Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group
Active
By Fort Collins Science Center
March 1, 2026
The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of energy development and land-use change on conserving wildlife populations, their habitats, and the ecosystems they inhabit, and work closely on these issues with state and federal partners, NGOs, conservation groups and industry.
Species we currently study include songbirds, mammals, snakes, lizards, and grouse, such as white-tailed ptarmigan and sage-grouse. We also work with plant communities and exotic invasive plants to understand how external drivers such as grazing and energy development affect plant communities and thus, wildlife. We work across spatial scales and use statistical and empirical modeling to answer research questions, many of which have direct applications for conservation and management of species, most notably sage-grouse, and their habitats.
Sagebrush Restoration and Recovery
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Invasive Annual Grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Effects of the herbicide, Indaziflam, on invasive annual grasses
Effects of the herbicide, Indaziflam, on invasive annual grasses
Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion
Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion
Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
Sage-grouse Monitoring and Conservation
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Road Ecology
Road Ecology
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Wildlife Biology and Management
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Mapping wild horse densities across broad landscapes of the Western United States
Mapping wild horse densities across broad landscapes of the Western United States
Assessing vegetation and avian community response to juniper reduction treatments
Assessing vegetation and avian community response to juniper reduction treatments
Highlighted News from the SAGE Wildlife Research Group
-
New tools for a growing threat: Co-developed science informs the fight against invasive grasses in the sagebrush biome New tools for a growing threat: Co-developed science informs the fight against invasive grasses in the sagebrush biome
In a new study, FORT scientists worked with resource managers to co-develop a strategic framework for invasive grass management across the sagebrush biome. The framework, implemented through computer simulation models, can help resource managers explore the efficacy of invasive grass management strategies and develop informed, economic conservation plans.
-
New study on the economics of public land treatments reveals treatment characteristics influence costs New study on the economics of public land treatments reveals treatment characteristics influence costs
Limited information exists on the costs of public land treatments, such as controlling flammable weeds and conducting prescribed burns, but managers can pair cost information with effectiveness data to improve decision making. In a new study, researchers used data from the BLM/USGS Land Treatment Digital Library to develop land treatment cost estimates.
-
FORT scientists present research at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting FORT scientists present research at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting
A group of FORT scientists presented virtually and in-person at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting in Spokane, Washington, from February 9–13.
-
Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome
Fuel breaks – strips of land managed for reduced flammability – are designed to aid wildfire suppression and management. However, construction of fuel breaks may reduce wildlife habitat and introduce invasive species to ecosystems. In a new study published in Fire Ecology, USGS and Colorado State University researchers investigated these potential trade-offs of fuel breaks in sagebrush ecosystems.
-
Considering current ecosystem condition in restoration planning Considering current ecosystem condition in restoration planning
Restoration planning requires managers to weigh the potential benefits and costs of restoration action at a site. Sometimes, managers use structured, mathematical algorithms to decide where to focus restoration efforts. However, these algorithms do not always consider the current condition of ecosystems, instead focusing on the potential value of the resulting (desired) ecosystem.
Filter Total Items: 58
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.
Changes in Sagebrush Ecosystem Connectivity
Disturbances, management, and changing environmental conditions have reshaped the sagebrush biome within the western United States. As a result, sagebrush cover and configuration have varied over space and time, influencing ecological processes and species' use of the landscape. Characterizing changes in sagebrush ecosystem connectivity over time will help us understand the effects of those...
Hierarchical Units of Greater Sage-Grouse Populations Informing Wildlife Management
Wildlife management boundaries often lack biological context, including information on habitat resource availability and wildlife movements. To address this, we developed multiple levels of biologically relevant and hierarchically nested greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) population units to facilitate the management and conservation of populations and habitats.
Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy
USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
Informing the Habitat Assessment Framework Process—An Assessment to Understand Habitat Patch Composition and Configuration Requirements for Range-Wide Sage-Grouse Persistence
USGS scientists are developing multiple products to directly inform the Bureau of Land Management's Sage-grouse Habitat Assessment Framework process.
Defining Multi-Scaled Functional Landscape Connectivity for the Sagebrush Biome to Support Management and Conservation Planning of Multiple Species
USGS and Colorado State University scientists are modelling multispecies connectivity through intact and disturbed areas of the sagebrush landscape.
Forecasting the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sagebrush in Wyoming Under a Changing Climate
Prioritizing landscapes for sage-grouse habitat conservation is complicated by long-term changes in climate.
Greater Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Population Viability Analysis Across Scales
USGS and Colorado State University scientists will use data about sage-grouse and mule deer population data across Wyoming to evaluate the effectiveness of disturbance thresholds and investigate the efficacy of other disturbance metrics.
Building the Sage-Grouse Umbrella with Songbird Habitat Models
USGS and Colorado State University scientists are using data and hierarchical community models to create predictive surfaces of bird use by habitat type and comparing these predictions to habitat prioritization derived from sage-grouse locations.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Fuel Breaks for Preserving Greater Sage-Grouse in the Great Basin
Fuel breaks have the potential to minimize catastrophic losses of sagebrush habitat and sage-grouse populations by altering fire behavior and facilitating fire suppression. However, they may carry risks to sage-grouse populations—of habitat loss, fragmentation, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion, and alteration of sage-grouse movements—that have not been quantified.
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Inventory and Long-Term Monitoring
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and habitat changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s natural...
