Sagebrush and Sage-grouse Publications
Recent publications related to Sagebrush and Sage-grouse are listed below.
Publications
Publications
Filter Total Items: 126
Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon...
By
Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, National Minerals Information Center
Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Sagebrush steppe of North America is considered highly imperilled, in part owing to increased fire frequency. Sagebrush ecosystems support numerous species, and it is important to understand those factors that affect rates of post-fire sagebrush recovery. We explored recovery of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.wyomingensis) and basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp...
Authors
Douglas Shinneman, Susan McIlroy
Cheatgrass percent cover change: Comparing recent estimates to climate change − Driven predictions in the Northern Great Basin Cheatgrass percent cover change: Comparing recent estimates to climate change − Driven predictions in the Northern Great Basin
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly invasive species in the Northern Great Basin that helps decrease fire return intervals. Fire fragments the shrub steppe and reduces its capacity to provide forage for livestock and wildlife and habitat critical to sagebrush obligates. Of particular interest is the greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an obligate whose populations...
Authors
Stephen Boyte, Bruce Wylie, Donald Major
Lesser Prairie-Chickens of the sand sagebrush prairie Lesser Prairie-Chickens of the sand sagebrush prairie
No abstract available.
Authors
David Haukos, Aron Flanders, Christian Hagen, James Pitman
Spatially explicit modeling of annual and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada and Northeastern California—An updated decision-support tool for management Spatially explicit modeling of annual and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada and Northeastern California—An updated decision-support tool for management
Successful adaptive management hinges largely upon integrating new and improved sources of information as they become available. As a timely example of this tenet, we updated a management decision support tool that was previously developed for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereinafter referred to as “sage-grouse”) populations in Nevada and California. Specifically...
Authors
Peter Coates, Michael Casazza, Brianne Brussee, Mark Ricca, K. Gustafson, Erika Sanchez-Chopitea, Kimberly Mauch, Lara Niell, Scott Gardner, Shawn Espinosa, David Delehanty
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
The Landsat 8 mission provides new opportunities for quantifying the distribution of above-ground carbon at moderate spatial resolution across the globe, and in particular drylands. Furthermore, coupled with structural information from space-based and airborne laser altimetry, Landsat 8 provides powerful capabilities for large-area, long-term studies that quantify temporal and spatial...
Authors
Nancy Glenn, Amy Neuenschwander, Lee Vierling, Lucas Spaete, Aihua Li, Douglas Shinneman, David Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy
Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: Effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: Effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem
Harvester ants are influential in many ecosystems because they distribute and consume seeds, remove vegetation, and redistribute soil particles and nutrients. Understanding the interaction between harvester ants and plant communities is important for management and restoration efforts, particularly in systems altered by fire and invasive species such as the sagebrush-steppe. Our...
Authors
Elyce Gosselin, Joseph Holbrook, Katey Huggler, Emily Brown, Kerri Vierling, Robert Arkle, David Pilliod
Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather
1.The loss of foundational but fire-intolerant perennials such as sagebrush due to increases in fire size and frequency in semiarid regions has motivated efforts to restore them, often with mixed or even no success. Seeds of sagebrush Artemisia tridentata and related species must be moved considerable distances from seed source to planting sites, but such transfers have not been guided...
Authors
Martha M. Brabec, Matthew J. Germino, Bryce A. Richardson
Mid-latitude shrub steppe plant communities: Climate change consequences for soil water resources Mid-latitude shrub steppe plant communities: Climate change consequences for soil water resources
In the coming century, climate change is projected to impact precipitation and temperature regimes worldwide, with especially large effects in drylands. We use big sagebrush ecosystems as a model dryland ecosystem to explore the impacts of altered climate on ecohydrology and the implications of those changes for big sagebrush plant communities using output from 10 Global Circulation...
