Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Data sonification offers a novel approach for communicating Earth's tipping points.

Ecology and society : a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability·2026
Same author

Transformative capacity of social-ecological systems.

Ecology and society : a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability·2026
Same author

Disastrous consequences: shortcomings of resiliency strategies for coping with accelerating environmental change.

Ecology and society : a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability·2026
Same author

Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States.

Scientific data·2025
Same author

High-intensity fire supports restoration of grassland species richness and community composition following woody encroachment.

Journal of environmental management·2025
Same author

Aboveground biomass density maps for post-hurricane Ian forest monitoring in Florida.

Scientific data·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
09:27

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Published on: November 14, 2017

9.8K

Overcoming an "irreversible" threshold: A 15-year fire experiment.

Christine H Bielski1, Rheinhardt Scholtz1, Victoria M Donovan1

  • 1Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68503-0984, USA.

Journal of Environmental Management
|May 9, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Extreme fire can reverse juniper woodland shifts back to grassland dominance, revealing these ecological regime shifts are hysteretic, not irreversible. This finding has implications for managing encroaching juniper in grasslands.

Keywords:
DisturbanceHysteresisInvasionRegime shiftThresholdWoody plant encroachment

More Related Videos

In Situ Gas Analysis and Fire Characterization of Lithium-Ion Cells During Thermal Runaway Using an Environmental Chamber
08:42

In Situ Gas Analysis and Fire Characterization of Lithium-Ion Cells During Thermal Runaway Using an Environmental Chamber

Published on: March 31, 2023

2.7K
Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames
10:29

Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames

Published on: June 1, 2016

12.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
09:27

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Published on: November 14, 2017

9.8K
In Situ Gas Analysis and Fire Characterization of Lithium-Ion Cells During Thermal Runaway Using an Environmental Chamber
08:42

In Situ Gas Analysis and Fire Characterization of Lithium-Ion Cells During Thermal Runaway Using an Environmental Chamber

Published on: March 31, 2023

2.7K
Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames
10:29

Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames

Published on: June 1, 2016

12.1K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Resilience Theory
  • Ecological Regime Shifts

Background:

  • Ecological regime shifts are often considered irreversible without fully exploring stabilizing feedbacks.
  • Grassland to juniper woodland shifts, driven by fire removal, are typically deemed irreversible.
  • Juniper encroachment threatens grassland biodiversity and rancher-based economies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if extreme fire can reverse juniper woodland regime shifts back to grassland dominance.
  • To differentiate between irreversible and hysteretic ecological regime shifts.
  • To operationalize resilience theory in managing grassland-juniper ecosystems.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a long-term experimental fire landscape with grassland and juniper woodland.
  • Employed a space-for-time substitute to quantify herbaceous biomass post-extreme fire.
  • Compared burned juniper woodland recovery with adjacent grassland recovery and unburned reference sites.

Main Results:

  • Grassland dominance rapidly re-emerged after extreme fires in juniper woodlands.
  • Herbaceous biomass in burned juniper stands became comparable to grasslands within one year.
  • Persistent herbaceous dominance in juniper stands was observed up to 15 years post-fire.

Conclusions:

  • Grassland-juniper woodland regime shifts are hysteretic, not irreversible, when subjected to extreme fire.
  • Extreme fire intensity thresholds can effectively reverse juniper woodland regime shifts.
  • This research provides a framework for managing juniper encroachment using resilience theory.