimes remain poorly documented. We assessed the influence of large-scale Bromus tectorum (hereafter cheatgrass) invasion on fire size, duration, spread rate, and interannual variability in comparison to other prominent land cover classes across the Great Basin, USA. We compared regional land cover maps to burned area measured using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for 2000-2009 and to fire extents recorded by the USGS registry of fires from 1980 to 2009. Cheatgrass dominates at least 6% of the central Great Basin (650 000 km(2) ). MODIS records show that 13% of these cheatgrass-dominated lands burned, resulting in a fire return interval of 78 years for any given location within cheatgrass. This proportion was more than double the amount burned across all other vegetation types (range: 0.5-6% burned). During the 1990s, this difference was even more extreme, with cheatgrass burning nearly four times more frequently than any native vegetation type (16% of cheatgrass burned compared to 1-5% of native vegetation). Cheatgrass was also disproportionately represented in the largest fires, comprising 24% of the land area of the 50 largest fires recorded by MODIS during the 2000s. Furthermore, multi-date fires t…

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“In large parts of the Great Basin, encroachment of pinyon-juniper has been identified as a primary threat to sage-grousepopulations (CFR, 2015a)by contributing to fragmentationof continuousexpansesof sagebrushandaccelerating apositive feedback between wildfire and invasive annual grass (the other primary threat in the…”
Background
California wildfire spread derived using VIIRS satellite observations and an object-based tracking system
Chen, Y., Hantson, S., Andela, N., Coffield, S., Graff, C. A., Morton, D. C., Ott, L. E., Foufoula‐Georgiou, E., Smyth, P., Goulden, M. L., et al. (2022) · Scientific Data · doi:10.1038/s41597-022-01343-0 · Cited by 98
Contrasting controls on wildland fires in Southern California during periods with and without Santa Ana winds
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Vegetation type conversion in the US Southwest: frontline observations and management responses
Guiterman, C. H., Gregg, R. M., Marshall, L. A. E., Beckmann, J. J., van Mantgem, P. J., Falk, D. A., Keeley, J. E., Caprio, A. C., Coop, J. D., Fornwalt, P. J., et al. (2022) · Fire Ecology · doi:10.1186/s42408-022-00131-w · Cited by 98
Living with exotic annual grasses in the sagebrush ecosystem
Davies, K. W., Leger, E. A., Boyd, C. S., & Hallett, L. M. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112417 · Cited by 93
“increased the area burned annually in the Great Basin and likely contributed to mega-fires becoming more prevalent in the last decade and a half (Balch et al., 2013).”
Background
Global fire history of grassland biomes
Leys, B. A., Marlon, J. R., Umbanhowar, C. E., & Vannière, B. (2018) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.4394 · Cited by 101
Operationalizing Resilience and Resistance Concepts to Address Invasive Grass-Fire Cycles
Chambers, J. C., Brooks, M. L., Germino, M. J., Maestas, J. D., David I. Board, Jones, M., & Allred, B. (2019) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00185 · Cited by 93
Bromus Response to Climate and Projected Changes with Climate Change
Bradley, B. A., Curtis, C. A., & Chambers, J. C. (2016) · Springer series on environmental management · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_9 · Cited by 94
“tectorum-invaded ecosystems were larger and more frequent, with fire return intervals averaging between 50 and 80 years regionally (Balch et al. 2013) and even more frequently in highly invaded landscapes (Whisenant 1990).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citation
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
Glenn, N. F., Neuenschwander, A., Vierling, L. A., Spaete, L., Li, A., Shinneman, D. J., Pilliod, D. S., Arkle, R. S., & McIlroy, S. K. (2016) · Remote Sensing of Environment · doi:10.1016/j.rse.2016.02.039 · Cited by 90
Forbs, grasses, and grassland fire behaviour
Wragg, P. D., Mielke, T., & Tilman, D. G. (2018) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12980 · Cited by 94
Switching on the Big Burn of 2017
Balch, J. K., Schoennagel, T., Williams, A. P., Abatzoglou, J. T., Cattau, M. E., Mietkiewicz, N. P., & St. Denis, L. A. (2018) · Fire · doi:10.3390/fire1010017 · Cited by 88
“Although it may appear counterintuitive that fires followed a wet winter and spring, cold-season precipitation promotes the growth of fine fuels that can burn during the succeeding warmer months, particularly in shrublands invaded with exotic grasses [8].”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Weather-Centric Rangeland Revegetation Planning
Hardegree, S. P., Abatzoglou, J. T., Brunson, M. W., Germino, M. J., Hegewisch, K. C., Moffet, C. A., Pilliod, D. S., Roundy, B. A., Boehm, A. R., & Meredith, G. R. (2017) · Rangeland Ecology & Management · doi:10.1016/j.rama.2017.07.003 · Cited by 91
“to postfire wind erosion that reinforce site dominance and prevent reestablishment of desirable perennial species (Norton et al., 2004; Bradley et al., 2006; Boxell and Drohan, 2009; Rau et al., 2011; Balch et al., 2013; Blank et al., 2013; Gasch et al., 2013; Owen et al., 2013; Germino et al., 2016).”
