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15 results for “sagebrush steppe”
The Highs and Lows of Grazing: Effects of Ungulates and Elevation on Grassland and Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation Composition in Yellowstone National Park
<p>Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range is emblematic for the wolves, bison and elk that inhabit its grassland and sagebrush-steppe habitats. Their interactions and populations have been the focus of considerable conservation debate. Recent changes in ungulate populations provide an opportunity to examine their influence on the vegetation communities. We conducted expansive vegetation surveys along an elevation gradient and at exclosure sites where ungulates were unable to graze. We collected a large database (n = 620 quadrats), which we analyzed using classic community ecology approaches. We found that non-native species have higher abundances at low elevations, and that grazing by ungulates reduces beta diversity and native cover, while promoting non-native cover. The magnitude of these changes are greater in bison-dominated than elk-dominated areas of Yellowstone, suggesting that bison may be overgrazing. These results provide valuable insights into major factors shaping vegetation communities, while also contextualizing management practices in a world-renowned ecosystem.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please respect licensing, and contact the corresponding author for permission to use this dataset in any research or publications. </p>
Do plant-soil feedbacks promote coexistence in a sagebrush steppe?
<p>Recent studies have shown the potential for negative plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) to promote stable coexistence but have not quantified the stabilizing effect relative to other coexistence mechanisms. We conducted a field experiment to test the role of PSFs in stabilizing coexistence among four dominant sagebrush steppe species that appear to coexist stably, based on previous work with observational data and models. We then integrated the effects of PSF treatments on focal species across germination, survival, and first-year growth. To contribute to stable coexistence, soil microbes should have host-specific effects that result in negative feedbacks. Over two replicated growing seasons, our experiments consistently showed that soil microbes have negative effects on plant growth, but these effects were rarely host-specific. The uncommon host-specific effects were mostly positive at the germination stage and negative for growth. Integrated effects of PSF across early life-stage vital rates showed that PSF-mediated self-limitation occasionally had large effects on projected plant biomass but occurred inconsistently between years. Our results suggest that while microbially-mediated PSF may not be a common mechanism of coexistence in this community, it may still affect the relative abundance of dominant plant species via changes in host fitness. Our work also serves as a blueprint for future investigations that aim to identify underlying processes and test alternative mechanisms to explain important patterns in community ecology.</p>
Restoration temporarily supports the resilience of sagebrush-steppe ecosystems subjected to repeated fires
<p>Many ecosystems are experiencing increased fire frequencies and species invasions that can erode their resilience and cause a shift to alternative states. In the sagebrush-steppe, a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem in North America, restoration treatments are often implemented following wildfire to enhance their resilience to invasion. However, little is known about the long-term effectiveness of these treatments. We investigated whether repeated restoration efforts provide greater resilience in sagebrush-steppe communities initially dominated by species with different post-fire regeneration traits and subjected to compounding wildfires and invasion by <em>Bromus tectorum</em> over 25 years.</p> <p>We studied 37 permanent transects (Columbia Basin, Washington, USA) in which species abundance was recorded multiple times from 1992 to 2017. We quantified community change and its relationship with fire, restoration, and moisture availability. Resilience was evaluated by quantifying community resistance and stability indices.</p> <p>The greatest change occurred in communities where the obligate seeding shrub <em>Artemisia tridentata</em> was initially common. Repeated fires led to the extirpation of this shrub and eventual dominance of <em>B. tectorum</em>. Herbicide applications temporarily suppressed <em>B. tectorum</em> post-fire. Seeding treatments and above average precipitation initially increased native cover. Although communities where resprouting species were common showed the least change, repeated fires did lead to a gradual but substantial decline (86%) in resprouting shrubs.</p> <p><em>Synthesis and applications:</em> Our findings show that repeated restoration efforts, together with elevated precipitation, can support native species re-establishment in systems experiencing altered disturbance regimes and species invasions. Our unique long-term dataset demonstrates, however, that many such interventions have short-lived effects due to the strong "unhelpful resilience" of highly invaded systems. This implicitly suggests that many such systems have experienced fundamental shifts in ecosystem state. The likelihood of this occurring is strongly associated with the dominant species post-fire regeneration traits. We predict that community composition and resilience will continue to degrade in the sagebrush-steppe unless management prioritizes fire suppression and an adaptive restoration approach that considers resource availability.</p>
Interannual variation in climate contributes to contingency in post-fire restoration outcomes in seeded sagebrush steppe
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Restoration temporarily supports the resilience of sagebrush-steppe ecosystems subjected to repeated fires
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Data from: Weak interspecific interactions in a sagebrush steppe? Conflicting evidence from observations and experiments
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Do plant-soil feedbacks promote coexistence in a sagebrush steppe?