Authors
Kyle Palmquist, Daniel R. Schlaepfer, John Bradford, Willliam Lauenroth
Effects of lek count protocols on greater sage-grouse population trend estimates Effects of lek count protocols on greater sage-grouse population trend estimates
Annual counts of males displaying at lek sites are an important tool for monitoring greater sage-grouse populations (Centrocercus urophasianus), but seasonal and diurnal variation in lek attendance may increase variance and bias of trend analyses. Recommendations for protocols to reduce observation error have called for restricting lek counts to within 30 minutes of sunrise, but this may...
Authors
Adrian P. Monroe, David Edmunds, Cameron Aldridge
Susceptibility and antibody response of Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus) to West Nile virus: A potential amplification host in sagebrush-grassland habitat Susceptibility and antibody response of Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus) to West Nile virus: A potential amplification host in sagebrush-grassland habitat
West Nile virus (WNV) spread to the US western plains states in 2003, when a significant mortality event attributed to WNV occurred in Greater Sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ). The role of avian species inhabiting sagebrush in the amplification of WNV in arid and semiarid regions of the North America is unknown. We conducted an experimental WNV challenge study in Vesper Sparrows...
Authors
Erik Hofmeister, Robert Dusek, Carol Fassbinder-Orth, Benjamin Owen, J. Christian Franson
Landscape characteristics and livestock presence influence common ravens: Relevance to greater sage-grouse conservation Landscape characteristics and livestock presence influence common ravens: Relevance to greater sage-grouse conservation
Common raven (Corvus corax; hereafter, raven) population abundance in the sagebrush steppe of the American West has increased threefold during the previous four decades, largely as a result of unintended resource subsidies from human land-use practices. This is concerning because ravens frequently depredate nests of species of conservation concern, such as greater sage-grouse...
Authors
Peter Coates, Brianne Brussee, Kristy Howe, K. Gustafson, Michael Casazza, David J. Delehanty
Annual grass invasion in sagebrush-steppe: The relative importance of climate, soil properties and biotic interactions Annual grass invasion in sagebrush-steppe: The relative importance of climate, soil properties and biotic interactions
The invasion by winter-annual grasses (AGs) such as Bromus tectorum into sagebrush steppe throughout the western USA is a classic example of a biological invasion with multiple, interacting climate, soil and biotic factors driving the invasion, although few studies have examined all components together. Across a 6000-km2 area of the northern Great Basin, we conducted a field assessment...
Authors
Sheel Bansal, Roger Sheley
Contrasting evolutionary histories of MHC class I and class II loci in grouse—Effects of selection and gene conversion Contrasting evolutionary histories of MHC class I and class II loci in grouse—Effects of selection and gene conversion
Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encode receptor molecules that are responsible for recognition of intracellular and extracellular pathogens (class I and class II genes, respectively) in vertebrates. Given the different roles of class I and II MHC genes, one might expect the strength of selection to differ between these two classes. Different selective pressures may...
Authors
Piotr Minias, Zachary Bateson, Linda Whittingham, Jeff A. Johnson, Sara Oyler-McCance, Peter Dunn
Soil moisture and biogeochemical factors influence the distribution of annual Bromus species Soil moisture and biogeochemical factors influence the distribution of annual Bromus species
Abiotic factors have a strong influence on where annual Bromus species are found. At the large regional scale, temperature and precipitation extremes determine the boundaries of Bromus occurrence. At the more local scale, soil characteristics and climate influence distribution, cover, and performance. In hot, dry, summer-rainfall-dominated deserts (Sonoran, Chihuahuan), little or no...
Authors
Jayne Belnap, John Stark, Benjamin Rau, Edith Allen, Susan Phillips
Science framework for the conservation and restoration strategy of DOI secretarial order 3336: Utilizing resilience and resistance concepts to assess threats to sagebrush ecosystems and greater sage-grouse, prioritize conservation and restoration actions, Science framework for the conservation and restoration strategy of DOI secretarial order 3336: Utilizing resilience and resistance concepts to assess threats to sagebrush ecosystems and greater sage-grouse, prioritize conservation and restoration actions,
The Science Framework for the Conservation and Restoration Strategy of the Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order 3336 (SO 3336), Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management and Restoration, provides a strategic, multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies across the sagebrush biome. The emphasis of this version is on...
