The Northern Great Basin: A Region of Continual Change

Abstract

On the Ground
• The Great Basin of the United States has
experienced large climatic fluctuations over the
past 10,000 years. Lake Bonneville (the remnant of
which is the Great Salt Lake) at one time covered
almost 20,000 square miles, which is about the
size of Lake Michigan. The fact that the region is
internally drained amplifies the effects of climatic
shifts on the Great Basin environment.
• Euro-American exploration also had dramatic effects on
the Great Basin environment. Some of the early
exploration involved intentional destruction of resources
(decimating beaver populations) to make the region less
appealing to potential competitors. The removal of
beaver would have affected riparian areas of the Great
Basin as early as the 1820s.
• The American settlement period was also fairly
destructive. The various Homestead Acts were not
designed with the Great Basin in mind and the mix of
homesteaded (private) and un-homesteaded (public)
land created a chaotic setting where the first person to
arrive used the forage. This situation persisted until the
Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.
• There are clearly reasons for concern over the
expansion of annual grasses and extensive wildfires.
However, recent planning efforts associated with
improving habitat for greater sage-grouse provide
examples where science and management have
been integrated, and there is a much needed focus
on evaluating the success of management practices.
The outcome of these efforts should be increased
accountability for those involved in rangeland
management in the northern Great Basin.

Keywords: historical change, homesteads, wildfire,
shrub steppe.