Sagebrush in western North America: habitats and species in jeopardy.

Abstract

Sagebrush habitats are declining rapidly across western North America, with over 350 associated plant and animal species at risk of local or regional extirpation. The sagebrush ecosystem is one of the largest in the United States, and it is vulnerable to a litany of threats. Chief among them is invasion of cheatgrass into the understory, followed by high-severity fires that cheatgrass promotes. The expansion of pinyon juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitat and other human impacts, such as overgrazing by livestock and energy development, are also major sources of concern.

Citation

Thompson, Jonathan. 2007. Sagebrush in western North America: habitats and species in jeopardy. Science Findings 91. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 5 p