Paper Powell with Sagebrush desert in background

Paper Powell! Behind him is a sagebrush steppe environment. Sagebrush steppe is a type of ecosystem strongly characterized by the presence of sagebrush species, particularly Big Sagebrush, or Artemisia tridentata. Sagebrush steppe today is threatened by many factors, including the presence of invasive species. This includes cheatgrass, of which a large amount can be seen in this photo. It is the reddish grass seen right behind Powell making up the majority of the midground of the photo.