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 to successfully create functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Wildfires are increasingly modifying wildlife habitat across the Sagebrush (Artemisia species) biome of the western United States, reducing critical greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat and potentially diminishing population sizes to levels that could result in local loss or regional fragmentation of populations. Managers considering sagebrush restoration strategies need ways to scope the degree to which post-fire actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. However, we lack approaches to evaluate the potential outcomes of intensive sagebrush revegetation or other restoration actions. Understanding how restoration approaches could jumpstart sagebrush recovery and the degree to which such approaches might directly benefit sage-grouse populations could help identify restoration actions with the greatest potential to increase long-term sage-grouse population persistence, especially for populations and habitats drastically altered by fire.
Scientists from the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), and Colorado State University (CSU) are collaborating to provide the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other rangeland restoration practitioners empirical information on post-fire sagebrush restoration growth and recovery, sage-grouse response to sagebrush restoration and habitat recovery, and support tools that will facilitate management decisions focused on restoration and conservation of critical sagebrush habitats.
Project objectives
We aim to evaluate the efficacy and success of sagebrush restoration approaches creating functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Approach
In collaboration with multiple USGS Science Centers (FORT, WERC, FRESC) and CSU, we developed a multi-year (2015 – present) project to:
2. Evaluate the use of burned and revegetated areas by sage-grouse (WERC).
3. Assess the range of possible benefits to sage-grouse using revegetated habitat (FORT & CSU; see related Science tab above for specific project details).
Anticipated outcomes
By gauging potential benefits of restoration decisions, the products from this project will aid choices on where to invest time, money, and effort in sagebrush restoration and revegetation, how best to mitigate habitat losses, and a means to plan long-term habitat restoration and recovery in landscapes across the sagebrush biome.
Linking post-fire sagebrush restoration and sage-grouse habitat recovery
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
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 to successfully create functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Wildfires are increasingly modifying wildlife habitat across the Sagebrush (Artemisia species) biome of the western United States, reducing critical greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat and potentially diminishing population sizes to levels that could result in local loss or regional fragmentation of populations. Managers considering sagebrush restoration strategies need ways to scope the degree to which post-fire actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. However, we lack approaches to evaluate the potential outcomes of intensive sagebrush revegetation or other restoration actions. Understanding how restoration approaches could jumpstart sagebrush recovery and the degree to which such approaches might directly benefit sage-grouse populations could help identify restoration actions with the greatest potential to increase long-term sage-grouse population persistence, especially for populations and habitats drastically altered by fire.
Scientists from the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), and Colorado State University (CSU) are collaborating to provide the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other rangeland restoration practitioners empirical information on post-fire sagebrush restoration growth and recovery, sage-grouse response to sagebrush restoration and habitat recovery, and support tools that will facilitate management decisions focused on restoration and conservation of critical sagebrush habitats.
Project objectives
We aim to evaluate the efficacy and success of sagebrush restoration approaches creating functional sage-grouse habitat in post-fire landscapes.
Approach
In collaboration with multiple USGS Science Centers (FORT, WERC, FRESC) and CSU, we developed a multi-year (2015 – present) project to:
2. Evaluate the use of burned and revegetated areas by sage-grouse (WERC).
3. Assess the range of possible benefits to sage-grouse using revegetated habitat (FORT & CSU; see related Science tab above for specific project details).
Anticipated outcomes
By gauging potential benefits of restoration decisions, the products from this project will aid choices on where to invest time, money, and effort in sagebrush restoration and revegetation, how best to mitigate habitat losses, and a means to plan long-term habitat restoration and recovery in landscapes across the sagebrush biome.