Disturbance and rehabilitation of cold to warm desert transitional shrublands in southwestern Utah

Abstract

Extensive drought during the years of 2002, 2003, and 2004 removed most plant cover. On May 10, 2004, a cold front to the north resulted in weather stations in the area recording 600+ miles of wind travel (comparable to 60 mile hour winds for 10 hours). The effect of these two climatic events was to bury the Mile Square subdivision in wind-blown sand. Sand filled homes, garages, barrow pits, and closed roads. Even though the drought decimated perennial vegetation, including killing most of the shrubs in the area, the only areas that did not blow were the areas occupied by dead shrubs.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings-Shrublands under fire: disturbance and recovery in a changing world; 2006 June 6-8; Cedar City, UT

Citation

Reid, Chad; Bowns, James. 2008. Disturbance and rehabilitation of cold to warm desert transitional shrublands in southwestern Utah. In: Kitchen, Stanley G.; Pendleton, Rosemary L.; Monaco, Thomas A.; Vernon, Jason, comps. 2008. Proceedings-Shrublands under fire: disturbance and recovery in a changing world; 2006 June 6-8; Cedar City, UT. Proc. RMRS-P-52. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 187-190