The Sage of the West

Let’s head back into the heat again this week and explore another warm, dry ecosystem. Sage scrubland is semi-arid and unless you live there, you probably aren’t familiar with it. Like the desert, it can appear to be devoid of life unless you know where to look.

Sage scrubland in Idaho (USFS)

The ecosystem is defined by sagebrush being the dominant plant species with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Most precipitation is winter snow and spring rain. Sage scrubland ecosystems are found in the Intermountain West and California’s coastal chaparral ecosystem.

Many animals call the sage scrubland home. Small mammals and reptiles are well represented in the list of fauna. The endangered black-footed ferret is among them, and it was in Wyoming’s sage scrubland that a colony was discovered after the species had been given up as extinct. They were all captured and put into a captive breeding program which has seeded recovery efforts throughout the West. Larger mammals include elk, mule deer, and pronghorn.

Black-footed ferret (USFWS)

Birds of prey are common inhabitants of this ecosystem. The sage grouse (of course) also calls this area home. This threatened bird relies heavily on the sagebrush for its survival. Not only is sage a staple if its diet, it also uses the plant for cover.

Male sage grouse (USFWS)

Sagebrush, the dominant plant in this ecosystem, provides sustenance for species other than the sage grouse. When the deer and the antelope aren’t playing, they can be found nibbling on sage brush. It is especially important during the winter when other lower plants are buried under snow. 

Like so many other habitats in the world, sage scrubland is in danger. Development destroys or fragments the habitat. Oil and gas drilling scare away resident critters and disrupt migrations. Invasive plants crowd out the natives and create a vegetation density conducive to fire. While sagebrush can withstand low intensity fire, hotter fires fueled by invasive cheatgrass destroys it. Agriculture converts sage land to crop land.

Sagebrush in Oregon

There is hope, of course. Most sage scrubland is in sparsely populated areas so it is disappearing at a slower pace than other areas. Agriculture, which can be destructive to this ecosystem, can also be a conservation partner. It makes a great low-maintenance rangeland if done sustainably.

Sage scrubland is an important, but unheard of ecosystem. Most people think of the Intermountain West as just drive-through or fly-over country. Eastern Washington is a million shades of brown from 30,000 feet. But while driving across eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, and northern Wyoming I was quite taken with the beauty and solitude of the seemingly endless sea of sage.

This week's information comes from US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.