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Contact: Suzanne Ernst
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LAS VEGAS –- Six Nevada scientists have earned the honor of seeing their work published this week in the prestigious international scientific journal Nature.

The article, titled "Elevated CO2 Increases Productivity and Invasive Species Success in an Arid Ecosystem," features the results of a three-year investigation by researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Desert Research Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno into the affects of increased carbon dioxide on an arid ecosystem.

Nature is a weekly scientific journal that accepts only 10 percent of the more than 170 weekly submissions.

In their research, the Nevada scientists simulated the atmospheric conditions of the year 2050 when carbon dioxide would be nearly 50 percent higher than today's level—but is approximately double the level of pre-industrial times. They discovered that non-native grasses like Red Brome dramatically increased their population compared to native species. The long-term impact could mean that the Mojave Desert is on its way to becoming a fire-controlled annual grassland.

"Our research shows that exotic annual grasses like Red Brome experienced a much larger increase in production and seed rain than did native annuals," said Stan Smith, lead author of the article and biology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "As CO2 levels increase, we could see the dominance of these grasses in the Mojave Desert and Great Basin area, which will have the potential to accelerate the fire cycle, reduce biodiversity, and alter ecosystem functions in the deserts of western North America."

The average fire cycle in the region is 75 years or longer. If annual grasses like Red Brome (a variety of the Cheatgrass which was introduced from Europe approximately 100 years ago and has rapidly expanded through the west) dominate the Mojave Desert, that fire cycle could be reduced to 4-7 years.

"It is well accepted that the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is increasing," said James Coleman, co-author and vice president for research and business development at the Desert Research Institute. "What is in contention is the affect that higher levels of CO2 will have on an ecosystem. With the fastest population increases occurring in arid regions like the western U.S., I believe our research will play a crucial role in understanding and predicting how arid ecosystems will change in the future. Given that the fastest population increases are occurring in arid regions like the western U.S., this understanding should allow us to develop environmental policies that can help sustain arid ecosystems in the face of such growth."

The research was conducted at the Nevada Desert FACE Facility (NDFF), located in the Mojave Desert north of Las Vegas. The NDFF is the only arid ecosystem research facility in the world addressing the affects of elevated carbon dioxide in a natural setting. The FACE facilities are designed to permit a controlled release of elevated carbon dioxide in the air around vegetation without disturbing other environmental and ecosystem conditions.

The facility utilizes FACE technology (Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment) to create 21st century atmospheric conditions in an otherwise natural environment 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. This facility is one of only seven such operating facilities in the U.S. and is the only one situated in a natural ecosystem.

"We're very excited to see the work of our scientists recognized in such a prestigious publication as Nature," said Dr. Jane Nichols, chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN). "This project was truly a collaborative effort between scientists from three of our institutions. With so many of the UCCSN faculty engaged in world class research, Nevada is quickly developing a reputation as an incubator for some of the best scientific work in the country."

The paper's authors include Stan Smith, Robert Nowak, James Coleman, Jeff Seemann, Lynn Fenstermaker, Travis Huxman, David Housman, Therese Charlet and Stephen Zitzer. Their research has been supported by the Department of Energy and the NationalScience Foundation.

Dr. Stan Smith is a biology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas whose primary interest focuses on the functional ecology of plants that inhabit desert regions. Dr. Smith can be reached for comments at (702) 895-3197.

Dr. Robert Nowak is a professor of environmental and resource sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno whose primary focus is on the functional ecology of plants from the Great Basin, and in particular studies the invasion of exotic brome grasses in the region. Dr. Nowak can be reached at (775) 784-1656.

Dr. James Coleman is the vice president for research and business development at the Desert Research Institute. In addition, he is the director of the State of Nevada's National Science Foundation's EPSCoR research infrastructure development project; a research professor in DRI's Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences; and a graduate faculty member in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Coleman can be reached for comments at (775) 673-7322.

Dr. Jeff Seemann is professor and chair of the biochemistry department at the University of Nevada, Reno. He studies photosynthesis in plants, particularly how plants respond to elevated CO2 and stressful conditions that occur in desert regions. Dr. Seeman can be reached at (775) 784-6031.

Lynn Fenstermaker is the director of DRI's Nevada Desert Researcher Center and an ecological remote sensing scientist who has experience and interests in the use of remotely sensed data to map, monitor, and assess the effect of environmental stressors on vegetation at small and large scales. Ms. Fenstermaker can be reached at the NDFF on November 1 at (702) 295-7498, or in her office on November 2 at (702) 895-0412.

Dr. Stephen Zitzer is the ecologist at the Nevada Desert FACE Facility and is affiliated with the biochemistry department at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Zitzer can be reached at the NDFF at (702) 295-7498 on November 1-2.

Therese Charlet is the data manager for the Nevada Desert FACE Facility and is affiliated with the biology department at UNLV.

Travix Huxman and David Housman are graduate students in the biology department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Comprising two doctoral-granting universities, four comprehensive community colleges and one environmental research institution, the University and Community College System of Nevada serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to nearly 100,000 students.