April 2021 - 30

A site in the Polecat Bench area was selected for a prescribed burn to improve sage grouse
habitat. The vegetation in 2007 was not diverse and needed improvement for the betterment
of sage grouse. (Photo by Destin Harrell/BLM)

Four years following a prescribed fire treatment in the Polecat Bench area, more diverse
vegetation and a healthier understory helped to improve conditions for sage grouse.
(Photo by Destin Harrell/BLM)

bunch grasses, like bluebunch wheatgrass or Indian
ricegrass, occur naturally in small patches among the
sagebrush, thus limiting the intensity and spread of
fire. Healthy rangelands supporting native bunch
grasses tend to burn in discrete patches. This pattern
creates openings suitable for lekking while limiting
widespread habitat loss.
Cheatgrass and other nonnative annual grasses tend
to grow in continuous swaths, however, creating large
expanses of fuel. This leads to more frequent, intense
and widespread fires. Furthermore, intensively burned
areas provide ideal conditions for invasive cheatgrass
to completely dominate landscapes formerly covered
with sagebrush and native bunch grasses. And the cycle
continues, replacing the native mosaic of sagebrush
and bunch grasses suitable for sage grouse throughout
the year with a cheatgrass monoculture that is virtually
useless for sage grouse and many other native wildlife
of the sagebrush steppe.

CLEARING THE DANCE FLOOR
Some human activities may improve opportunities
for sage grouse to establish lek sites if the surrounding
habitat satisfies other sage grouse needs. The lek we
have observed since 2000 is located at a livestock
watering tank in the midst of an expanse of healthy
sagebrush habitat. Cattle hooves trampled the native
vegetation adjacent to the tank, creating an opening
in the sagebrush suitable for lekking.
30 | April 2021

Increasing the availability of suitable lek sites
requires creativity and often an aggressive approach
to enhancing habitat characteristics. In some specific
situations, wildlife and land managers can improve
locations to make them more suitable for lekking.
For example, cheatgrass surrounding a stock tank or
areas where soil and vegetation have been disturbed
by human activities or fire can be sprayed with an
herbicide to reduce cheatgrass seed production. After
a couple of years when the herbicide is no longer
active, planting seeds of native vegetation such as blue
grama and threadleaf sedge will help reclaim the site.
Taller plant species may be planted in nesting habitat
where cover is beneficial. Around stock tanks where
cattle frequent, managers can introduce short, native
vegetation that is tolerant to grazing and prevents
cheatgrass establishment. Working with livestock
owners to manage and rotate stock tank use to provide
adequate recovery for native vegetation can also deter
cheatgrass invasion and help provide sage grouse with
appealing lek sites.
As land and wildlife managers, we still have much
to learn about the interplay of physical and biological
factors that create good sage grouse habitat, but we
can identify characteristics of areas that support and
sustain robust populations of sage grouse. We can
then prescribe management treatments to mimic the
desired characteristics, much as a physician might
prescribe treatments to achieve a desired effect for

April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021