Past tree influence and prescribed fire exert strong controls on reassembly of mountain grasslands after tree removal

Woody‐plant encroachment represents a global threat to grasslands. Although the causes and consequences of this regime shift have received substantial attention, the processes that constrain reassembly of the grassland state remain poorly understood. We experimentally tested two potentially important controls on reassembly, the past influence of trees and the effects of fire, in conifer‐invaded grasslands (mountain meadows) of western Oregon....