Topic 17 - Sagebrush Grasslands

Goals:

• What types of soils support which shrub communities in the cold desert?

• Deep soils support more native grasses; switch to shallow soils & convert to shrublands.  What are the implications of this switch, for the ecosystem and for human land-use?

• Understand the key factors involved in today's changing sagebrush grasslands

• Grazing impacts: are all grasslands equally adapted to grazing?

• Be able to explain the interactions among several of these key factors:

  • native grasses

  • livestock grazing

  • cheat grass

  • cryptobiotic soil crusts

  • natural fire regime

  • fire frequency (change in?)

  • sage grouse habitat

• Describe these interactions using a diagram or in your own words

• Be able to identify the "positive feedback loop" involved in this scenario (a self-reinforcing set of interactions that spirals out of control, or changes the whole way an ecosystem functions)
   

Discussion: Sage Grouse & Preservation of Sagebrush Grassland Habitat

  Questions for Discussion:

HCN 2/4/02 issue, Sage Grouse -

Questions for groups to address:

            How does livestock grazing affect grouse?

            Is fire necessary to create a “vegetation mosaic” and maintain grousehabitat?

            Is fire too destructive of nesting habitat for grouse?

            Is fire a naturally important part of the sagebrush ecosystem, or is it too destructive (only encourages cheat grass)?

            Without management, will sagebrush crowd out the understory vegetation and eliminate important food for both the grouse & cattle?

Questions from the 5/22/00 HCN issue, “Save our Sagebrush”

            What is meant by the title, “Fire & Cheatgrass Conspire to create a weedy wasteland”?

            Doesn’t sagebrush burn anyway?  What’s so different about adding cheatgrass?

            What does 1 group of researchers say is the role of livestock in weed spreading?

            What does James Young suggest as one way to deal with the monumental problem of weeds on public range lands?

            What if we just let things roll on the way they are, and don’t do anything?

        (Monsen says lots of ranchers are going out of business b-c of weeds)