Joint Fire Science SageSTEP (Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project)

Using this regional network of sites will allow us to understand the thresholds between healthy and unhealthy sagebrush communities over a broad range of conditions across the Great Basin. Management treatment effects on plants, potential for wildfire, soils and nutrients, water runoff/erosion, and birds and insects will be documented.

Additionally, an economic analysis will be conducted to assist managers in selecting optimal management strategies, and citizens’ and managers’ views about the treatments will be explored. The first experiment is focused on cheatgrass invasion (Cheatgrass Network), and the second experiment is focused on woodland encroachment (Woodland Network). Cheatgrass Network: For this experiment, sites will be located in sagebrush communities threatened by cheatgrass invasion, and we will study the effects of four land management options: control (no management action), prescribed fire, mechanical thinning of sagebrush by mowing, and herbicide application (to thin old, unproductive sagebrush plants and encourage growth of young sagebrush and native understory grasses).