Importance of Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Invasion and Persistence of Cheatgrass.

Cheatgrass invasion of sagebrush steppe has many well known consequences, such as altered fire interval and water utilization, but cheatgrass also appears to alter the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community as well. This presentation will provide results from a study comparing the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity of big sagebrush with cheatgrass across three sites in the western United States where both species currently coexist.