Greater Sage-grouse and pollinators share dwindling sagebrush habitat in the western United States and thus are currently receiving intense attention from federal, state, tribal, and private land managers. Both rely on a robust availability of forbs; more than 5,000 native plant species grow within the bounds of the sagebrush ecosystem. For Greater Sage-grouse, the invertebrates associated with abundant forbs are a critical source of protein, especially for developing chicks. Given this knowledge, various sage-grouse assessment frameworks and pollinator plant lists encourage use of a broad suite of genetically appropriate native forbs in restoration activities. Despite this, typical seed mixtures specifically for restoration of habitat for Greater Sage-grouse often have very limited numbers of forb species, despite empirical evidence that the best habitat for Greater Sage-grouse may have 30 or more species (with multiple species within genera). Pollinators also require a broad suite of forbs to ensure pollen and nectar are available throughout the growing season. I looked at lists of species preferred and consumed by Greater Sage-grouse and species recommended for pollinating insects. Twelve genera are standouts: milkvetch (Astragalus), balsamroot (Balsamorhiza), mariposa lily (Calochortus), hawksbeard (Crepis), fleabane (Erigeron), buckwheat (Eriogonum), avens (Geum), desert parsley (Lomatium), bluebells (Mertensia), aster (Symphyotrichum), clover (Trifolium), and vetch (Vicia).�Given the current costs of direct seeding a robust suite of forbs, a management strategy might include direct sowing 6 to 10 �workhorse� species across the restoration area, and then outplanting seedlings of another 15 to 20 species in islands that serve as seed sources and nucleate the restoration area. Such islands might be used to foster connectivity between more pristine sagebrush habitat fragmented by degradation. This idea is not new, but the technique has yet to be thoroughly tested in sagebrush rangelands.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.