Article
Environmental Sciences
Cali L. Roth, Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, David A. Pyke, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Shawn P. Espinosa, David J. Delehanty
Summary: Unprecedented conservation efforts for sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States have been driven by the threat of escalated wildfire activity and its impact on habitat for sagebrush-obligate species like Greater Sage-Grouse. However, post-fire restoration is challenging due to spatial variation in ecosystem processes, invasive species, and the time lag between sagebrush recovery and sage-grouse population responses. To address these challenges, a framework was developed to strategically target burned areas for restoration actions that will benefit sage-grouse populations in the long term. The framework incorporates predictions of sagebrush recovery and invasive species risk under different restoration scenarios, and integrates nest site selection and survival models to guide restoration efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sharon A. Poessel, David M. Barnard, Cara Applestein, Matthew J. Germino, Ethan A. Ellsworth, Don Major, Ann Moser, Todd E. Katzner
Summary: Habitat loss is a major threat to biodiversity in North America, with the sagebrush ecosystem being particularly vulnerable. The greater sage-grouse, as an obligate to sagebrush, is affected by changes in this ecosystem. After a wildfire, the sage-grouse selects areas with recovering sagebrush and perennial grasses, and prefers high-density sagebrush in winter. They also show preference for areas treated with herbicide and seeded with sagebrush, grasses, and forbs. Managing exotic annual grasses after a wildfire can positively impact sage-grouse habitat selection.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ian F. Dudley, Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Shawn T. O'Neil, Scott Gardner, David J. Delehanty
Summary: The study demonstrated the negative impacts of wildfire on sage-grouse population growth using an experimental BACIP design, separating the effects of wildfire disturbance from natural population fluctuations. Immediate and comprehensive management actions, such as seeding and planting sagebrush, are important to mitigate the short-term impacts of wildfire on sage-grouse populations.
Article
Ecology
Matthew J. Germino, Christopher R. Anthony, Chad R. Kluender, Ethan Ellsworth, Ann M. Moser, Cara Applestein, Matthew R. Fisk
Summary: Megafires are causing conservation problems for wildlife that depend on fire-intolerant plant species. The greater sage-grouse in western North America is threatened by the loss of native perennials and the increase of exotic grasses caused by wildfires. The effectiveness of post-fire restoration treatments for the sage-grouse has not been well assessed.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Andrew T. Tredennick, Adrian P. Monroe, Thomas Prebyl, John Lombardi, Cameron L. Aldridge
Summary: This study investigated the effects of climate change on sagebrush cover in Wyoming's sage-grouse core areas. The results showed that temperature had a positive effect on sagebrush performance in most management areas, and the predicted increase in temperature would lead to an increase in sagebrush cover. Only a small percentage of management areas were projected to switch from optimal to suboptimal in the future.
Article
Ecology
Michael S. O'Donnell, David R. Edmunds, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Adrian P. Monroe, Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Steve E. Hanser, Lief A. Wiechman, Thomas J. Christiansen, Avery A. Cook, Shawn P. Espinosa, Lee J. Foster, Kathleen A. Griffin, Jesse L. Kolar, Katherine S. Miller, Ann M. Moser, Thomas E. Remington, Travis J. Runia, Leslie A. Schreiber, Michael A. Schroeder, San J. Stiver, Nyssa I. Whitford, Catherine S. Wightman
Summary: Long-term monitoring of natural resources is crucial for understanding ecosystem processes and services, but faces challenges such as changing monitoring methods, different data management by organizations, and fluctuating monetary resources. Collaboration is essential due to species responses to habitat changes across management boundaries. Standardizing long-term monitoring data for the greater sage-grouse population in the western US can improve data integrity for population assessments and inform detection probabilities, population trends, and monitoring guidelines.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
D. Joanne Saher, Michael S. O'Donnell, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs
Summary: Identifying and protecting habitats for declining wildlife populations is crucial for species conservation. We developed a modeling approach that considers population-specific environmental differences in order to identify effective habitat improvement actions. Using Gunnison sage-grouse as a case study, we found both similarities and differences among populations and different scales of resource conditions, highlighting the importance of considering these factors in habitat management efforts. This approach can benefit spatially-structured populations with different environmental contexts and species with complex habitat needs.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Christopher Anthony, Christian Hagen, Katie Dugger, R. Elmore
Summary: This study examined the influence of microclimates on Greater Sage-Grouse nest site selection and nest success in a fire-affected landscape. Results showed that nest bowls provided better thermal buffering compared to nearby microsites and the broader landscape, but burn stage had an impact on nest success.
ORNITHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kurt T. Smith, Jason R. Levan, Anna D. Chalfoun, Thomas J. Christiansen, Stanley R. Harter, Sue Oberlie, Jeffrey L. Beck
Summary: Vegetation treatments are widely used to enhance wildlife habitats, but their effectiveness for targeted species is often not rigorously evaluated. A study in central Wyoming, USA found that sage-grouse do not respond positively to sagebrush manipulation treatments. The maintenance of large, undisturbed tracts of sagebrush is crucial for the persistence of sage-grouse populations and other species reliant on sagebrush steppe.
WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dashti, Andrew T. Hudak, Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N. Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman
Summary: The study investigated the impact of wildfires on vegetation composition and gross primary production in sagebrush ecosystems using a dynamic global vegetation model in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in the Great Basin. Results showed a gradual decline in GPP for fire-introduced areas instead of immediate vegetation loss. Comparisons with satellite-derived GPP estimates revealed moderate pixel-level correlations in post-fire recovery maps.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan B. Dinkins, Kirstie J. Lawson, Jeffrey L. Beck
Summary: This study examined the impact of hunting on greater sage-grouse populations over the past few decades. The results showed that cessation of hunting could lead to higher population growth rates, but this was not consistent across all populations. Different populations may be influenced by various environmental factors and human disturbances.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan B. Dinkins, Courtney J. Duchardt, Jacob D. Hennig, Jeffrey L. Beck
Summary: The study examines the impact of hunter harvest on sage-grouse populations and how wildlife agencies have implemented increasingly conservative harvest regulations to reduce hunter success and harvested numbers. Data on harvest regulations from 11 western U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces were analyzed to assess changes in hunting management over the years. Restrictions in harvest regulations were found to be significant, especially for greater sage-grouse, with reduced possession limits and season lengths to minimize additive mortality.
Article
Ecology
Autumn D. Watkinson, M. Anne Naeth, Shelley D. Pruss
Summary: This study measured the cover and density of naturally occurring silver sagebrush and established models for calculating sagebrush cover and population density based on morphological characteristics and age. The research provides essential information for successful restoration of sagebrush habitats, with important implications for management practices in areas with different grazing intensities.
RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Lindsey A. Parsons, Travis J. Runia, Geoffrey P. Vincent, Andrew J. Gregory, Jonathan A. Jenks
Summary: The Greater Sage-Grouse in South Dakota have limited exposure to West Nile virus (WNV), and WNV was not a significant driver of mortality in 2016 and 2017. The majority of sage-grouse in South Dakota are susceptible to WNV infection, suggesting a potential impact on the population during an epizootic event, however, when WNV is at or near endemic levels, it appears to have little impact on sage-grouse survival.
ORNITHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Aidan T. Beers, Shandra N. Frey
Summary: Studying the relationships between wildlife and their habitat at the edges of their range provides valuable insights into the factors affecting their distributions and potential extinction risks. Understanding the limitations of suitable habitat at both regional and local scales is crucial, especially in the face of large-scale landscape changes. The greater sage-grouse is particularly vulnerable to habitat loss due to its specific habitat requirements, and the impacts of landscape changes are likely to be non-linear and vary across different study areas. This highlights the need for place-based conservation efforts to protect this species and other imperiled species, and incorporating local impacts into conservation planning is essential for effective habitat creation and adaptation to environmental change.
