Photo: Bison in sagebrush steppe, Yellowstone National Park. © 2016 Delena Norris-Tull
Sagebrush Steppe Restoration
Summaries of the research and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
Sagebrush steppes are challenging habitats to revegetate, due to the severe damage that has been done to the shallow soils in this semi-arid zone. While few studies have been conducted on the seed banks of big sagebrush communities, available research indicates that sagebrush seeds do not persist in the soil for very long. Thus, the increased fire frequency caused by annual grasses, such as cheatgrass, may be destroying the relatively fragile sagebrush seed banks. One study on the seed bank of all species found in the soil of a sagebrush ecosystem in northeastern Montana, showed that big sagebrush and the other native perennial species, both forbs and shrubs, that dominated the landscape, represented only 20% of the seed bank, while the annual non-native grass, field brome, and two native annual forbs represented 80% of the seed bank (Martyn, et al., 2016). Martyn, et al., found a less than 20% similarity between the established native plant community and the seed bank. “Annual plants may contribute more to a community’s seed bank because they grow fast, produce a large number of seeds, and often have a large, long-lived seed bank that stores seeds until optimal conditions… By contrast, perennials, especially woody perennials, may produce fewer seeds annually or short-lived seeds, increasing the reliance on adult persistence for a future supply of seeds” (Martyn, et al., 2016).
In 2015, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, “released a comprehensive… strategy to address the increasing threat of wildfires that are damaging vital sagebrush landscapes and productive rangelands in the West. The strategy details a more focused, coordinated and collaborative approach for rangeland fire management, particularly in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California (US Department of the Interior Press Release, 5/19/2015).
“The final report, An Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy, focuses on reducing the size, severity and cost of rangeland fires, addressing the spread of cheatgrass and other invasive species that exacerbate the threat of fire, and positioning fire management resources for more effective rangeland fire response….
“The accelerated invasion of non-native grasses and the spread of pinyon-juniper, along with drought and the effects of climate change, have increased the frequency and intensity of rangeland fires. The fires can damage sagebrush landscapes that support more than 350 species of plants and animals – such as golden eagle, elk, mule deer and pronghorn – as well as ranchers, livestock managers, hunters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.”
The sagebrush steppes are critical habitat for the Greater Sage Grouse, a species that was becoming endangered prior to efforts to restore critical habitat were put into place.
In recent years, the US Forest Service and the BLM have been working with Western States and Tribal Governments on sagebrush habitat restoration. This important habitat had lost 56% of its historic range. The sagebrush steppes ranged across Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
Habitat restoration projects include invasive weed treatments, fuel breaks, juniper encroachment removal projects, sagebrush replanting, seed collection and post-fire rehabilitation efforts.
Within this website, additional links to Innovative Solutions provide further descriptions of techniques for managing rangelands.
Within this website refer to the section, Native Plants, for a description of the Great Basin Native Plant Project, which includes various research projects focused on restoring disturbed sagebrush steppes with native plants. The GBNPP provides annual progress reports on their website, describing its various research projects, including projects focused on the impacts of climate change on sagebrush steppes.
One of the projects reported in the GBNNP 2017 Annual Progress Report (Davies, 2017) describes an on-going research project to determine what treatments work best for restoring sagebrush steppe habitat following fires. The following five treatments are being investigated. The treatments include: “1) natural recovery (control), 2) broadcast seeding sagebrush, 3) broadcast seeding sagebrush followed by roller-packing, 4) broadcast seeding sagebrush seed pillows, and 5) planting sagebrush seedlings.”
“Preliminary data analyses suggest that at higher elevations that natural recovery after fire is sufficient. Natural recovery of sagebrush in lower elevation (Wyoming big sagebrush) communities is not occurring. Preliminary results suggest that seeding Wyoming big sagebrush after wildfire can successfully establish sagebrush in some years; however, success may depend on spring precipitation. Success of different restoration treatments appears to vary by elevation and year” (Davies, 2017).
Another project described in the 2017 Progress Report examines techniques for successful reintroduction of forbs into a disturbed sagebrush steppe habitat.
