Grazing management to reduce wildfire risk in invasive annual grass prone sagebrush communities

Abstract

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  Wildfires and incidents of large fires have increased substantially in the past few decades, in part from increases in fine, dry fuels. Fine fuel management is needed, and grazing is likely the only tool applicable at the scale needed to have meaningful effects.

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  Moderate grazing decreases wildfire probability by decreasing fuel amount, continuity, and height and increasing fuel moisture content. Grazing, through its modification of fuels, can improve fire suppression efforts by decreasing flame lengths, rate of fire spread, and fire severity.

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  Logistical, social, and administrative challenges exist to using grazing to decrease fire probability. Some of these challenges can be overcome by using off-season (i.e., fall-winter) grazing, but other challenges will require persistent efforts as well as science to support management changes.