Ecological dynamics of blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), an iconic landscape dominant

Background/Question/Methods

Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is a regionally dominant shrub species important in the transition zone between North American warm and cold deserts, occupying millions of hectares on National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Forest System lands.  Blackbrush communities are under threat of loss due to large-scale fires fueled by invasive exotic grasses. This presentation synthesizes existing information on blackbrush biology, as well as research needs for successful restoration. Potential changes in distribution under the drivers of invasive grasses, increased fire frequency and climate change will be discussed.

Results/Conclusions

Blackbrush is an ideal model species for examining climate change response because it occupies a relatively narrow band between two major climatic zones and is representative of a large group of slow-growing desert shrub species. Past research has focused on pollination, flowering, seed production, germination biology, rodent predation and dispersal, seedling emergence and establishment, and population demographics.  Populations from the Colorado Plateau differ from those of the Mojave Desert in a number of important ways. Current work centers on age structure, long-term seed viability in storage, genetics, and habitat modeling. Blackbrush is not fire-adapted and, in the face of large-scale fires, will require active restoration. Successful restoration will require a thorough knowledge of blackbrush biology integrated with the development of new techniques.