Sagebrush Conservation and Restoration

Sagebrush habitats exist across the western United States in areas with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. They are dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) vegetation and perennial grasses (Pyke et al. 2015). Almost half of historic sagebrush habitat has been lost to land use conversion and invasive plants. Remaining sagebrush areas are increasingly invaded by nonnative annual grasses, fragmenting patches of big sagebrush and making the ecosystem less suitable for dependent wildlife, most notably the greater sage-grouse. Fire suppression, grazing, and invasive plants in sagebrush habitats have also altered the historic fire regime, leading to increased tree cover and higher potential for severe wildfires. Sagebrush restoration aims to restore sagebrush vegetation communities to their original state by promoting growth of a mix of big sagebrush and perennial forbs and grasses while eliminating invasive plant species.