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Quantifying Pinyon-Juniper Reduction within North America's Sagebrush Ecosystem
Author
Reinhardt, J.R.
Filippelli, S.
Falkowski, M.
Allred, B.W.
Maestas, J.D.
Carlson, J.C.
Naugle, D.E.
Publisher
Elsevier Inc.
Publication Year
2020-05
Body

One of the primary conservation threats surrounding sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Intermountain West of the United States is the expansion and infilling of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis, P. monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodlands. Woodland expansion into sagebrush ecosystems has demonstrated impacts on sagebrush-associated flora and fauna, particularly the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). These impacts have prompted government agencies, land managers, and landowners to ramp up pinyon-juniper removal efforts to maintain and restore sagebrush ecosystems. Accurately quantifying and analyzing management activities over time across broad spatial extents still poses a major challenge. Such information is vital to broad-scale planning and coordination of management efforts. To address this problem and aid future management planning, we applied a remote sensing change detection approach to map reductions in pinyon-juniper cover across the sage-grouse range and developed a method for rapidly updating maps of canopy cover. We found total conifer reduction over the past several yr (2011−2013 to 2015−2017) amounted to 1.6% of the area supporting tree cover within our study area, which is likely just keeping pace with estimates of expansion. Two-thirds of conifer reduction was attributed to active management (1.04% of the treed area) while wildfire accounted for one-third of all estimated conifer reduction in the region (0.56% of the treed area). Our results also illustrate the breadth of this management effort—crossing ownership, agency, and state boundaries. We conclude by identifying some key priorities that should be considered in future conifer management efforts based on our comprehensive assessment. © 2020 The Author(s)

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/j.rama.2020.01.002
Additional Information
Jason R. Reinhardt, Steven Filippelli, Michael Falkowski, Brady Allred, Jeremy D. Maestas, John C. Carlson, and David E. Naugle "Quantifying Pinyon-Juniper Reduction within North America's Sagebrush Ecosystem," Rangeland Ecology and Management 73(3), 420-432, (22 May 2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2020.01.002
ISSN
1550-7424
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/679464
Journal Volume
73
Journal Number
3
Journal Pages
420-432
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Rangeland Ecology and Management
Keywords
Cooperative Management
pinyon-juniper
remote sensing
sage-grouse
sagebrush
woody encroachment
coniferous tree
Conservation management
conservation planning
remote sensing
Terrestrial ecosystem
woodland
Intermountain West
United States
Artemisia
Artemisia tridentata
Centrocercus urophasianus
Coniferophyta
Juniperus
Pinus edulis