Background
Cheatgrass is favored by warming but not CO2 enrichment in a semi‐arid grassland
Blumenthal, D. M., Kray, J. A., Ortmans, W., Ziska, L. H., & Pendall, E. G. (2016) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.13278 · Cited by 87
Winter grazing can reduce wildfire size, intensity and behaviour in a shrub-grassland
Davies, K. W., Boyd, C. S., Bates, J. D., & Hulet, A. (2015) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf15055 · Cited by 93
“Exotic annual grass invasion can result in frequent fires (Balch et al. 2013) because of increased dry fine fuels during the wildfire season (Davies and Nafus 2013).”
Background
Pinus contorta invasions increase wildfire fuel loads and may create a positive feedback with fire
Taylor, K., Maxwell, B. D., McWethy, D. B., Pauchard, A., Nuñez, M. A., & Whitlock, C. L. (2016) · Ecology · doi:10.1002/ecy.1673 · Cited by 82
Effects of Changing Climate on the Hydrological Cycle in Cold Desert Ecosystems of the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau
Snyder, K., Evers, L. B., Chambers, J. C., Dunham, J. B., Bradford, J. B., & Loik, M. E. (2018) · Rangeland Ecology & Management · doi:10.1016/j.rama.2018.07.007 · Cited by 87
A fire deficit persists across diverse North American forests despite recent increases in area burned
Parks, S. A., Guiterman, C. H., Margolis, E. Q., Lonergan, M., Whitman, E., Abatzoglou, J. T., Falk, D. A., Johnston, J. D., Daniels, L. D., Lafon, C. W., et al. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56333-8 · Cited by 101
Cheatgrass Percent Cover Change: Comparing Recent Estimates to Climate Change−Driven Predictions in the Northern Great Basin
Boyte, S. P., Wylie, B. K., & Major, D. J. (2016) · Rangeland Ecology & Management · doi:10.1016/j.rama.2016.03.002 · Cited by 85
“Cheatgrass’s dominance of areas is linked to disturbances like overgrazing and fire (Young et al., 1987; Whisenant, 1990; Ponzetti et al., 2007; Balch et al., 2013), a lack of competition (Chambers et al.”
BackgroundInfluential
Fire, livestock grazing, topography, and precipitation affect occurrence and prevalence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in the central Great Basin, USA
Williamson, M. A., Fleishman, E., Nally, R. C. M., Chambers, J. C., Bradley, B. A., Dobkin, D. S., David I. Board, Fogarty, F. A., Horning, N., Leu, M., et al. (2019) · Biological Invasions · doi:10.1007/s10530-019-02120-8 · Cited by 84
Self-citation
Exotic Annual Bromus Invasions: Comparisons Among Species and Ecoregions in the Western United States
Brooks, M. L., Brown, C. S., Chambers, J. C., D’Antonio, C. M., Keeley, J. E., & Belnap, J. (2016) · Springer series on environmental management · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_2 · Cited by 84
“and wildfires are burning for the first time in recorded history (Haubensak et al. 2009; Balch et al. 2013).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citation
Climate-Driven Shifts in Soil Temperature and Moisture Regimes Suggest Opportunities to Enhance Assessments of Dryland Resilience and Resistance
Bradford, J. B., Schlaepfer, D. R., Lauenroth, W. K., et al. (2019) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00358 · Cited by 81
“In addition, the projections for modest increases in soil moisture in big sagebrush ecosystems by no means indicates that those systems are not imperiled by global change; interactions among wildfire and invasive annual grasses are major contributors driving historical big sagebrush decline (West, 2000; Knick et al.,…”
Background
Indaziflam: a new cellulose‐biosynthesis‐inhibiting herbicide provides long‐term control of invasive winter annual grasses
Sebastian, D. J., Fleming, M. B., Patterson, E. L., et al. (2017) · Pest Management Science · doi:10.1002/ps.4594 · Cited by 81
Wildfire exposure and fuel management on western US national forests
Ager, A. A., Day, M. A., McHugh, C. W., Short, K. C., Gilbertson-Day, J. W., Finney, M. A., & Calkin, D. E. (2014) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.05.035 · Cited by 83
“In the Great Basin and central Arizona, invasive species such as cheatgrass have increased ﬁ ne fuel loadings and contributed to increased rates of burning (Balch et al., 2013; Whisenant,1990).”
