Sagebrush conversion projects: An element of contemporary environmental change in the Western United States

Over 40 million ha of the western United States support a vegetative cover of big sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata. The meagre grass understory beneath the woody shrubs offers scant forage for range cattle, the primary economic product of the region. In order to improve grass supplies, both government agencies and private ranchers have undertaken a continuing programme of shrub eradication and grass planting. Various problems arise from this transformation of brushlands into grasslands, including questions of accelerated erosion, herbicide residues, and declining wildlife populations. If planned to produce a heterogeneous plant cover, however, sagebrush conversion projects could improve habitat for both domestic livestock and wildlife, while also maintaining a healthy range ecosystem.