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BYU study: megafire reshapes understory and early tree regeneration; non‑native plants increase in burned pinyon‑juniper
Summary
A BYU Ph.D. study of the 2018 Pole Creek megafire found that understory responses varied by forest type: burned aspen–fir lost native forb richness, oak–maple showed limited change, and pinyon‑juniper saw increased non‑native richness and cover, raising concerns about cheatgrass expansion.
A researcher reporting BYU Ph.D. results said the 2018 Pole Creek megafire’s effects on understory plant communities and sapling regeneration depended on forest type, with burned pinyon‑juniper showing a marked rise in non‑native species.
Devry (Ph.D. researcher, Brigham Young University) summarized field work across aspen‑fir, oak‑maple and pinyon‑juniper forest types within the megafire footprint. Teams sampled paired transects in burned and unburned patches and recorded species richness, percent cover and sapling browse and density…
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