Forbs and Greater Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration Efforts: Suggestions for Improving Commercial Seed Availability and Restoration Practices

Michael F. Curran, Taylor M. Crow, Kristina M. Hufford, Peter D. Stahl

Abstract


On the Ground:
• Greater sage-grouse are the species of concern in
the largest conservation effort in US history and
have populations spanning 11 western states.
Restoration of sage-grouse habitat will assist
these conservation efforts.
• It is known that forbs are critical to sage-grouse
diets, but only isolated studies have measured forbs
in the diet at a species- or genera-specific level
and little is known about sage-grouse preference
to forbs.
• Research has shown that local seed sources promote
successful reestablishment of vegetation communities,
although commercial seed sources for forb
species used in sage-grouse diet often are lacking.
• We make suggestions for selecting forb species and
improving seed sources for sage-grouse conservation.

Keywords: sage-grouse conservation, seed source
availability, restoration ecology, sage-grouse diet, sagegrouse
habitat restoration, Native Seed Network.


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