The State of the Sagebrush: Implementing the Sagebrush Conservation Design to Save a Biome
The State of the Biome
Key Findings: The sagebrush biome is one of the most intact and least modified ecosystems in the world, on par with the Amazon or the Serengeti. It’s also the largest contiguous open space in the Lower 48, but we are losing 1.3 million acres each year. The status quo will not suffice and needs to be replaced with the strategic game plan. This introductory chapter outlines how the 20 chapters in this special issue can use the Sagebrush Conservation Design to develop a cohesive strategy to simultaneously address multiple ecosystem threats.
Authors
*Lead Author
Abstract and Keywords
Abstract: This special issue of Rangeland Ecology and Management is dedicated to applying the Sagebrush Conservation Design (SCD) to improve conservation outcomes across the sagebrush biome in the face of pervasive ecosystem threats. This special issue provides new science and real-world examples of how we can implement the SCD to save a biome. The SCD is a tool to identify intact sagebrush areas and address the largest threats to the ecosystem. The SCD focuses on first protecting intact and functioning sagebrush ecosystems, called Core Sagebrush Areas, then works outward toward more degraded areas (i.e., “Defend the Core”). The premise behind the Defend the Core approach is simple: focus resources first on preventative actions that retain ecosystem services in Core Sagebrush Areas because they are more cost-effective and more likely to be successful. The opening article of this special issue creates a foundation for the 19 following papers, providing a coherent path for implementing the SCD. The overarching themes are: 1) Business-As-Usual Won't Save the Sagebrush Sea, 2) Better Spatial Targeting Can Improve Outcomes, 3) Conservation Planning is Needed to Develop Realistic Business Plans, 4) Targeted Ecosystem Management: Monitoring Shows Managing for Sagebrush Ecological Integrity is Working, 5) Maintaining Sagebrush Ecological Integrity is Ecologically Relevant, and 6) There is Only Hope if We Manage Change. The collective articles show that there is no shared plan to save the biome, yet a business plan for the biome could ensure realistic goals. The sagebrush biome still has vast expanses of open spaces with high ecological integrity at a scale that is rare in other ecological systems within the lower 48 states. If we focus on the common ground of the main drivers of ecosystem change, implementing the SCD and Defending the Core are viable strategies to help save a biome.
Keywords: Conservation planning; Conifer encroachment; Defend the Core; Invasive Annual Grass; Sagebrush Conservation Design; Sagebrush Ecological Integrity
Citation
K.E. Doherty, J. Maestas, T. Remington, D.E. Naugle, C. Boyd, L. Wiechman, G. Bedrosian, M. Cahill, P. Coates, M. Crist, M.C. Holdrege, A.V. Kumar, T. Mozelewski, R.C. O'Connor, E.M. Olimpi, A. Olsen, B.G. Prochazka, J.R. Reinhardt, J.T. Smith, W.D. Sparklin, D.M. Theobald, K. Wollstein, “State of the Sagebrush: Implementing the Sagebrush Conservation Design to Save a Biome,” Rangeland Ecology & Management, Volume 97, 2024, Pages 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.017
2024 Researcher Presentation
Watch Kevin E. Doherty's presentation about this article from the Sagebrush Conservation Design Symposia at the 2024 Society for Range Management conference.
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Explore the Research
The special issue of Rangeland Ecology & Management is broken into six themes outlined below. Each theme includes several articles. Navigate through the articles using the layout below by hovering and clicking on the dots at the bottom of each block (each dot is linked to an article that falls within that theme). A complete list of the articles (with links) is also included on the Explore the Research page.