Article
Ecology
Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert K. Shriver, Caitlin M. Andrews, David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle, Justin L. Welty, Matthew J. Germino, Michael C. Duniway, David A. Pyke, John B. Bradford
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeffrey E. Herrick, Patrick Shaver, David A. Pyke, Mike Pellant, David Toledo, Nika Lepak
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Robert K. Shriver, Caitlin M. Andrews, Robert S. Arkle, David M. Barnard, Michael C. Duniway, Matthew J. Germino, David S. Pilliod, David A. Pyke, Justin L. Welty, John B. Bradford
Article
Ecology
W. Dillon Blankenship, Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
David M. Barnard, Matthew J. Germino, Robert S. Arkle, John B. Bradford, Michael C. Duniway, David S. Pilliod, David A. Pyke, Robert K. Shriver, Justin L. Welty
Article
Ecology
Lea A. Condon, Nicole Pietrasiak, Roger Rosentreter, David A. Pyke
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
David A. Pyke, Scott E. Shaff, Michael A. Gregg, Julie L. Conley
RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
(2020)
Review
Ecology
Anita Antoninka, Akasha Faist, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Kristina E. Young, V. Bala Chaudhary, Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
David A. Pyke, Robert K. Shriver, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Cameron L. Aldridge, Peter S. Coates, Matthew J. Germino, Julie A. Heinrichs, Mark A. Ricca, Scott E. Shaff
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Jeanne C. Chambers, Alexandra K. Urza, David Board, Richard F. Miller, David A. Pyke, Bruce A. Roundy, Eugene W. Schupp, Robin J. Tausch
Summary: Fire and fuel management is crucial in North American sagebrush ecosystems due to changes in fire regimes caused by expansion of pinon and juniper trees and invasion of nonnative annual grasses. The study evaluated the effects of woody fuel treatments on sagebrush recruitment and plant functional group interactions, revealing different impacts on sagebrush population structure based on treatment method.
Article
Ecology
L. M. Ellsworth, B. A. Newingham, S. E. Shaff, C. L. Williams, E. K. Strand, M. Reeves, D. A. Pyke, E. W. Schupp, J. C. Chambers
Summary: Increased fire size and frequency, coupled with annual grass invasion, pose challenges to sagebrush ecosystem conservation. Fuel treatments such as prescribed fire and mowing can effectively modify fire behavior in sagebrush ecosystems, while tebuthiuron treatment shows limited effectiveness.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cali L. Roth, Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, David A. Pyke, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Shawn P. Espinosa, David J. Delehanty
Summary: Unprecedented conservation efforts for sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States have been driven by the threat of escalated wildfire activity and its impact on habitat for sagebrush-obligate species like Greater Sage-Grouse. However, post-fire restoration is challenging due to spatial variation in ecosystem processes, invasive species, and the time lag between sagebrush recovery and sage-grouse population responses. To address these challenges, a framework was developed to strategically target burned areas for restoration actions that will benefit sage-grouse populations in the long term. The framework incorporates predictions of sagebrush recovery and invasive species risk under different restoration scenarios, and integrates nest site selection and survival models to guide restoration efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
David A. Pyke, Scott E. Shaff, Jeanne C. Chambers, Eugene W. Schupp, Beth A. Newingham, Margaret L. Gray, Lisa M. Ellsworth
Summary: Sagebrush ecosystems in western North America are threatened by invasive annual grasses and wildfires. This study evaluates the long-term effects of fuel reduction treatments on fuel reduction, Greater Sage-grouse habitat, and resistance to invasive grasses. The results show that prescribed fire is the most effective in reducing woody fuel, but only prescribed fire can reduce cover to the recommended level. However, cheatgrass cover increased, posing a threat to ecological resilience and resistance to invasion.
Article
Ecology
Sofia Koutzoukis, David A. Pyke, Mark W. Brunson, Jacopo Baggio, Carmen Calzado-Martinez, Kari E. Veblen
Summary: In arid and semiarid systems, nurse shrubs can create microsites that promote plant establishment. The best microsites may occur in the interspace zone surrounding nurse shrubs. We investigated the survival of transplanted herbaceous seedlings at different distances from sagebrush canopies in the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering different zones within the interspace region between plants for successful plant establishment.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
