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| Table A3—Summary information from postfire recovery studies in Wyoming big sagebrush communities, organized by ecoregions in the United States and Canadian provinces. | ||||
| Location; elevation; average annual precipitation |
Vegetation description and grazing information | Methods | Cover of Wyoming big sagebrush (data are means unless otherwise indicated) | Citation(s) |
| Blue Mountains | ||||
| John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, north-central OR; 610-1,370 m; 270 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush communities on aridic soils with <10 western juniper trees/ha Livestock excluded from the area since 1975, 24 years prior to the oldest fire. |
Measured canopy cover 1-15 years after fall prescribed fires in 16 plots that resulted in 99% top-kill on northern aspects and 100% top-kill on southern aspects; cover of Wyoming big sagebrush estimated from figure 3. | Northern aspects: Postfire year 1 | [451] |
Southern aspects: Postfire year 1 | ||||
| Central Basin and Range | ||||
| Holborn Burn Unit 2, BLM's Elko District, northeastern NV; not provided; not provided |
Wyoming big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass-bluebunch wheatgrass community Information on livestock grazing not provided, but the site was managed for livestock grazing. |
Measured canopy cover 1-3 years after a September prescribed fire | Prefire: 11.9% Postfire year 1 |
[129] |
| Near Tremonton, north-central UT; 1,500 m; 369 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass associations Cattle grazing occurred during alternate years in fall. |
Measured canopy cover 1-5 years after an August wildlife that that occurred on a 16-year-old burn | Postfire year 1 |
[716] |
Wyoming big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass associations Cattle grazing occurred each spring. |
Postfire year 1 |
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| Northeastern slope of the Oak Creek Mountains, Juab County, west-central UT; 1,617-1,622 m; 301 mm |
A "good condition" Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass community with widely scattered Utah juniper trees Grazing by cattle and sheep was "light" during the past 20 years; Livestock excluded after fire. |
Measured canopy cover 1-2 years after a 11,000-ha July wildfire that consumed "nearly all" vegetation | Prefire: 6.5% Postfire year 1 |
[807]; data also available in [313] |
| Middle Rockies | ||||
| East Fork, Salmon River, east-central ID; 1,744-2,438 m; 180 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass communities Sites were important winter ranges for mule deer and bighorn sheep. Information on livestock grazing not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 1 and 3 years after small (0.05-0.45 ha) September prescribed fires at 7 sites that killed 100% of Wyoming big sagebrush | Prefire: 14.8% Postfire year 1 |
[567] |
| Throughout Beaverhead County, southwestern MT; 1,830-1,890; 356-425 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass communities Livestock had been excluded from the Exclosure site since prefire year 1. Livestock grazed the Wisdom Flat and Wisdom Slope but details were not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 9 and 32 years after prescribed fires on 3 sites | Postfire year 9 |
[760]; data also available in [757] |
| Throughout Beaverhead and Silver Bow counties, southwestern MT; 1,950-2,090 m; 356-425 mm |
Mountain big sagebrush-Wyoming big sagebrush/Idaho fescue communities Cattle grazed the 4 Wise River sites 4-6 weeks each summer. Sawmill Gulch and Badger Pass site were grazed by livestock as part of a 4-pasture rotational grazing system. Livestock grazed the West Fork site but details were not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 2-14 years after prescribed fires at 7 sites | Postfire year 2 |
|
| Throughout Beaverhead and Madison counties, southwestern MT; 1,615-2450 m; 380 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass communities Livestock grazed the sites before and after the fires; sites were located away from water developments and fence lines. |
Measured canopy cover 8-23 years after wildfires at 5 sites | Postfire year 8 |
[423]; summary data for many of these study sites in [424,425] |
| Measured canopy cover 17 and 33 years after prescribed fires at 2 sites | Postfire year 17 | |||
| Western flank of Badger Pass, 27 km west of Dillon, southwestern MT; 1,890 m; 310 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass community Livestock grazed the site since the mid-1800s, but they were excluded from the site 15 months before fire and thereafter. |
Measured canopy cover 1-29 years after a prescribed fire; mean cover value at postfire year 29 was estimated using data from Table 3 in [775]. | Prefire: 14.5-15.1% Postfire year 1 | [770] |
Postfire year 29 |
[775] | |||
| West of Blanding Station, near Gardiner, southwestern MT; 1,735-2,135 m; 413 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass communities The area was important winter range for mule deer and elk. Livestock did not graze the burn. |
Measured canopy cover 19 years after an 80-ha July wildfire that killed 100% of big sagebrush in the burn perimeter | Postfire year 19 |
[474]; data also available in [767] |
| Northern Basin and Range | ||||
| Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, south-central OR; 1,550-1,615 m; ~290-300 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/squirreltail-Sandburg bluegrass communities that had not been burned in >50 years Prefire cover of cheatgrass averaged 1.4%. Livestock grazing on the refuge ceased 6 years before the fire. |
Measured canopy cover 1 and 17 years after 4 September prescribed fires that resulted in 49% of the area burned; the fire killed 100% of Wyoming big sagebrush in burned areas. | Prefire: 26% Postfire year 1 |
[842]; data also available in [843] |
Postfire year 17 |
[234]; data also available in [604] |
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Wyoming big sagebrush/squirreltail-Sandburg bluegrass community Livestock grazing ceased on the refuge 6 years after the fire. |
Measured canopy cover 13 years after a prescribed fire | Postfire year 13 |
[842] | |
