One of the greatest upland bird hunting areas in the West, the Great Basin of Nevada and surrounding states, is in jeopardy of losing most of its sagebrush habitat and the wildlife populations that depend on sage for food and cover.
The loss of sage habitat has already cut the sage grouse population by around 15 percent, according to Shawn Espinoza, a wildlife biologist with the Nevada Division of Wildlife. While the big grouse depend on sage for food and cover, chukar, Hungarian partridge, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and valley quail also rely on sage for protection from predators and as nesting cover. All upland bird species are negatively impacted by the loss of sage.
Wildfires and an invasive grass called cheat grass are the one-two punch driving the decline in sagebrush. The fires, which are increasing in size and intensity, now convert vast areas of sage and scrub into permanent grasslands, consisting of cheat grass and few other species. Cheat grass fuels those fires and has expanded its range and density with each burn, increasing the fire risk. It has become a vicious cycle.
A recent U.S. Geological paper examining the relationship between sage grouse and fires in sagebrush habitat projected that more than 50 percent of the sage grouse population is likely to disappear in the Great Basin over the next 25 years if the cycle isn’t broken or habitat restoration isn’t accelerated.
Jim Jeffress, a retired Nevada Division of Wildlife biologist who is now president of the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation, said he “wouldn’t be a bit surprised if 60 to 70 percent of Wyoming (big) sage has been lost” already in the Great Basin.
Mike Pellant, a range scientist with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) state office, estimated that all sage and shrub habitat in the Great Basin has been reduced by more than 10 percent just since 1990.
Denne historien er fra Summer 2017-utgaven av The Upland Almanac.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2017-utgaven av The Upland Almanac.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Tailfeathers
The essence of fly fishing, I think I've decided, is time.
Ten Questions with Tim Flagler, Fly Tyer/Cook Extraordinaire
Culinary Creations from Gordon Hamersley
GREY on the Wing
Hands clutching the wheel of a large, lumbering vehicle whose vintage and purpose partially prompted the invention of \"powering steering,\" disengaged the clutch and applied the brakes, bringing it to a stop.
James Purdey & Sons Ltd.One of London's "Best"
At the conclusion of a recent breakfast meeting of the Shrewsbury Men's Club of Massachusetts, I was packing up my show-and-tell aids after giving a presentation.
WAWAWAI
I don't chase chukars anymore, but from the time I was 16, chukar hunting had been my favorite bird hunting endeavor.
A FAIR EXCHANGE
Among the concerns faced by many small community gun clubs here in the Northeast is our inability to attract and maintain new and younger shooters.
Coming to Heel
I'n the world of gun dogs, it's not unusual that retrievers are taught to heel.
Bird Dogs - Health Matters
Avoiding Medical Mishaps on the Road
MATT HART
Matt Hart, owner, designer and artist of Hartist Metals, is a highly skilled metal sculptor based in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York.
Luigi Franchi Imperial Monte Carlo Extra: One of Italy's "Best" SxS Doubles
As on London’s gun-maker’s row, Italians had skilled craftsmen who made “Best” guns of superb quality