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Abstract
Widespread yet vulnerable, sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems provide a variety of biological, hydrological, and recreational ecosystem services throughout the Interior West (Homer et al. 2015). One particular service is the provision of essential habitat for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), which was considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. That listing was avoided in 2015 by an unprecedented conservation partnership across organizations and state boundaries (Chambers et al. 2017). The once widespread sagebrush steppe ecosystem has been significantly reduced in total area (down to 59 percent of historical extent) and is threatened throughout its range by nonnative invasive plant species (especially cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum L.]), altered fire regimes, conifer expansion (i.e., conversion of sagebrush steppe to woodlands or forests), and climate change (Chambers et al. 2014a, 2017). Additional threats to sagebrush include energy development, roads, mining, housing development, recreational activities (e.g., off-highway vehicle use), wild horse (Equus ferus caballus) use, and poorly managed livestock grazing (Chambers et al. 2017). These stressors and their interactions have reduced the capacity of sagebrush ecosystems to recover from natural disturbances such as wildfires. The natural fire regime in sagebrush steppe ecosystems is characterized as mixed severity, with low plant survivorship in burned areas interspersed with unburned patches (Baker 2006, Connelly et al. 2000).
Parent Publication
Citation
Meyer, Marc D.; Slaton, Michèle; Wuenschel, Amarina; Merriam, Kyle E. 2021. Sagebrush steppe case study. In: Meyer, M.D.; Long, J.W.; Safford, H.D., eds. Postfire restoration framework for national forests in California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-270. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 123-149. Chapter 6.
