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Sep. 28, 2012
Fires and Invasive Grass Threaten American West
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Cheatgrass, an invasive weed, is choking out native sagebrush in the Great Basin -- and setting the stage for hotter, more catastrophic fires there. Jen Pierce, an expert on ancient fires, and Mike Pellant, of the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, talk about how fires are reshaping landscapes in the American West.
In the video: Post-fire debris flow in Cochiti Canyon, New Mexico
In an interview with Science Friday, fire expert Jen Pierce said "fire-related debris flows are these slurries of rocks and soil and ash and charcoal, which are produced following large stand-replacing fires."
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Produced by Christopher Intagliata, Associate Senior Producer
Guests
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Jen Pierce
Associate Professor, Geoscience
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho -
Mike Pellant
Coordinator, Great Basin Restoration Initiative
Bureau of Land Management
Boise, Idaho -
Tye Morgan
Biogeochemist
Homebrewer
Owner, Bromus Tech
Reno, Nevada
FEATURED READING
Brilliant Blunders
by Mario Livio
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