Sagebrush Steppe Monitoring

The "Inner City" area, City of Rocks National Reserve

NPS Photo

Importance and Issues

Sagebrush steppe is the most abundant vegetation type in the Upper Columbia Basin Network. Significant portions of the sagebrush steppe have been converted to agriculture and grazed rangeland, and much of what remains has been degraded through altered fire regimes and the invasion of introduced plants. These changes have resulted in native flora and fauna declines, decreased soil stability, and reduced hydrologic function. Land use practices both within and adjacent to the network parks continue to fragment and alter steppe ecosystems and predicted climate change scenarios will likely intensify these stresses on the landscape.

Plant invasion and shifting community composition and species abundance is the overarching concern for park managers. Indicators of sagebrush steppe biotic integrity, hydrologic function, and soil/site stability are the focus of our monitoring, which will give parks the information needed to gauge progress in maintaining and restoring native plant communities.

Monitoring Objectives

• Determine the status (current condition) and trends (change in condition over time) in the composition and abundance (cover) of principal native plant species in UCBN sagebrush steppe communities.
• Determine the status and trends in composition and abundance (cover) of principal invasive plant species, including annual grasses, in UCBN sagebrush steppe communities.
• Determine the status and trend in the amount of exposed soil (cover), a fundamental indicator of soil stability.

Parks Where Sagebrush Steppe is Monitored

• City of Rocks National Reserve
• Craters of the Moon Naitonal Monument and Preserve
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
• Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

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  Monitoring the Sagebrush Steppe

  Monitoring sagebrush steppe habitat on NPS lands helps NPS land managers know what is happening to that habitat over time, so that they can better manage and protect it for future generations.

  Duration:

  8 minutes, 47 seconds

Sagebrush Steppe Monitoring Protocols & Procedures

Source: Data Store Saved Search 728. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Sagebrush Steppe Monitoring Reports

Source: Data Store Saved Search 721. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Resource Briefs
Summaries of fieldwork and findings

Source: Data Store Saved Search 887. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.