Shrubland Alpine & Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group
The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of energy development and land-use change on conserving wildlife populations, their habitats, and the ecosystems they inhabit, and work closely on these issues with state and federal partners, NGOs, conservation groups and industry.
Species we currently study include songbirds, mammals, snakes, lizards, and grouse, such as white-tailed ptarmigan and sage-grouse. We also work with plant communities and exotic invasive plants to understand how external drivers such as grazing and energy development affect plant communities and thus, wildlife. We work across spatial scales and use statistical and empirical modeling to answer research questions, many of which have direct applications for conservation and management of species, most notably sage-grouse, and their habitats.
Sagebrush Restoration and Recovery
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Invasive Annual Grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Sage-grouse Monitoring and Conservation
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Road Ecology
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Wildlife Biology and Management
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Highlighted News from the SAGE Wildlife Research Group
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New research estimates the effectiveness of sagebrush restoration treatments across the sagebrush biome
Restoration of the imperiled sagebrush biome will require tools that assist resource managers in determining which restoration practices are most effective, and when and where restoration efforts will lead to the most ecosystem recovery. New research from USGS and Colorado State University provides biome-wide insights and spatially explicit tools that can inform restoration practices.
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New USGS report describes potential uses of remote sensing for monitoring mine lands and mine land recovery
Mine lands are prevalent across the United States, and to monitor mines using solely on-the-ground measurements can be costly and time-consuming. In a new report funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, USGS researchers provide an overview of remote sensing and its use in assessing mine land recovery, while also highlighting the associated benefits and potential challenges.
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Cameron Aldridge receives the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ (WAFWA) Robert L. Patterson Award
Cameron Aldridge received WAFWA’s Robert L. Patterson Award during the 34th Biennial Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sage- and sharp-tailed grouse conservation and management.
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FORT biologists and collaborators find that conservation of greater sage-grouse habitat may partially conserve habitat for other species of concern
Greater sage-grouse are often considered an umbrella species, or a species whose conservation indirectly protects other species within the umbrella species’ ecosystem. In this study, researchers used data-driven population models for seven sagebrush-dependent species to evaluate the efficacy of greater sage-grouse as an umbrella species.
Prioritizing sagebrush protection and restoration within the upper Colorado River Basin
Estimating spatial variation in greater sage-grouse lek buffers using seasonal space use models
A user-friendly decision support tool for monitoring and managing greater sage-grouse populations
Influence of future climate scenarios on habitat and population dynamics of greater sage-grouse
A targeted annual warning system (TAWS) for identifying aberrant declines in greater sage-grouse populations
Estimating trends for greater sage-grouse populations within highly stochastic environments
Predicting risk of annual grass invasion following fire in sagebrush steppe and rangeland ecosystems
Understanding How Vehicular Traffic Impacts Sage-Grouse Populations In Wyoming
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Climate Averages of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems
Soil-climate for Managing Sagebrush Ecosystems
The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of energy development and land-use change on conserving wildlife populations, their habitats, and the ecosystems they inhabit, and work closely on these issues with state and federal partners, NGOs, conservation groups and industry.
Species we currently study include songbirds, mammals, snakes, lizards, and grouse, such as white-tailed ptarmigan and sage-grouse. We also work with plant communities and exotic invasive plants to understand how external drivers such as grazing and energy development affect plant communities and thus, wildlife. We work across spatial scales and use statistical and empirical modeling to answer research questions, many of which have direct applications for conservation and management of species, most notably sage-grouse, and their habitats.
Sagebrush Restoration and Recovery
Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)
Predicting recovery of sagebrush ecosystems
Soil-climate for managing sagebrush ecosystems
Invasive Annual Grasses
Economic assessment of addressing invasive annual grasses
Vegetation conditions and invasive plant species on mine lands
Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome
Assessing invasive annual grass treatment efficacy across the sagebrush biome
Sage-grouse Monitoring and Conservation
Hierarchical Population Monitoring Framework for Greater Sage-Grouse
Road Ecology
Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
Creating range-wide predictive maps of greater sage-grouse seasonal habitats
Wildlife Biology and Management
Predicting songbird population response to environmental change
Prioritizing conifer removal for multi-species outcomes
Wild horse and livestock influences on vegetation and wildlife in sagebrush ecosystems
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution under a Changing Climate
Highlighted News from the SAGE Wildlife Research Group
-
New research estimates the effectiveness of sagebrush restoration treatments across the sagebrush biome
Restoration of the imperiled sagebrush biome will require tools that assist resource managers in determining which restoration practices are most effective, and when and where restoration efforts will lead to the most ecosystem recovery. New research from USGS and Colorado State University provides biome-wide insights and spatially explicit tools that can inform restoration practices.
-
New USGS report describes potential uses of remote sensing for monitoring mine lands and mine land recovery
Mine lands are prevalent across the United States, and to monitor mines using solely on-the-ground measurements can be costly and time-consuming. In a new report funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, USGS researchers provide an overview of remote sensing and its use in assessing mine land recovery, while also highlighting the associated benefits and potential challenges.
-
Cameron Aldridge receives the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ (WAFWA) Robert L. Patterson Award
Cameron Aldridge received WAFWA’s Robert L. Patterson Award during the 34th Biennial Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sage- and sharp-tailed grouse conservation and management.
-
FORT biologists and collaborators find that conservation of greater sage-grouse habitat may partially conserve habitat for other species of concern
Greater sage-grouse are often considered an umbrella species, or a species whose conservation indirectly protects other species within the umbrella species’ ecosystem. In this study, researchers used data-driven population models for seven sagebrush-dependent species to evaluate the efficacy of greater sage-grouse as an umbrella species.