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Data from: Use of auto-germ to model germination timing in the Sagebrush-steppe
Germination timing has a strong influence on direct seeding efforts, and therefore is a closely tracked demographic stage in a wide variety of wildland and agricultural settings. Predictive seed germination models, based on soil moisture and temperature data in the seed zone are an efficient method of estimating germination timing. We utilized Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to create Auto-Germ, which is an Excel workbook that allows a user to estimate field germination timing based on wet-thermal accumulation models and field temperature and soil moisture data. To demonstrate the capabilities of Auto-Germ, we calculated various germination indices and modeled germination timing for 11 different species, across 6 years, and 10 Artemisia-steppe sites in the Great Basin of North America to identify the planting date required for 50% or more of the simulated population to germinate in spring (1 March or later), which is when conditions are predicted to be more conducive for plant establishment. Both between and within the species, germination models indicated that there was high temporal and spatial variability in the planting date required for spring germination to occur. However, some general trends were identified, with species falling roughly into three categories, where seeds could be planted on average in either fall (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis and Leymus cinereus), early winter (Festuca idahoensis, Poa secunda, Elymus lanceolatus, Elymus elymoides, and Linum lewisii), or mid-winter (Achillea millefolium, Elymus wawawaiensis , and Pseudoroegneria spicata) and still not run the risk of germination during winter. These predictions made through Auto-Germ demonstrate that fall may not be an optimal time period for sowing seeds for most non-dormant species if the desired goal is to have seeds germinate in spring.
Flowering time advances since the 1970s in a sagebrush steppe community: implications for management and restoration
<p>Climate change is widely known to affect plant phenology, but little is known about how these impacts manifest in the widespread sagebrush ecosystem of the Western US which supports a number of wildlife species of concern. Shifts in plant phenology can trigger consequences for the plants themselves as well as the communities of consumers that depend upon them. We assembled historical observations of first flowering dates for 51 species collected in the 1970 and 80s in a montane sagebrush community in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and compared these to contemporary phenological observations targeting the same species and locations (2016-2019). We also assembled regional climate data (average spring temperature, day of spring snowmelt, and growing degree days) and tested the relationship between first flowering time and these variables for each species. We observed the largest change in phenology in early spring flowers, which as a group bloomed on average 17 days earlier, and as much as 36 days earlier, in the contemporary data set. Mid-summer flowers bloomed on average 10 days earlier, nonnative species 15 days earlier, and berry-producing shrubs 5 days earlier, while late summer flowering plants did not shift. The greatest correlates of early spring and mid-summer flowering were average spring temperature and day of snowmelt, which was 21 days earlier, on average, in 2016-2019 relative to the 1973-1978. The shifts in flowering phenology that we observed could indicate developing asynchronies or novel synchronies of these plant resources and wildlife species of conservation concern including: Greater sage-grouse, whose nesting success is tied to availability of spring forbs; grizzly bears -- which rely heavily on berries for their fall diet; and pollinators. This underscores the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of native plants in terms of species composition, genetics, phenological responsiveness to climatic cues, and ecological importance to key wildlife and pollinator species. Redundancy within ecological niches may also be important considering that species roles in the community may shift as climate change affects them differently. These considerations are particularly relevant to restoration and habitat-enhancement projects in sagebrush communities across western North America.</p>
