Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Steppe

ManagementSherman Swanson, CABNR,

UNR

The three greatest threats to the greater sage-grouse are: invasive species and fire, invasive species and fire, invasive species and fire. Ted Koch, USFWS

Nevada has two really big fire problems: Way too much fire, and not nearly enough fireGruell and Swanson 2012

What matters is what comes after the fire, if it is a resilient landscape that supports sagebrush ecosystems, the fire may have done ecological good for sage-grouse

Ted Koch, USFWS

It is all about resistance and resilience

Reisner, M.D., et al. 2013. Conditions favouring Bromus tectorum dominance of endangered sagebrush steppe ecosystems. J. Applied Ecology

• Concluded that passive restoration by “reducing cumulative cattle grazing” may be one of the most effective means of achieving high bunchgrass cover and diversity.

• However, they did not consider season, duration, or rotation of use.

• Most of the sites they studied would have been grazed during the growing season for long periods in big pastures, to have a piosphere.

http://www.smokedbear.com/contest/

http://www.examiner.com/article/baby-elephant-hugs-keeper-tender-scene-between-calf-and-keeper-caught-on-camera

http://www.examiner.com/article/baby-elephant-hugs-keeper-tender-scene-between-calf-and-keeper-caught-on-camera

Management

• Documentation phase (late 70’s)• Recognition and protection phase

(mid to late 80’s)• Learning how to graze phase (early

90’s to now)• Adaptive management phase?

– why?– how?

The Elko District, Riparian Story

Documentation phase

1978?

Protection phase

1980s

1980s

1980s

1990s

Riparian grazing systems

fall/spring/rest spring annually spring/rest winter/spring/rest spring/fall/rest/hot hot/spring/rest hot/rest/winter spring/fall/hot spring/hot/fall/winter/rest Fall/ spring Fall annually Winter Winter/rest

Season-long Grazing

Spring Grazing

Season-long Grazing

1996: 5 years intermittent early (mostly April) and late

fall (mid Oct. or Nov. to Dec.).

1991

1999

Cool-season Grazing

1988

2008

Season-long Grazing

Rotation with Spring, Rest,

and Hot Season Grazing

West Fork Beaver Creek, Horse Field, Beaver Creek Allotment. S-10, T-1, down. 6-14-88.

West Fork Beaver Creek, Horse Field, Beaver Creek Allotment. S-

10, T-1, down. 7-21-99. Rest 1994 and 1995; 1996 unknown;

1997 first week October cow-calf pairs; 1998 2 weeks August cow-

calf pairs and small number domestic horses season-long.

1988

1999

Hot season Grazing.

Varied Season & Intensity

South Fork Salmon Falls Creek, Little Quakey Riparian Pasture, O’Neil Allotment. S-42, down. 10-10-79. Use unknown.

South Fork Salmon Falls Creek, Little Quakey Riparian

Pasture, O’Neil Allotment. S-42, down. 7-26-99.

1979

1999

Riparian Pasture

Bottom Line - More good than bad- Season, duration, rotation, recovery

Often Precluding Riparian

Functions and Recovery

Often Allowing and Supporting

Riparian Functions

Long season of use Short duration

Little time for regrowth Long recovery periods

Late use Regrowth before winter

Consistent timing of use Mix up the timing year to year

Selective use Even use

Annual growing season use Occasional rest

Large pasture Riparian pasture

No woody recovery Stutter deferred

No riding or stockmanship Riding, herding, and

stockmanship

Stragglers Cleaned pastures

Bottom Line - More good than bad- Distribution and Intensity

Often Precluding Riparian

Functions and Recovery

Often Allowing and Supporting

Riparian Functions

Sustained Heavy use Moderate-light intensity

Season-long use Graze early

Hot or dry growing season use Cool season use

No riding or stockmanship Riding, herding, and

stockmanship

Riparian water only Off-stream waters

Salt on the creeks Scattered salt/supplement

Retain riparian dwellers Select for hill climbers

Cow-calf pairs Yearling cattle, steers, and or

sheep

Most Important Has to be doable for agency and rancher

Enter Adaptive Management (or at least the need for it)

Streams change

The environment changes

The interaction of the two is dynamic

Ideally, Mowed areas will retain resilience and mowing will increase resistance

• Sagebrush remained on most of 76 plots across Nevada

• No or few annuals or exotics no or few annuals or exotics

• Perennials & native forbs increased > annuals on 75%

• Perennials & native forbs > annuals on 80%

Mowed sagebrush Fuel Breaks

If not retaining resilience and increasing resistance, does mowing usefully break up fuel continuity?

This may depend on post mowing fuels management such as prescribed grazing

Good things happen when managers manage!

Photo by Gale Dupree

What is most important to sage grouse?• Required sagebrush and riparian habitats

remain resistant and resilient

We cannot do nothing!