The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of energy development and land-use change on conserving wildlife populations, their habitats, and the ecosystems they inhabit, and work closely on these issues with state and federal partners, NGOs, conservation groups and industry.
Species we currently study include songbirds, mammals, snakes, lizards, and grouse, such as white-tailed ptarmigan and sage-grouse. We also work with plant communities and exotic invasive plants to understand how external drivers such as grazing and energy development affect plant communities and thus, wildlife. We work across spatial scales and use statistical and empirical modeling to answer research questions, many of which have direct applications for conservation and management of species, most notably sage-grouse, and their habitats.
Sagebrush Restoration and Recovery
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Invasive Annual Grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Effects of the herbicide, Indaziflam, on invasive annual grasses
Effects of the herbicide, Indaziflam, on invasive annual grasses
Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion
Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion
Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
Sage-grouse Monitoring and Conservation
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Road Ecology
Road Ecology
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Wildlife Biology and Management
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Mapping wild horse densities across broad landscapes of the Western United States
Mapping wild horse densities across broad landscapes of the Western United States
Assessing vegetation and avian community response to juniper reduction treatments
Assessing vegetation and avian community response to juniper reduction treatments
Highlighted News from the SAGE Wildlife Research Group
-
-
New tools for a growing threat: Co-developed science informs the fight against invasive grasses in the sagebrush biome New tools for a growing threat: Co-developed science informs the fight against invasive grasses in the sagebrush biome
In a new study, FORT scientists worked with resource managers to co-develop a strategic framework for invasive grass management across the sagebrush biome. The framework, implemented through computer simulation models, can help resource managers explore the efficacy of invasive grass management strategies and develop informed, economic conservation plans.
-
-
New study on the economics of public land treatments reveals treatment characteristics influence costs New study on the economics of public land treatments reveals treatment characteristics influence costs
Limited information exists on the costs of public land treatments, such as controlling flammable weeds and conducting prescribed burns, but managers can pair cost information with effectiveness data to improve decision making. In a new study, researchers used data from the BLM/USGS Land Treatment Digital Library to develop land treatment cost estimates.
-
-
FORT scientists present research at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting FORT scientists present research at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting
A group of FORT scientists presented virtually and in-person at the Society for Range Management 2025 Annual Meeting in Spokane, Washington, from February 9–13.
-
-
Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome
Fuel breaks – strips of land managed for reduced flammability – are designed to aid wildfire suppression and management. However, construction of fuel breaks may reduce wildlife habitat and introduce invasive species to ecosystems. In a new study published in Fire Ecology, USGS and Colorado State University researchers investigated these potential trade-offs of fuel breaks in sagebrush ecosystems.
-
-
Considering current ecosystem condition in restoration planning Considering current ecosystem condition in restoration planning
Restoration planning requires managers to weigh the potential benefits and costs of restoration action at a site. Sometimes, managers use structured, mathematical algorithms to decide where to focus restoration efforts. However, these algorithms do not always consider the current condition of ecosystems, instead focusing on the potential value of the resulting (desired) ecosystem.
Filter Total Items: 58
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.
Changes in Sagebrush Ecosystem Connectivity
Disturbances, management, and changing environmental conditions have reshaped the sagebrush biome within the western United States. As a result, sagebrush cover and configuration have varied over space and time, influencing ecological processes and species' use of the landscape. Characterizing changes in sagebrush ecosystem connectivity over time will help us understand the effects of those...
Hierarchical Units of Greater Sage-Grouse Populations Informing Wildlife Management
Wildlife management boundaries often lack biological context, including information on habitat resource availability and wildlife movements. To address this, we developed multiple levels of biologically relevant and hierarchically nested greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) population units to facilitate the management and conservation of populations and habitats.
Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy
USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
Informing the Habitat Assessment Framework Process—An Assessment to Understand Habitat Patch Composition and Configuration Requirements for Range-Wide Sage-Grouse Persistence
USGS scientists are developing multiple products to directly inform the Bureau of Land Management's Sage-grouse Habitat Assessment Framework process.
Defining Multi-Scaled Functional Landscape Connectivity for the Sagebrush Biome to Support Management and Conservation Planning of Multiple Species
USGS and Colorado State University scientists are modelling multispecies connectivity through intact and disturbed areas of the sagebrush landscape.
Forecasting the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sagebrush in Wyoming Under a Changing Climate
Prioritizing landscapes for sage-grouse habitat conservation is complicated by long-term changes in climate.
Greater Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Population Viability Analysis Across Scales
USGS and Colorado State University scientists will use data about sage-grouse and mule deer population data across Wyoming to evaluate the effectiveness of disturbance thresholds and investigate the efficacy of other disturbance metrics.
Building the Sage-Grouse Umbrella with Songbird Habitat Models
USGS and Colorado State University scientists are using data and hierarchical community models to create predictive surfaces of bird use by habitat type and comparing these predictions to habitat prioritization derived from sage-grouse locations.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Fuel Breaks for Preserving Greater Sage-Grouse in the Great Basin
Fuel breaks have the potential to minimize catastrophic losses of sagebrush habitat and sage-grouse populations by altering fire behavior and facilitating fire suppression. However, they may carry risks to sage-grouse populations—of habitat loss, fragmentation, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion, and alteration of sage-grouse movements—that have not been quantified.
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Inventory and Long-Term Monitoring
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and habitat changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s natural...