Disturbance and Plant Succession in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in the American Southwest
Disturbances such as fire, land clearing, and road building remove vegetation and can have major influences on public health through effects on air quality, aesthetics, recreational opportunities, natural resource availability, and economics. Plant recovery and succession following disturbance are poorly understood in arid lands relative to more temperate regions. This study quantitatively reviewed vegetation reestablishment following a variety of disturbances in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of southwestern North America. A total of 47 studies met inclusion criteria for the review.
Abella, S.R. 2010. Disturbance and plant succession in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in the American Southwest. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7(4):1248-1284.
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Email Address Created for Land Exchange Questions
The Southwestern Region Office of Lands and Minerals Management is overseeing and administering the land exchange and appraisal process which includes the 2,422-acre Oak Flat Federal Parcel. All questions about the land exchange and appraisal process should be emailed to SM.FS.rcexinfo@usda.gov
Programmatic Agreement Info
To comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Tonto National Forest developed a Programmatic Agreement (PA) and included it in Volume 5, Appendix O of the final EIS. The PA was created in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the State Historic Preservation Office, tribes and other consulting parties. The PA contains an agreed upon process for identifying, evaluating and addressing adverse effects to historic properties associated with this undertaking.
To review Volume 5 and the PA, Download Vol 5 PDF, 27 MB.
Forest Service Point of Contact
John Scaggs
Tonto National Forest
john.scaggs@usda.gov
Apache Leap Special Management Area
Apache Leap SMA website