Background
Long‐term trends in restoration and associated land treatments in the southwestern United States
Copeland, S. M., Munson, S. M., Pilliod, D. S., Welty, J. L., Bradford, J. B., & Butterfield, B. J. (2017) · Restoration Ecology · doi:10.1111/rec.12574 · Cited by 78
“It is possible that these changes were triggered by loss of wildlife habitat (e.g. Esque et al. 2003), increasing invasion by nonnative species and associated wildfire (e.g. Balch et al. 2013), and changes in plant species composition (e.g. Munson et al. 2011b).”
Background
Trends and Variability of Global Fire Emissions Due To Historical Anthropogenic Activities
Ward, D. S., Shevliakova, E., Malyshev, S. L., & Rabin, S. S. (2018) · Global Biogeochemical Cycles · doi:10.1002/2017gb005787 · Cited by 79
“Fire activity is also affected by both changes in the distribution of plant species in an ecosystem, such as the introduction of nonnative grasses in the western United States (Balch et al., 2013), and regional trends in lightning strikes (Krause et al., 2014).”
BackgroundInfluential
Soil erosion from urbanization processes in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA
Jeong, A., & Dorn, R. I. (2018) · Land Degradation and Development · doi:10.1002/ldr.3207 · Cited by 71
Sagebrush steppe recovery after fire varies by development phase of Juniperus occidentalis woodland
Bates, J. D., Sharp, R. N., & Davies, K. W. (2013) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf12206 · Cited by 71
“However, recent calculations by Balch et al. (2013) indicate that fire return intervals for many cheatgrass areas may range between 49 and 78 years.”
Background
Wildfire and the ecological niche: Diminishing habitat suitability for an indicator species within semi‐arid ecosystems
O’Neil, S. T., Coates, P. S., Brussee, B. E., Ricca, M. A., Espinosa, S. P., Gardner, S. C., & Delehanty, D. J. (2020) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.15300 · Cited by 72
The climate space of fire regimes in north‐western North America
Whitman, E., Batllori, E., Parisien, M., Miller, C., Coop, J. D., Krawchuk, M. A., Chong, G. W., & Haire, S. L. (2015) · Journal of Biogeography · doi:10.1111/jbi.12533 · Cited by 73
“In the case of sagebrush steppe ecosystems this is expected to facilitate colonization by invasive grasses, dramatically altering the ecosystem (Baker, 2006; Balch et al., 2013).”
Background
Conservation of the world’s mammals: status, protected areas, community efforts, and hunting
Bowyer, R. T., Boyce, M. S., Goheen, J. R., & Rachlow, J. L. (2018) · Journal of Mammalogy · doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyy180 · Cited by 72
Phenology-based classification of invasive annual grasses to the species level
Weisberg, P. J., Dilts, T. E., Greenberg, J. A., Johnson, K. N., Pai, H., Sladek, C., Kratt, C. B., Tyler, S. W., & Ready, A. (2021) · Remote Sensing of Environment · doi:10.1016/j.rse.2021.112568 · Cited by 73
Biotic resistance and disturbance: rodent consumers regulate post‐fire plant invasions and increase plant community diversity
Clair, S. B. S., O’Connor, R. C. C., Gill, R., & McMillan, B. R. (2016) · Ecology · doi:10.1002/ecy.1391 · Cited by 67
Seasonal changes in the human alteration of fire regimes beyond the climate forcing
Fréjaville, T., & Curt, T. (2017) · Environmental Research Letters · doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aa5d23 · Cited by 70
Hydrologic and erosion responses to wildfire along the rangeland–xeric forest continuum in the western US: a review and model of hydrologic vulnerability
Williams, C. J., Pierson, F. B., Robichaud, P. R., & Boll, J. (2014) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf12161 · Cited by 66
“Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) invasion is the primary cause of increased fire frequency and annual area burnt on sagebrush rangelands throughout the western US (Keane et al. 2008; Miller et al. 2011a; Balch et al. 2013).”
