Spatiotemporal patterns of cheatgrass invasion in Colorado Plateau National Parks

Context Exotic annual grasses are transforming native arid and semi-arid ecosystems globally by accelerating fire cycles that drive vegetation state changes. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), a particularly widespread and aggressive exotic annual grass, is a key management target in national parks of the western United States due to its impacts on wildfire and biodiversity loss. Cheatgrass is known for its high interannual variability and can grow in a wide range of conditions.