Many revegetation projects are intended to benefit focal wildlife species. Yet, few scope the ability of revegetation efforts to yield habitat. To investigate the ability of alternative sagebrush (Artemisia species) planting strategies to recover habitat conditions for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), USGS and Colorado State University scientists developed a spatial vegetation-habitat recovery model. Scientists combined sagebrush growth data with sage-grouse resource selection to project the amount and suitability of habitat recovered 15-years after a fire in the Tuscarora region of Nevada.
The products and information developed for this project will help restoration practitioners, biologists, and land managers evaluate the efficacy of sagebrush restoration approaches as well as their ability to successfully create functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Researchers developed a spatial model to assess how post-fire restoration by transplanting and growing sagebrush could help accelerate the recovery of sage-grouse habitat. To do so, they simulated a burn, transplanting of sagebrush, and natural regeneration of grasses and herbaceous vegetation. Models projected the growth of vegetation associated with sage-grouse habitat through time and according to sagebrush transplant growth data collected from a large field study in the Great Basin. They compared habitat restoration results among alternative planting designs that varied in planting effort and distribution, and annually quantified the expected recovery of habitat among scenarios. This revegetation-habitat-recovery modeling framework can help managers and conservationists gauge the return on restoration investments intended to benefit wildlife species.
This study has been completed and the manuscript is currently in review/revision. The project team included Julie Heinrichs, Michael O’Donnell, Cameron Aldridge, David Pyke, Peter Coates, Mark Ricca, and Elizabeth Orning. For further information or to request a briefing on this research, please contact Cameron Aldridge (aldridgec@usgs.gov).
Using simulation models to project and evaluate post-fire success in restoring sage-grouse habitat over large landscapes
Simulating the influence of sagebrush restoration on post-fire sage-grouse population recovery
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
- Overview
Many revegetation projects are intended to benefit focal wildlife species. Yet, few scope the ability of revegetation efforts to yield habitat. To investigate the ability of alternative sagebrush (Artemisia species) planting strategies to recover habitat conditions for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), USGS and Colorado State University scientists developed a spatial vegetation-habitat recovery model. Scientists combined sagebrush growth data with sage-grouse resource selection to project the amount and suitability of habitat recovered 15-years after a fire in the Tuscarora region of Nevada.
The products and information developed for this project will help restoration practitioners, biologists, and land managers evaluate the efficacy of sagebrush restoration approaches as well as their ability to successfully create functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Researchers developed a spatial model to assess how post-fire restoration by transplanting and growing sagebrush could help accelerate the recovery of sage-grouse habitat. To do so, they simulated a burn, transplanting of sagebrush, and natural regeneration of grasses and herbaceous vegetation. Models projected the growth of vegetation associated with sage-grouse habitat through time and according to sagebrush transplant growth data collected from a large field study in the Great Basin. They compared habitat restoration results among alternative planting designs that varied in planting effort and distribution, and annually quantified the expected recovery of habitat among scenarios. This revegetation-habitat-recovery modeling framework can help managers and conservationists gauge the return on restoration investments intended to benefit wildlife species.
This study has been completed and the manuscript is currently in review/revision. The project team included Julie Heinrichs, Michael O’Donnell, Cameron Aldridge, David Pyke, Peter Coates, Mark Ricca, and Elizabeth Orning. For further information or to request a briefing on this research, please contact Cameron Aldridge (aldridgec@usgs.gov).
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. Visit Media to see details.In August and September 2007, a lightning strike sparked the 48,000-acre Castle Rock wildfire near Ketchum, Idaho. Photo credit: Kari Greer
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.BLM Idaho Partners with Shoshone-Paiute Tribe to Grow Native Plants for Sage-Steppe Restoration. Photo by BLM Idaho.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Big sagebrush shown in the foreground are re-establishing in a native bunchgrass community 15 years after a fire along the Boise Front Mountains looking unto the Snake River Plain, Idaho. - Science
Using simulation models to project and evaluate post-fire success in restoring sage-grouse habitat over large landscapes
Wildfires are increasingly destroying wildlife habitat in sagebrush (Artemisia species) ecosystems, and managers need approaches to scope the pace and degree to which post-fire restoration actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. Sagebrush recovery takes a long time, and it can be difficult to anticipate restoration outcomes over large, diverse landscapes that have experienced decades...Simulating the influence of sagebrush restoration on post-fire sage-grouse population recovery
Increased wildfire-induced loss of sagebrush in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial habitat loss for sagebrush-obligate species like sage-grouse. Transplanting sagebrush (Artemisia species) is a possible strategy for revegetating burned areas, but little is known about sage-grouse or other wildlife responses to restoration strategies.Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Increased wildfire-induced loss of sagebrush in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial habitat loss for sagebrush-obligate species like sage-grouse. The products and information developed for this project will help restoration practitioners, biologists, and land managers evaluate the efficacy of sagebrush restoration approaches as well as their ability... - Partners