Where trees meet the sage: Optimizing pinyon-juniper management for imperiled sagebrush and woodland birds

Andrea Watts; Jason R. Reinhardt

Treesearch

Where trees meet the sage: Optimizing pinyon-juniper management for imperiled sagebrush and woodland birds

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Andrea Watts, Jason R. Reinhardt

Year:

2024

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), February 2024. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 4.33 MB)

Download (PDF 4.33 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/67378.pdf

Abstract

Reducing encroachment of pinyon-juniper woodlands is a proven management tool to restore sagebrush habitat for the greater sage grouse and other sagebrush-obligate species. However, these woodlands have their own obligate species, such as the pinyon jay whose population has seen significant declines over the decades. This places managers in a conundrum: where to prioritize conifer removal for sagebrush species without negatively impacting woodland species?

Keywords

pinyon-juniper management, sagebrush-obligated species, pinyon jay

Citation

Watts, Andrea; Reinhardt, Jason. 2024. Where trees meet the sage: Optimizing pinyon-juniper management for imperiled sagebrush and woodland birds. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), February 2024. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.