Authors
Jeanne C. Chambers, Steve Campbell, John Carlson, Jeffrey L. Beck, Karen Clause, Jonathan Dinkins, Kevin E. Doherty, Shawn Espinosa, Kathleen Griffin, Thomas Christiansen, Michele Crist, Steve Hanser, Douglas Havlina, Kenneth Henke, Jacob Hennig, Laurie Kurth, Jeremy Maestas, Kenneth E. Mayer, Mary E. Manning, Brian Mealor, Clinton McCarthy, Mike Pellant, Karen Prentice, Marco Perea, Lief Wiechman, David Pyke, Amarina Wuenschel
The integrated rangeland fire management strategy actionable science plan The integrated rangeland fire management strategy actionable science plan
The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy (hereafter Strategy, DOI 2015) outlined the need for coordinated, science-based adaptive management to achieve long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. A key component of this management approach is the identification of knowledge gaps that limit implementation of effective...
Authors
Cameron Aldridge, Ken Berg, Chad Boyd, Stephen Boyte, John Bradford, Ed Brunson, John Cissel, Courtney Conway, Anna Chalfoun, Jeanne Chambers, Patrick Clark, Peter Coates, Michele Crist, Dawn Davis, Nicole DeCrappeo, Patricia Deibert, Kevin E. Doherty, Louisa Evers, Deborah Finch, Sean Finn, Matthew Germino, Nancy Glenn, Corey Gucker, John Hall, Steven E. Hanser, Douglas Havlina, Julie Heinrichs, Matt Heller, Collin Homer, Molly Hunter, Ruth Jacobs, Jason W. Karl, Richard Kearney, Susan Kemp, Francis Kilkenny, Steven Knick, Karen Launchbaugh, Daniel Manier, Kenneth E. Mayer, Susan Meyer, Adrian P. Monroe, Eugenie MontBlanc, Beth Newingham, Michael Pellant, Susan Phillips, David S. Pilliod, Mark Ricca, Bryce A. Richardson, Jeffrey Rose, Nancy Shaw, Roger Sheley, Douglas J. Shinneman, Lief Wiechman, Bruce Wylie
Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment
The Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment was conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The overall goals of the BLM Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) are to identify important ecosystems and wildlife habitats at broad spatial scales; identify where these resources are at risk from Change Agents, including development, wildfire, invasive species, disease...
Land Treatment Digital Library Land Treatment Digital Library
The Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL) was created by the U.S. Geological Survey to catalog legacy land treatment information on Bureau of Land Management lands in the western United States. The LTDL can be used by federal managers and scientists for compiling information for data-calls, producing maps, generating reports, and conducting analyses at varying spatial and temporal scales...
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Justin L. Welty
Data entry module and manuals for the Land Treatment Digital Library Data entry module and manuals for the Land Treatment Digital Library
Across the country, public land managers make decisions each year that influence landscapes and ecosystems within their jurisdictions. Many of these decisions involve vegetation manipulations, which often are referred to as land treatments. These treatments include removal or alteration of plant biomass, seeding of burned areas, application of herbicides, and other activities. Data...
Authors
Justin L. Welty, David S. Pilliod
Management implications of the ecology of free-roaming horses in semiarid ecosystems of the western United States Management implications of the ecology of free-roaming horses in semiarid ecosystems of the western United States
Compared to other ungulates of North America, free-roaming horses (Equus caballus) possess a unique evolutionary history that has given rise to a distinct suite of behavioral, morphological, and physiological traits. Because of their unique combination of cecal digestion, an elongate head with flexible lips, and non-uniform use of the landscape, horses represent a unique disturbance...
Authors
Erik Beever