Juniper and pi�on woodlands have increased 2 to 10-fold in nine ecoregions spanning the Intermountain area of the western United States the past 150 years.� Control of these woodlands by mechanical treatments and prescribed fire has been applied since the 1950�s.� The Sage Grouse Initiative has made conifer removal a major part of its efforts to reestablish sagebrush habitat for sage-grouse and other shrub steppe species.� We analyzed data sets from previous and ongoing studies characterizing cover response of perennial and annual forbs, consumed by sage-grouse, to mechanical, prescribed fire and fuel reduction treatments.� There were 11 sites in western juniper woodlands, three sites in singleleaf pi�on and Utah juniper, two sites in Utah juniper, and two sites in Utah juniper and Colorado pi�on.� Western juniper sites were in NW California, eastern Oregon, and SW Idaho and were located in mountain big sagebrush steppe associations.� Sites for the other woodlands were in eastern Nevada and western Utah and were located in Wyoming big sagebrush associations.� Site potential was a major determinant for increasing perennial forbs utilized by sage-grouse following conifer control.� The cover response of perennial forbs, whether increasing or exhibiting no change, was similar regardless of conifer treatment. For sage-grouse habitat, mechanical and low disturbance-fuel reduction conifer treatments produce similar perennial forb responses compared to fire while maintaining the habitat characteristics of sagebrush steppe. Annual forbs favored by sage-grouse benefitted most from prescribed fire treatments with smaller increases following mechanical and fuel reduction treatments.� Where large scale use of fire is not a management option in sage-grouse habitat, small-patchy fires to control conifers might offer opportunities to increase annual forbs and create more diverse habitat mosaic.
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