Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis) is the most widely distributed subspecies of big sagebrush and has been treated through chemical application, mechanical treatments, and prescribed burning to improve habitat conditions for species such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Although the response of structural attributes of sagebrush communities to treatments is well understood, there is a need to identify how sagebrush treatments influence the quality of winter food available for wildlife. The purpose of our research was to identify how mowing and herbicide treatments intended to reduce sagebrush canopy cover influenced dietary quality of Wyoming big sagebrush in central Wyoming. Two study areas were mowed in January and February 2014 and herbicide was applied in two study areas in May 2014. We constructed six exclosures in each study area (24 total), which encompassed 30 m X 30 m areas of treated and untreated sagebrush within each exclosure. Samples of current annual growth were collected from 18 sagebrush plants from treatment sites and 12 plants from control sites within each exclosure during November 2013 and 2014. Samples were analyzed for crude protein and secondary metabolites known to influence dietary selection of sagebrush by sage-grouse and other species. Preliminary results suggest that mowing treatments may slightly increase nutrient concentrations directly after treatments without immediate changes in secondary metabolites. Assessing dietary quality during additional years following treatments and potential trade-offs with loss of biomass associated with treatments will allow us to determine the influence of sagebrush treatments on dietary quality for sage-grouse and other co-occurring wildlife.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.