Flowers blooming yellow and orange on the native rangeland of the Modoc Plateau - DJ Eastburn
Sagebrush Steppe Restoration

 

In California, sagebrush steppe [1] is primarily found in the northeastern part of the state. This includes regions such as the Modoc Plateau, Lassen County, and the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. These areas are part of the larger Great Basin Desert, which extends into California from neighboring Nevada and Oregon. Sagebrush steppe is generally found at higher elevations between 4,000 and 7,000 feet, where the semi-arid climate is characterized by cold winters and hot, dry summers. The landscape is dominated by sagebrush (Artemisia species), along with a diversity of native grasses and other herbaceous plant species.

A major threat to sagebrush ecosystems is the invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which has led to more frequent wildfires and consequently the conversion of shrublands to grasslands [2]. Other threats include overgrazing, development, climate change, and the encroachment of conifer species such as juniper into areas historically dominated by sagebrush [3]. A primary focus of restoration activities in this ecosystem is the control of invasive grasses through herbicide application, targeted grazing, or physical control [4]. Successful control often requires multiple years in order to eliminate the soil seedbank. Prescribed fire may be useful at some sites for reducing seed inputs to the soil. The reestablishment of native plant species is severely limited by competition from cheatgrass and other invasive annuals, so control efforts are essential for any restoration plan developed for infested areas. Reestablishing high densities of native perennial grasses may be key for preventing reinvasion of restoration sites by cheatgrass [5]. Outplanting of sagebrush plugs may be more successful than seeding [6].

Resources

References

  1. Young, J. A., Clements, C. D., & Jansen, H. (2007). Sagebrush steppe. Terrestrial vegetation of California, third edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 587-608. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1pnqfd.25
  2. Bradley, B. A., Curtis, C. A., Fusco, E. J., Abatzoglou, J. T., Balch, J. K., Dadashi, S., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2018). Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) distribution in the intermountain Western United States and its relationship to fire frequency, seasonality, and ignitions. Biological invasions, 20, 1493-1506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1641-8
  3. Bradley, B. A. (2010). Assessing ecosystem threats from global and regional change: hierarchical modeling of risk to sagebrush ecosystems from climate change, land use and invasive species in Nevada, USA. Ecography, 33(1), 198-208. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.05684.x
  4. Brabec, M. M., Germino, M. J., Shinneman, D. J., Pilliod, D. S., McIlroy, S. K., & Arkle, R. S. (2015). Challenges of establishing big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in rangeland restoration: effects of herbicide, mowing, whole-community seeding, and sagebrush seed sources. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 68(5), 432-435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2015.07.001
  5. Davies, K. W., Boyd, C. S., Beck, J. L., Bates, J. D., Svejcar, T. J., & Gregg, M. A. (2011). Saving the sagebrush sea: an ecosystem conservation plan for big sagebrush plant communities. Biological Conservation, 144(11), 2573-2584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.07.016
  6. Grant-Hoffman, M. N., & Plank, H. L. (2021). Practical postfire sagebrush shrub restoration techniques. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 74, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2020.10.007