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Juniperus Woodlands and the Water Cycle on Karst Rangelands

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Western North American Juniperus Communities

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 196))

Semiarid woodlands are expanding their ranges, both within the United States and across the globe (Archer et al. 2001). Particularly striking in the United States has been the spread of juniper, numerous species of which have been expanding in extent and density. This spread has been documented in the Northwest (Miller and Wigand 1994; Miller and Rose 1995, 1999), the Southwest (Swetnam et al. 1999; Brockway et al. 2002), Texas (Ansley et al. 1995; Smeins et al. 1997; Yager and Smeins 1999), and even the Great Plains (Briggs et al. 2002; Heisler et al. 2003; Lett and Knapp 2003; McCarron and Knapp 2003). The reasons for woody plant encroachment are complex, but two underlying and related factors are clearly identifiable: (1) overgrazing on grasslands and rangelands, which, by reducing the amount of fine fuel, has led to (2) a decrease in the frequency of natural fires (Archer 1994; Van Auken 2000), no doubt caused in part by fire suppression.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M University, 225 Animal Industries Building, 77843-2126, College Station, TX, USA

    Bradford P. Wilcox

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  1. Bradford P. Wilcox
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas, 78249-0662, San Antonio, TX, USA

    O. W. Van Auken

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Wilcox, B.P. (2008). Juniperus Woodlands and the Water Cycle on Karst Rangelands. In: Van Auken, O.W. (eds) Western North American Juniperus Communities. Ecological Studies, vol 196. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-34003-6_11

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