March 2023 - 34

THE CONIFER CONUNDRUM
Conifers, which are plants that bear their
seeds in cones or modified cones which look
like berries on juniper trees, typically have
needle or scale-like leaves and are usually
evergreen. Most conifers are trees, but there
are conifer shrubs as well. Wyoming has 12
species of conifer trees, including subalpine
fir, Utah juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper,
white spruce, Engelmann spruce, blue spruce,
whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, pinyon pine,
limber pine, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.
Historically, periodic wildfires swept
Conifer removal helps the growth of aspen stands, which benefits many species of wildlife like mule deer. (Photo by Mark Gocke/WGFD)
across portions of the landscape resulting in
an ebb and flow of conifer tree density and
distribution. But beginning in the 1800s and
throughout the early 1900s heavy livestock
grazing occurred, which reduced grasses and
other vegetation that acted as fine fuels for
fires to the extent it reduced the occurrence
of wildfire. While many livestock operations
have greatly improved their grazing management,
active fire suppression now occurs. Fire
suppression allows conifer trees to expand into
areas where they would not normally occur,
such as grasslands and shrublands, and allows
for increased density of conifer trees in forested
areas. The expansion of conifers, particularly
into areas where it is undesirable, is called
conifer encroachment.
Habitats are limited in resources, such as
T
he Wyoming Game and Fish Department's habitat biologists
work across many different types of habitats to
implement restoration or improvement projects for
the benefit of wildlife. Of all the different types of treatments
Game and Fish conducts, one treatment is often noticed by the
public - the removal of conifer trees and shrubs. People may
wonder why these projects take place, especially in a state
where trees are sometimes few and far between.
These kinds of projects are for the benefit
of wildlife and habitat, and biologists make
several considerations when planning and
conducting these treatments. Experts review
everything from the location, types of vegetation
targeting, methods and tools used,
time of year, weather and even down to how
cut conifer material is dealt with after the
treatment to ensure wildlife gets the most
benefit from these actions.
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water, nutrients, sunlight and space. When
conifers encroach they compete for resources
with other vegetation. In many cases, this
reduces habitat quality for wildlife. Conifers
can out-compete deciduous, woody vegetation
such as aspen trees, cottonwood trees and
fruit-bearing shrubs, which are valuable for
many wildlife species. Habitat managers are
most concerned about conifer encroachment in
riparian areas, aspen, shrubland and sagebrush/
grassland habitats. Conifer encroachment can
impact the value of forage in these habitats
for species like mule deer and elk by directly
competing with more desirable forage. It also
can cause avoidance of habitat in the case of
sagebrush/grasslands by species such as pronghorn,
sage grouse and bighorn sheep because
these species depend on the visibility provided
by open habitats to scan for predators. Conifers
increase the availability of perches for avian
predators, which may further negatively impact
species like sage grouse.
Conifer trees also impact the fuel loads
within habitats, causing fires to burn hotter
over larger areas than what they have historically.
In many habitats periodic wildfire is

March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2023