In the past, the Nevada Department of Wildlife's Game Bureau Chief Russ Mason was quoted as saying, "These [2006 wildland] fires are an environmental disaster for the state of Nevada. That is not an overstatement. We are losing habitat year after year, with no end in sight." Fortunately, fires in 2010 have proven to not be as severe as predicted, nor as severe as in past years.

Wildland fires have consumed approximately 22,000 acres in Nevada, according to the Western Great Basin Geographic Coordination Center in Reno, Nevada. The statistics this year show some 154 human caused fires with a total of 1,347 acres and 191 lightning caused fires at a total of 20,556 acres burned. While small fires are occurring every day throughout Nevada, most of these end up extinguished in the early stages at small sizes. Elko County, which in the past has experienced severe, large fires, has, so far, experienced minimal fire activity.

While this year has so far proven to be an exception to the rule; it does not mean we are out of the woods yet. With the increase of non-native noxious weeds and other invasive vegetation, the possibility exists for a large damaging fire to occur. The entire state is susceptible to a large fire occurring any time anywhere until the first snows of winter arrive.

Decreased intervals between fires, invasive weeds, and the uncertainty of rehabilitation efforts will affect wildlife and those recreating in Nevada for decades. Areas of critically important mule deer transition and winter range and important sage grouse nesting and brood rearing habitat have been lost. In addition, chukar and pronghorn have been affected.

Fire Intervals

"Historically, fire intervals are between 100 and 150 years in these areas, and for some sagebrush environments in lower elevations, 200 to 300 years," explained Shawn Espinosa, Wildlife Biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). Biodiversity is affected when these natural cycles are disrupted. "We are now seeing fire return intervals on the order of 10 to 20 years – so the cheatgrass fire cycle is perpetuating itself," he said. "More frequent fires preclude sagebrush seedlings that would come back after a fire from ever establishing," explained Espinosa.

Invasive Species

One of the factors affecting fire intervals is invasive species. In particular, non-native cheatgrass seems to have evolved to obliterate Nevada's native vegetation. Cheatgrass is so named because it matures early and cheats native grasses, which emerge later, out of essential water and nutrients before the heat of summer sets in. It matures early and dries out early, creating fuel for fires. And it carries fire across areas between shrubs that would normally be bare.

Rehabilitation

"The potential for successful restoration is limited," said Espinosa. Governmental agencies need to have luck on their side in the form of good precipitation, and the seeding must occur during the first year after a fire in order to out-compete cheat grass. Even then, the odds for sagebrush re-growth are low." he said. "We've seen sagebrush seed response in certain aspects – such as north facing slopes out of direct, all-day sunlight – and at certain elevations conducive for it to grow," he continued. "Those are the sites we're concentrating on. South facing slopes will predominantly convert to a cheatgrass environment," Espinosa said. He noted that even when sage brush areas are reseeded, the overall germination rate is only about 20%.

Wildlife Affected

While we have escaped serious impacts from fire so far this year, the changes and impacts from previous years still remains. The basic fabric of this habitat change does not bode well for a lot of Nevada's wildlife species. Sage grouse, a native species whose numbers are threatened have lost numerous strutting grounds used for mating. "Over the past few years their nesting and critical brood-rearing habitat has been lost as well," said Espinosa. "We've effectively lost habitats for the next 30 – 50 years – conservatively" he said.

Fire Facts

• Past fires have decimated transition and wintering habitat for the Area Six deer herd which was already reeling from decades of devastating fires.
• Past fires, combined with the 2006 fires, will reduce a deer herd that once numbered close to 30,000 deer in the 1960s to a habitat that will be lucky to support 6,000 deer.