Fire adapted weeds changing the Mojave desert 



I have been working as a biologist for over a decade and the changes in the flora of the Mojave desert have been noticeable even in that short time frame. Especially during wet years, weeds like red brome and mustards have spread very rapidly. For example, if you look north up the Carp road from I-15 you can see the invasive mustard plants (I don't know the species) spreading into the creosote scrub community from the dirt road to Carp. Since these weeds thrive in disturbed conditions and are often spread by humans, roads are often avenues for the weeds to spread. The Las Vegas Review Journal had a good article on this problem in todays paper. Since solutions are difficult and expensive, I think this will be a significant and increasing problem for years to come. Like many environmental problems, fixing them early is much less expensive than fixing them later. I think that for most areas of the Mojave, we are in the later.  

Posted: Sun - July 24, 2005 at 11:54 PM          

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