Sagebrush

Open book with lines simulating text on left and right pages

Conditions favoring cheatgrass dominance of endangered sagebrush steppe ecosystems

View paper.

Grazing exacerbates Bromus tectorum dominance in one of North America’s most endangered ecosystems by adversely impacting key mechanisms mediating resistance to invasion. If the goal is to conserve and restore resistance of these systems, managers should consider maintaining or restoring: (i) high bunchgrass cover and structure characterized by spatially dispersed bunchgrasses and small gaps between them; (ii) a diverse assemblage of bunchgrass species to maximize competitive interactions with B. tectorum in time and space; and (iii) biological soil crusts to limit B. tectorum establishment. Passive restoration by reducing cumulative cattle grazing may be one of the most effective means of achieving these three goals.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Limiting medusahead invasion and impacts in the Great Basin

View fact sheet, pg. 9.

This fact sheet provides managers with strategies to reduce the spread and impact of medusahead.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Establishing big sagebrush and other shrubs from planting stock

View fact sheet, pg. 37.

Bareroot or container seedlings can be used to quickly re-establish big sagebrush and other native shrubs in situations where direct seeding is not feasible or unlikely to succeed. Guidelines are provided for developing a planting plan and timeline, arranging for seedling production, and installing and managing outplantings.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Post-fire grazing management in the Great Basin

View fact sheet, pg. 33.

This fact sheet provides guidelines for maintaining productive sagebrush steppe communities in grazed areas after fire. The focus is on plant communities that, prior to fire, were largely intact and had an understory of native perennial herbaceous species or introduced bunchgrass, rather than invasive annual grass.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Fuel breaks that work

View fact sheet, pg. 22.

This fact sheet provides a framework for the placement, use, and effectiveness of established fuel breaks for protecting sagebrush ecosystems.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Conifer removal in the sagebrush steppe: The why, when, where, and how

View fact sheet, pg. 16.

This fact sheet provides land managers with a brief summary of the effects of conifer expansion and infill in sagebrush ecosystems and of potential management strategies.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Reestablishing perennial-dominated plant communities in medusahead-invaded sagebrush rangeland

View fact sheet, pg. 12.

This fact sheet provides managers with tools and strategies to reestablish perennial-dominated plant communities in medusahead-invaded sagebrush rangelands.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Putting resilience and resistance into practice

View fact sheet.

Land managers are increasingly interested in improving resilience to disturbances,such as wildfire, and resistance to invasive species,such as cheatgrass and medusahead. This fact sheet is designed to assist land managers in resilience and resistance concepts to assess risks, prioritize management activities, and select treatments.

This is the first of many topics reviewed in the Great Basin Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Assessing fuel loads in sagebrush steppe and PJ woodlands

View fact sheet, pg. 43.

This fact sheet defines Great Basin wildland fuels and reviews some of the approaches used to assess fuel loads in Great Basin ecosystems.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Seeding big sagebrush successfully on Intermountain rangelands

View fact sheet, pg 49.

This fact sheet provides land managers with state-of-the-art information on the establishment of big sagebrush through direct seeding.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Narrow your search

Stay Connected