“Diverse native Great Basin forbs are essential for feeding both native pollinator communities … and wildlife, especially sage-grouse….” (Fund, et al., 2017).
“The seeding of native grasses and shrubs on Great Basin sage-steppe sites has been increasingly successful in recent years. Although many native forb species are becoming more commercially available because of Great Basin Native Plant Project (GBNPP) collaborations, establishment of native forbs remains sporadic and challenging. The period of favorable soil water and temperature conditions is often not long enough for successful forb establishment. A possible alternative to conventional seeding of forb species is to establish forb islands (distinct focal areas where forbs are established), which employ techniques to extend the favorable period for germination and establishment of Great Basin forbs. These forb islands could be sources of seed for the colonization of adjacent rangeland areas in subsequent years…. Highly variable weather patterns in the Great Basin means that conditions needed to break dormancy and provide conditions conducive to forb establishment may not be present in most years. While seed dormancy may aid in preventing seed germination during unfavorable conditions, dormancy can limit the establishment of forbs in the face of invasive weed competition immediately after wildfires and allow weeds to preempt rangeland sites before forbs establish” (Fund, et al., 2017).
The treatments used in this project were: plantings along snow fences, to extend water availability; plantings with N-sulate plant protection fabric to reduce freezing and rapid drying. They also applied specialized seed coatings to the forb seeds, to assist in overcoming seed dormancy. The early results from this project showed differing results at different sites.
Slade Franklin, Weed and Pest Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, explained to me: “The State obtains funds for management of cheatgrass through Federal grants related to management of sage grouse habitat. Wyoming does not have nearly the problem with cheatgrass as do the states in the Great Basin Desert. But we are experiencing some problems with loss of sage grouse habitat, which are exacerbated by the spread of cheatgrass.
“Adding cheatgrass to the sagebrush habitat changes a 10-15 year fire cycle to a 1-2 year fire cycle. Sagebrush and other Great Basin and Wyoming desert perennials are on a 10-15 year fire cycle. That means it is typical to have a wildfire in that habitat about every 10-15 years. This longer cycle is important because it takes several years for sagebrush and other perennials to be established. These fires traditionally were not so hot, nor so widespread, as to endanger perennials or their seed bank.
“If cheatgrass is allowed to grow ungrazed, cheatgrass forms fires that tend to burn hotter and are more wide-spread. And, cheatgrass produces much more seed than do the perennials. Because cheatgrass is an annual, it produces seed rapidly.
“Cheatgrass can be an early spring grazing grass, because it is available before the perennial grasses. If you graze livestock on cheatgrass in the early spring, you greatly reduce the amount of cheatgrass that can go to seed, thus reducing both the fire hazard and the seed bank.
“President Obama executed an Executive Order on ‘Strategy Plan on Wildfires’ that pointed out that if we put more money into prevention of wildfires [such as by managing cheatgrass], we can reduce the amount of money we need to spend on wildfires.”
Lars Baker worked as the Fremont County, Wyoming, Weed and Pest Supervisor for 38 years. He is now retired. In an interview with Becky McMillen on the history of weed management in Wyoming, he said, “We have removed nutrients from the soil, over the decades of farming and ranching. So now much of our land is poor for farming.
“Weeds are the direct result of how humans have disturbed the land. Native sagebrush range developed over thousands of years. Now that we have disturbed it, we cannot restore it simply by stopping irrigation. The problems we have today with cheatgrass are due to the fact that we have caused so much destruction to the ecological systems.”
Dr. George Beck was hired by Colorado State University in 1985 to work on perennial noxious weed issues in rangeland and pastures. He has been chairman of ISAC (Invasive Species Advisory Committee) for many years. He explained, “Sage grouse habitat has become a serious concern in the west because the greater sage grouse populations are in danger of extinction. The federal government will spend a lot of money on re-establishing sagebrush habitat, which is the crucial habitat for the sage grouse. Over-grazing has caused the loss of sagebrush habitat. The current federal policy on the greater sage grouse is to close all federal roads in sagebrush areas. But in Colorado, only one county, Moffat County, has greater sage grouse, so this policy does not make sense.”