On following pages: 79. Eastern Mole Vole (Ellobius tancrei); 80. Alai Mole Vole (Ellobius alaicus); 81. Southern Mole Vole (Ellobius fuscocapillus); 82. Transcaucasian Mole Vole (Ellobius lutescens); 83. Yellow Steppe Lemming (Eolagurus luteus); 84. Przewalski's Steppe Lemming (Eolagurus przewalskii); 85. Steppe Vole (Lagurus lagurus), 86. South-western Water Vole (Arvicola sapidus); 87. Eurasian Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius); 88. Montane Water Vole (Arvicola monticola); 89. Italian Water Vole (Arvicola italicus); 90. Sagebrush Vole (Lemmiscus curtatus); 91. European Snow Vole (Chionomys nivalis); 92. Robert's Snow Vole (Chionomys robert); 93. Gudaur Snow Vole (Chionomys gud); 94. Lazistan Snow Vole (Chionomys lasistanius); 95. Sichuan Vole (Volemys millicens); 96. Marie's Vole (Volemys musseri); 97. Duke of Bedford's Vole (Proedromys bedford); 98. Liangshan Vole (Proedromys liangshanensis); 99. Brandt's Vole (Lasiopodomys brandftil); 100. Mandarin Vole (Lasiopodomys mandarinus); 101. Narrow-headed Vole (Lasiopodomys gregalis); 102. Radde's Vole (Lasiopodomys raddei); 103. Sikkim Mountain Vole (Neodon sikimensis); 104. Linzhi Mountain Vole (Neodon linzhiensis); 105. Clarke's Vole (Neodon clarke); 106. Medog Mountain Vole (Neodon medogensis); 107. Nyalam Mountain Vole (Neodon nyalamensis); 108. Irene Mountain Vole (Neodon irene); 109. Forrest's Mountain Vole (Neodon forresti); 110. Blyth's Mountain Vole (Neodon leucurus); 111. Smoky Mountain Vole (Neodon fuscus). in Cricetidae
On following pages: 79. Eastern Mole Vole (Ellobius tancrei); 80. Alai Mole Vole (Ellobius alaicus); 81. Southern Mole Vole (Ellobius fuscocapillus); 82. Transcaucasian Mole Vole (Ellobius lutescens); 83. Yellow Steppe Lemming (Eolagurus luteus); 84. Przewalski's Steppe Lemming (Eolagurus przewalskii); 85. Steppe Vole (Lagurus lagurus), 86. South-western Water Vole (Arvicola sapidus); 87. Eurasian Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius); 88. Montane Water Vole (Arvicola monticola); 89. Italian Water Vole (Arvicola italicus); 90. Sagebrush Vole (Lemmiscus curtatus); 91. European Snow Vole (Chionomys nivalis); 92. Robert's Snow Vole (Chionomys robert); 93. Gudaur Snow Vole (Chionomys gud); 94. Lazistan Snow Vole (Chionomys lasistanius); 95. Sichuan Vole (Volemys millicens); 96. Marie's Vole (Volemys musseri); 97. Duke of Bedford's Vole (Proedromys bedford); 98. Liangshan Vole (Proedromys liangshanensis); 99. Brandt's Vole (Lasiopodomys brandftil); 100. Mandarin Vole (Lasiopodomys mandarinus); 101. Narrow-headed Vole (Lasiopodomys gregalis); 102. Radde's Vole (Lasiopodomys raddei); 103. Sikkim Mountain Vole (Neodon sikimensis); 104. Linzhi Mountain Vole (Neodon linzhiensis); 105. Clarke's Vole (Neodon clarke); 106. Medog Mountain Vole (Neodon medogensis); 107. Nyalam Mountain Vole (Neodon nyalamensis); 108. Irene Mountain Vole (Neodon irene); 109. Forrest's Mountain Vole (Neodon forresti); 110. Blyth's Mountain Vole (Neodon leucurus); 111. Smoky Mountain Vole (Neodon fuscus).
Grazing intensity effects on herbaceous community composition in burned sagebrush-steppe
<p>There is limited knowledge on grazing impacts to long-term plant community dynamics following fire in sagebrush steppe, This study evaluated vegetation response to different intensities of deferred rotation cattle grazing over 16 years (2007–2022) on burned Wyoming big sagebrush steppe in eastern Oregon. Treatments were applied in a randomized complete block, including on grazing on burned (Non-use, n=5) and unburned (Control, n=5) steppe; and cattle grazing at low (Low, n=4), moderate (Moderate, n=4), and high (High, n=4) intensities on burned steppe. Vegetation dynamics were evaluated by repeated measures analysis of canopy cover and density of shrub and herbaceous species and functional groups. Herbaceosus functional groups were an early season bunchgrass (one species, Sandberg bluegrass), tall perennial bunchgrass, perennial forbs, annual grass (one species, cheatgrass) and annual forbs. Tall perennial bunchgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and perennial forb cover and density did not differ among the treatments but did decrease over time in all treatments. Cover of several tall bunchgrass species were generally less in the High treatment, mainly, Idaho fescue, and Thurber's needlegrass. Cover of cheatgrass and annual forbs varied across years but were greater among the burned grazed and Non-use treatments than the Control. Native plant cover in the burned treatments (grazed and Non-use) represented 77 to 85 % of total herbaceous cover versus the Control where natives comprised 91% of the total. Annual weather variability appears to account for most of the compositional dynamics measured in the various grazed and ungrazed treatments.</p>
Data from: Use of auto-germ to model germination timing in the Sagebrush-steppe
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Grazing intensity effects on herbaceous community composition in burned sagebrush-steppe
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Flowering time advances since the 1970s in a sagebrush steppe community: implications for management and restoration
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Data from: Relative importance of abiotic, biotic, and disturbance drivers of plant community structure in the sagebrush steppe
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