| Northern Great Basin Experimental Range, southeastern OR; 1,400 m; ~300 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass and Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass communities Information on livestock grazing not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 1-2 years after an October prescribed fire that killed 100% of Wyoming big sagebrush | Postfire year 1 |
[196] |
Wyoming big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass-Idaho fescue association "Moderate" livestock grazing occurred until prefire year 4, when livestock were excluded. |
Measured canopy cover 1-9 years after late September to early October prescribed fires that killed ~90% of Wyoming big sagebrush; data estimated from figure 7 in [43] and Figure 6 in [39]. | Prefire: 10% Postfire year 1 Mean cover in burned sites was from surviving plants; no recruitment occurred during postfire year 1. |
[38] | |
Wyoming big sagebrush steppe with an understory dominated by Idaho fescue, Thurber needlegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass "Moderate" livestock grazing occurred until prefire year 4, when livestock were excluded. |
Prefire: 11.7% Postfire year 2 |
[43] | ||
Postfire year 5 |
[39] | |||
| Northridge Burn Unit, BLM's Vale District, eastern OR; not provided; not provided |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass communities Livestock grazing information not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 1-3 years after a September prescribed fire | Prefire: 7.5-16.9% Postfire year 1 |
[129] |
| Sheepshead Mountains, southeastern OR; 1,280-1,480 m; ~280 mm |
Mid- to late-successional Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass and Wyoming big sagebrush-Thurber needlegrass associations Livestock grazing information not provided. |
Measured canopy cover 2 years after a 16,000-ha August wildfire that resulted in 100% kill of Wyoming big sagebrush; unburned patches were located in the fire perimeter. | Prefire: 12.4-17.3% Postfire year 2 |
[38]; data also in [35] |
| Northwestern Great Plains | ||||
| Northeastern corner of Petroleum County, north-central MT; 177 m; 305-356 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush communities Livestock grazing information not provided. |
Observed that "not a single Wyoming big sagebrush seedling was found in any of the areas that had burned" 4 years after a stand-replacing wildfire | Postfire year 4 "Site potential" of at least 10% cover |
[165] |
| North of the Missouri River and west of UL Bend in the Missouri River Breaks on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, northeastern MT; not provided; 220-320 mm |
Upland Wyoming big sagebrush/mixed-grass prairie community Livestock and wildlife were excluded from sites for 26-43 years. |
Measured canopy cover 2 years after an August prescribed fire | Postfire year 2 |
[72] |
Upland Wyoming big sagebrush/mixed-grass prairie community Livestock were excluded from sites for 26-43 years. |
Postfire year 2 |
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Upland Wyoming big sagebrush/mixed-grass prairie community The site was open to grazing by livestock and wildlife. |
Postfire year 2 |
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| Missouri River Breaks: Fergus and Petroleum counties, central MT; 700-1,100 m; 320 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/western wheatgrass association on a ridgetop Livestock grazed the area from May to November, but sites were located in areas of "little or no grazing pressure". |
Measured canopy cover 14 years after a wildfire that killed 100% of the Wyoming big sagebrush plants | Postfire year 14 |
[229] |
| Throughout central and southeastern MT; 270-1,220 m; 274-415 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass and Wyoming big sagebrush/Idaho fescue-western wheatgrass associations Livestock grazing was "not excessive" at all but one site that had no livestock grazing prior to and after fire. |
Measured canopy cover 3-66 years after wild and prescribed fires at 24 sites; Wyoming big sagebrush kill was "virtually complete" on burns. | Postfire year 3 |
[168]; summary data published in [166,167] |
| Snake River Plain | ||||
| Big Desert in Blaine and Butte counties, south-central ID; 1,536-1,640 m; 245 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass community Cattle grazed the entire study area, but were excluded from grazing the study area for 1 year prior to and 2 years following the fire. |
Measured canopy cover 14 years after a late August prescribed fire that removed 57% of the sagebrush in the burn perimeter | Postfire year 14 •Burned: 0.8% •Unburned: 9.7% |
[46] |
| Timmerman Hills, Blaine County, south-central ID; 1,524 m; 280 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass and Wyoming big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass communities Sheep grazed the area in spring and fall before and soon after fire. |
Measured canopy cover 1-2 years after a patchy, late September to early October prescribed fire that burned 10% to 15% of the study area | Postfire year 1 •Burned: 0.8% •Unburned: 17.4% Postfire year 2 •Burned: 1.1% •Unburned: 19.4% |
[149] |
| Wyoming Basin | ||||
| Bighorn Basin, Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties, north-central WY; 1,524 m; 127-381 mm |
Aridic Wyoming big sagebrush communities; understory included various perennial grasses. Sites had "minimal to no evidence" of herbivory. |
Measured canopy cover 8-19 years after 17 spring and fall prescribed fires that burned during 2 different years. | Postfire year 8 •Burned: 0% •Unburned: 17.4% Postfire year 9 •Burned: 0.4% •Unburned: 14.9% Postfire year 18 •Burned: 1.6% •Unburned: 14.7% Postfire year 19 •Burned: 2.0% •Unburned: 13.4% |
[317]; summary data published in [318] |
Ustic Wyoming big sagebrush communities; understory included various perennial grasses. Sites had "minimal to no evidence" of herbivory. |
Postfire year 8 •Burned: 0.1% •Unburned: 21.5% Postfire year 9 •Burned: 1.3% •Unburned: 13.3% Postfire year 18 •Burned: 0.9% •Unburned: 20.6% Postfire year 19 •Burned: 2.3% •Unburned: 20.4% |
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| British Columbia | ||||
| Tranquille Ecological Reserve, near Kamloops, south-central BC; ~610 m; 221-277 mm |
Wyoming big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass community Area fenced in prefire year 6 to exclude livestock grazing. |
Measured canopy cover 3 years after an April prescribed fire | Prefire: 1.1-8.1% Postfire year 3 |
[221] |