“When we started killing cheatgrass [with herbicides], we started seeing native plant species coming back. But on severely abused soils, that doesn’t happen. We learned that in those cases, we have to re-seed the rangeland with native species.”
Borman, et al., 1991, found that perennial grasses that initiate growth early and maintain some growth through winter can restrict reinvasion by annual weeds, when compared to perennial grasses that grow later in the season. They conducted experiments with the early growing perennial grasses, Berber orchardgrass (introduced from Europe for use in reducing erosion and as a dryland forage, and has been promoted for use in the Mediterranean climate of California) and the native Idaho fescue, compared to perennial grasses that grow later in the season, the intermediate and tall wheatgrasses (Both are introduced grasses. Intermediate wheatgrass is valued for livestock and wildlife forage and erosion control. Tall wheatgrass is valued for forage, hay and reclaiming both alkaline and saline soils). Although three of these are introduced species, they do not have a tendency to become weedy, and have an important place in restoration of disturbed dryland habitats. Perennial grasses aid in building soil organic matter.
The federal infrastructure bill, passed by the US Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, provides funds for sagebrush habitat restoration in the Western USA. The Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold this cabinet position, stated that, “This is an historic opportunity to put resources into the health and natural infrastructure of America’s sagebrush ecosystem, which serves as the lifeblood of rural communities and Tribal lands in the West.”
References:
Next Section:
Links to additional Rangeland Restoration practices:
Links to more Innovative Solutions:
Sagebrush Steppe Restoration
Summaries of the research and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
Sagebrush steppes are challenging habitats to revegetate, due to the severe damage that has been done to the shallow soils in this semi-arid zone. While few studies have been conducted on the seed banks of big sagebrush communities, available research indicates that sagebrush seeds do not persist in the soil for very long. Thus, the increased fire frequency caused by annual grasses, such as cheatgrass, may be destroying the relatively fragile sagebrush seed banks. One study on the seed bank of all species found in the soil of a sagebrush ecosystem in northeastern Montana, showed that big sagebrush and the other native perennial species, both forbs and shrubs, that dominated the landscape, represented only 20% of the seed bank, while the annual non-native grass, field brome, and two native annual forbs represented 80% of the seed bank (Martyn, et al., 2016). Martyn, et al., found a less than 20% similarity between the established native plant community and the seed bank. “Annual plants may contribute more to a community’s seed bank because they grow fast, produce a large number of seeds, and often have a large, long-lived seed bank that stores seeds until optimal conditions… By contrast, perennials, especially woody perennials, may produce fewer seeds annually or short-lived seeds, increasing the reliance on adult persistence for a future supply of seeds” (Martyn, et al., 2016).
In 2015, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, “released a comprehensive… strategy to address the increasing threat of wildfires that are damaging vital sagebrush landscapes and productive rangelands in the West. The strategy details a more focused, coordinated and collaborative approach for rangeland fire management, particularly in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California (US Department of the Interior Press Release, 5/19/2015).
“The final report, An Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy, focuses on reducing the size, severity and cost of rangeland fires, addressing the spread of cheatgrass and other invasive species that exacerbate the threat of fire, and positioning fire management resources for more effective rangeland fire response….
“The accelerated invasion of non-native grasses and the spread of pinyon-juniper, along with drought and the effects of climate change, have increased the frequency and intensity of rangeland fires. The fires can damage sagebrush landscapes that support more than 350 species of plants and animals – such as golden eagle, elk, mule deer and pronghorn – as well as ranchers, livestock managers, hunters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.”
The sagebrush steppes are critical habitat for the Greater Sage Grouse, a species that was becoming endangered prior to efforts to restore critical habitat were put into place.
In recent years, the US Forest Service and the BLM have been working with Western States and Tribal Governments on sagebrush habitat restoration. This important habitat had lost 56% of its historic range. The sagebrush steppes ranged across Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
Habitat restoration projects include invasive weed treatments, fuel breaks, juniper encroachment removal projects, sagebrush replanting, seed collection and post-fire rehabilitation efforts.