BackgroundInfluential
A Potential New Herbicide for Invasive Annual Grass Control on Rangeland
Sebastian, D. J., Sebastian, J. R., Nissen, S. J., et al. (2016) · Rangeland Ecology & Management · doi:10.1016/j.rama.2015.11.001 · Cited by 66
“The fire return interval is four to six times shorter for downy brome−invaded sites (50−78 years) comparedwith native sites (~294 years) (Knapp, 1996; Balch et al., 2013).”
Background
Climatic and Landscape Influences on Fire Regimes from 1984 to 2010 in the Western United States
Liu, Z., & Wimberly, M. C. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140839 · Cited by 66
“A remote sensing-based analysis found that change in vegetation and fuels due to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion in recent decades has increased both fire frequency and size and has therefore substantially altered the regional fire regime across the Great Basin of the western US [71].”
Background
Ecosystem Water Availability in Juniper versus Sagebrush Snow-Dominated Rangelands
Kormos, P. R., Marks, D. G., Pierson, F. B., et al. (2016) · Rangeland Ecology & Management · doi:10.1016/j.rama.2016.05.003 · Cited by 64
Pine Plantations and Invasion Alter Fuel Structure and Potential Fire Behavior in a Patagonian Forest-Steppe Ecotone
Paritsis, J., Landesmann, J., Kitzberger, T., Tiribelli, F., Sasal, Y., Quintero, C., Dimarco, R., Barrios-García, M., Iglesias, A., Diez, J., et al. (2018) · Forests · doi:10.3390/f9030117 · Cited by 67
“) into the US Great Basin, show that invaded areas burn nearly four times more frequently than native vegetation types due to the higher flammability and faster recovery of cheatgrass compared to native species [8].”
Background
FIRED (Fire Events Delineation): An Open, Flexible Algorithm and Database of US Fire Events Derived from the MODIS Burned Area Product (2001–2019)
Balch, J. K., Denis, L. A. S., Mahood, A. L., Mietkiewicz, N. P., Williams, T., McGlinchy, J., & Cook, M. (2020) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs12213498 · Cited by 78
Self-citation
Dormant season grazing may decrease wildfire probability by increasing fuel moisture and reducing fuel amount and continuity
Davies, K. W., Boyd, C. S., Bates, J. D., & Hulet, A. (2015) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf14209 · Cited by 66
Biological invasions and climate change amplify each other’s effects on dryland degradation
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Background
Nest‐site selection and reproductive success of greater sage‐grouse in a fire‐affected habitat of northwestern Nevada
Lockyer, Z. B., Coates, P. S., Casazza, M. L., et al. (2015) · Journal of Wildlife Management · doi:10.1002/jwmg.899 · Cited by 62
Drivers of chaparral type conversion to herbaceous vegetation in coastal Southern California
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Assessing resilience and state‐transition models with historical records of cheatgrass B romus tectorum invasion in N orth A merican sagebrush‐steppe
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Authors: Balch, J. K., Bradley, B. A., D'Antonio, C. M., & Gómez‐Dans, J.
Affiliations: Pennsylvania State University (US)
University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
Environmental Studies Program & Department of Ecology University of California‐Santa Barbara, Evolution and Marine Biology Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
Department of Geography National Centre for Earth Observation and University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT UK
Corresponding author: Balch, Jennifer K.
ORCID: Balch, Jennifer K.
Bradley, Bethany A.
Venue: Global Change Biology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-11
Volume: 19
Issue: 1
Pages: 173-183
ISSN: 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
1365-2486
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12046
OpenAlex: W2134315730
Semantic Scholar: 460000f67eca2fdf121d8acaab0dfe68def00672
Cited by: 682
References: 59
Citations by year: 2026: 45 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 60 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 57 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 53 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 15
FWCI: 21.81
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: U.S. Geological Survey
National Center For Environmental Assessment
Natural Environment Research Council (earth010003)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Keywords: cheatgrass, invasive annual grasses, fire regime change, fire activity, burned area, fire return interval, Great Basin, land cover, fire spread rate, interannual variability, native vegetation
MeSH terms: Fires, Poaceae, United States

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Introduced annual grass increases regional fire activity across the arid western USA(1980–2009)

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