Great Basin sagebrush ecosystems

Abstract

Sagebrush ecosystems exhibit widespread degradation due to a variety of causes, including invasion by exotic plants, expansion of pinyon and juniper, altered fire regimes, excessive livestock grazing, urbanization and land development, conversion to agriculture, road development and use, mining, and energy development. These ecosystems have been identified as the most endangered in the United States with 20 percent of plant and animals associated with sagebrush ecosystems at risk of extirpation. Federal, state, and private land managers are increasingly concerned about the fate of sagebrush ecosystems and their associated species and are actively seeking approaches to restore and maintain them.

Parent Publication

• Collaborative management and research in the Great Basin - examining the issues and developing a framework for action

Citation

Chambers, Jeanne C. 2008. Great Basin sagebrush ecosystems. In: Chambers, Jeanne C.; Devoe, Nora; Evenden, Angela, eds. Collaborative management and research in the Great Basin - examining the issues and developing a framework for action. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-204. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 53-56