Within this website, additional links to Innovative Solutions provide further descriptions of techniques for managing rangelands.
Within this website refer to the section, Native Plants, for a description of the Great Basin Native Plant Project, which includes various research projects focused on restoring disturbed sagebrush steppes with native plants. The GBNPP provides annual progress reports on their website, describing its various research projects, including projects focused on the impacts of climate change on sagebrush steppes.
One of the projects reported in the GBNNP 2017 Annual Progress Report (Davies, 2017) describes an on-going research project to determine what treatments work best for restoring sagebrush steppe habitat following fires. The following five treatments are being investigated. The treatments include: “1) natural recovery (control), 2) broadcast seeding sagebrush, 3) broadcast seeding sagebrush followed by roller-packing, 4) broadcast seeding sagebrush seed pillows, and 5) planting sagebrush seedlings.”
“Preliminary data analyses suggest that at higher elevations that natural recovery after fire is sufficient. Natural recovery of sagebrush in lower elevation (Wyoming big sagebrush) communities is not occurring. Preliminary results suggest that seeding Wyoming big sagebrush after wildfire can successfully establish sagebrush in some years; however, success may depend on spring precipitation. Success of different restoration treatments appears to vary by elevation and year” (Davies, 2017).
Another project described in the 2017 Progress Report examines techniques for successful reintroduction of forbs into a disturbed sagebrush steppe habitat.
“Diverse native Great Basin forbs are essential for feeding both native pollinator communities … and wildlife, especially sage-grouse….” (Fund, et al., 2017).
“The seeding of native grasses and shrubs on Great Basin sage-steppe sites has been increasingly successful in recent years. Although many native forb species are becoming more commercially available because of Great Basin Native Plant Project (GBNPP) collaborations, establishment of native forbs remains sporadic and challenging. The period of favorable soil water and temperature conditions is often not long enough for successful forb establishment. A possible alternative to conventional seeding of forb species is to establish forb islands (distinct focal areas where forbs are established), which employ techniques to extend the favorable period for germination and establishment of Great Basin forbs. These forb islands could be sources of seed for the colonization of adjacent rangeland areas in subsequent years…. Highly variable weather patterns in the Great Basin means that conditions needed to break dormancy and provide conditions conducive to forb establishment may not be present in most years. While seed dormancy may aid in preventing seed germination during unfavorable conditions, dormancy can limit the establishment of forbs in the face of invasive weed competition immediately after wildfires and allow weeds to preempt rangeland sites before forbs establish” (Fund, et al., 2017).
The treatments used in this project were: plantings along snow fences, to extend water availability; plantings with N-sulate plant protection fabric to reduce freezing and rapid drying. They also applied specialized seed coatings to the forb seeds, to assist in overcoming seed dormancy. The early results from this project showed differing results at different sites.
Slade Franklin, Weed and Pest Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, explained to me: “The State obtains funds for management of cheatgrass through Federal grants related to management of sage grouse habitat. Wyoming does not have nearly the problem with cheatgrass as do the states in the Great Basin Desert. But we are experiencing some problems with loss of sage grouse habitat, which are exacerbated by the spread of cheatgrass.
“Adding cheatgrass to the sagebrush habitat changes a 10-15 year fire cycle to a 1-2 year fire cycle. Sagebrush and other Great Basin and Wyoming desert perennials are on a 10-15 year fire cycle. That means it is typical to have a wildfire in that habitat about every 10-15 years. This longer cycle is important because it takes several years for sagebrush and other perennials to be established. These fires traditionally were not so hot, nor so widespread, as to endanger perennials or their seed bank.
“If cheatgrass is allowed to grow ungrazed, cheatgrass forms fires that tend to burn hotter and are more wide-spread. And, cheatgrass produces much more seed than do the perennials. Because cheatgrass is an annual, it produces seed rapidly.
