When degraded sagebrush communities are converted to grasslands to improve forage production for livestock, impacts on nongame birds occur. Removal of sagebrush results in displacement of the shrub-nesting species which are dominant in degraded sagebrush habitat. However, seeding with perennial grasses results in habitat more suitable for some ground-nesting species which may increase accordingly. When succesional invasion by sagebrush reaches the point where a "sagebrush-grass" community is established, relative abundance of bird species may change, resulting in a well-balanced mixture of both shrub and ground-nesting species. This diverse bird community is a shrub-invaded seeding is a result of the more diverse vegetation structure compared to the single-layered stands of either grasses or shrubs. The time required to reach this point depends on several factors, including extent of sagebrush control, success of seeding establishment, and livestock management.
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