Experimental treatments were conducted across SageSTEP study sites. Treatments were slightly different by network type: shrubland or woodland. Treatments were initiated to determine what amount of native sagebrush and perennial bunchgrasses is needed in the understory of a sagebrush community to resist unwanted ecosystem change with various disturbances.
Treatment Descriptions
Prescribed fire
Prescribed fire treatments occurred at plots in both the shrubland and woodland networks. All sites were thoroughly burned even if fuel and weather conditions made follow-up burning necessary.
Wildfire
Naturally occurring wildfires burned over various study sites and treatments plots, providing the opportunity to evaluate layered treatments for the project. Many more wildfires burned the shrubland network sites than woodland network sites.
Cutting
(Woodland only)
All trees greater than 1.5 feet tall were cut using a chainsaw in the woodlands sites. Woody fuel was left where it fell in the treated plots.
Mastication
(Woodland only)
An additional mechanical treatment of tree mastication using a Bull Hog™ was applied at woodland sites located in Utah as the request of local land owners and managers.
Mowing
(Shrubland only)
Mowing treatments reduced the height of existing vegetation to approximately 12 inches.
Herbicide
(Shrubland only)
Tebuthiron is a non-selective, broad-spectrum herbicide for controlling woody and herbaceous weeds. It was combined with imazapic for integrated weed management.
Control
Both networks have untreated controls that help us track changes in the area unrelated to treatments.
Treatment Applications
Woodland Network
Prescribed fire
Fall 2006: Marking Corral, Onaqui, Bridge Creek, Walker Butte
Fall 2007: Blue Mountain, Devine Ridge, Greenville Bench, Scipio, Seven Mile, Stansbury
Fall 2008: South Ruby
Cutting
Fall 2006: Marking Corral, Onaqui, Bridge Creek, Walker Butte
Fall 2007: Blue Mountain, Devine Ridge, Greenville Bench, Scipio, Seven Mile, Stansbury
Fall 2008: Saddle Mountain, South Ruby
Mastication
Fall 2006: Onaqui
Fall 2007: Greenville Bench, Scipio, Stansbury
Shrubland Network
Prescribed fire
Fall 2007: Rock Creek, Roberts
Fall 2008: Gray Butte, Owyhee, Saddle Mountain
Fall 2009: Moses Coulee
Mowing
Fall 2006: Onaqui
Fall 2007: Rock Creek, Roberts
Fall 2008: Gray Butte, Moses Coulee, Owyhee, Saddle Mountain
Herbicide
Fall 2006: Onaqui
Fall 2007: Rock Creek, Roberts
Fall 2008: Gray Butte, Moses Coulee, Owyhee, Saddle Mountain
Post-Treatment Disturbances
Post-treatment wildfires help us understand how fuel treatments interact with wildfire and post-fire recovery.
Woodland Network
Wildfire
August 2010: Stansbury
Shrubland Network
Wildfire
July 2010: Roberts (partial)
July 2018: Owyhee
September 2019: Rock Creek
September 2020: Moses Coulee