“Cheatgrass can be an early spring grazing grass, because it is available before the perennial grasses. If you graze livestock on cheatgrass in the early spring, you greatly reduce the amount of cheatgrass that can go to seed, thus reducing both the fire hazard and the seed bank.
“President Obama executed an Executive Order on ‘Strategy Plan on Wildfires’ that pointed out that if we put more money into prevention of wildfires [such as by managing cheatgrass], we can reduce the amount of money we need to spend on wildfires.”
Lars Baker worked as the Fremont County, Wyoming, Weed and Pest Supervisor for 38 years. He is now retired. In an interview with Becky McMillen on the history of weed management in Wyoming, he said, “We have removed nutrients from the soil, over the decades of farming and ranching. So now much of our land is poor for farming.
“Weeds are the direct result of how humans have disturbed the land. Native sagebrush range developed over thousands of years. Now that we have disturbed it, we cannot restore it simply by stopping irrigation. The problems we have today with cheatgrass are due to the fact that we have caused so much destruction to the ecological systems.”
Dr. George Beck was hired by Colorado State University in 1985 to work on perennial noxious weed issues in rangeland and pastures. He has been chairman of ISAC (Invasive Species Advisory Committee) for many years. He explained, “Sage grouse habitat has become a serious concern in the west because the greater sage grouse populations are in danger of extinction. The federal government will spend a lot of money on re-establishing sagebrush habitat, which is the crucial habitat for the sage grouse. Over-grazing has caused the loss of sagebrush habitat. The current federal policy on the greater sage grouse is to close all federal roads in sagebrush areas. But in Colorado, only one county, Moffat County, has greater sage grouse, so this policy does not make sense.”
“When we started killing cheatgrass [with herbicides], we started seeing native plant species coming back. But on severely abused soils, that doesn’t happen. We learned that in those cases, we have to re-seed the rangeland with native species.”
Borman, et al., 1991, found that perennial grasses that initiate growth early and maintain some growth through winter can restrict reinvasion by annual weeds, when compared to perennial grasses that grow later in the season. They conducted experiments with the early growing perennial grasses, Berber orchardgrass (introduced from Europe for use in reducing erosion and as a dryland forage, and has been promoted for use in the Mediterranean climate of California) and the native Idaho fescue, compared to perennial grasses that grow later in the season, the intermediate and tall wheatgrasses (Both are introduced grasses. Intermediate wheatgrass is valued for livestock and wildlife forage and erosion control. Tall wheatgrass is valued for forage, hay and reclaiming both alkaline and saline soils). Although three of these are introduced species, they do not have a tendency to become weedy, and have an important place in restoration of disturbed dryland habitats. Perennial grasses aid in building soil organic matter.
The federal infrastructure bill, passed by the US Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, provides funds for sagebrush habitat restoration in the Western USA. The Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold this cabinet position, stated that, “This is an historic opportunity to put resources into the health and natural infrastructure of America’s sagebrush ecosystem, which serves as the lifeblood of rural communities and Tribal lands in the West.”
References:
- Borman, M.M., Krueger, W.C., & Johnson, D.E. (July, 1991). Effects of established perennial grasses on yields of associated annual weeds. Journal of Range Management, 44 (4): 318-322.
- Davies, K.W. (Nov., 2017). Sagebrush restoration across a large elevation gradient. Presentation at the Great Basin Native Plant Project Annual Meeting, p. 166-168. Reno, NV.
https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_journals/2018/rmrs_2018_kilkenny_f001.pdf - Fund, A., Hulvey, K., Johnson, D., Tilley, D., Jensen, S., & Madsen, M. (2017). Novel techniques for enhancing native forb germination and establishment on Great Basin Rangelands. Presentation at the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, St. George, UT
- Martyn, T.E., Bradford, J.B., Schlaepfer, D.R., Burke, I.C., & Lauenroth, W.K. (Oct. 4, 2016). Seed bank and big sagebrush plant community composition in a range margin for big sagebrush. Ecosphere, 7(10).
Next Section:
Links to additional Rangeland Restoration practices:
Links to more Innovative Solutions: