Managing for resilient sagebrush plant communities in the modern era: We're not in 1850 anymore

Abstract

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  Invasive annual grasses on sagebrush rangelands are negatively impacting land uses and values ranging from forage for grazing livestock to native plant diversity, wildlife habitat, and human safety via associated increases in the wildfire footprint.

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  In December 2020 a diverse group of managers, scientists, and government officials held a symposium to discuss existing and emerging options for ameliorating the annual grass threat and associated impacts in the Northern Great Basin region.

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  I provide a broad overview of sagebrush plant community ecology, how that ecology has varied through time, the role of invasive annual grasses in influencing sagebrush plant community ecology, and thoughts on a productive path forward.

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  My broad overview serves as an operational context framing the importance of and relationships between the papers in this Special Issue.