Effects of fuels reductions on plant communities and soils in a Piñon-juniper woodland

Over the past decade, a variety of fuels reduction strategies have been implemented across western US forests to lower the risk of high severity fires. In two separate studies, we evaluated the short-term effects (

► Fuels-reduction efforts are being used extensively to reduce fire risk, but their effects on ecosystems are relatively unknown.
► We explore possible ecosystem effects from three different fuels reduction approaches.
► All fuels-reduction treatments had higher understory plant cover than untreated controls.
► Treatments that involve slash burning had higher invasive species and lower soil stability than other treatment options.
► Alternatives to burnings of slash are recommended for fuels-reduction treatments.