Function over form: the benefits of aspen for Greater Sage-grouse
Michel T. Kohl, Associate Professor of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Extension Specialist, University of Georgia
David Dahlgren, Associate Professor and Rangeland Wildlife Extension Specialist, Utah State University
Sage-grouse, and their elaborate springtime breeding displays, are an icon of Western landscapes. Yet, sage-grouse (a sagebrush obligate species) have been facing decades-long declines due to the loss of habitat. Historically, the species ranged across 13 western states and two Canadian provinces. Today, they occur across \u3c 50% of that range, and abundance has declined 80% since 1965 and almost 40% since 2002. Despite this, it was determined in 2015 that the sage-grouse did not warrant Endangered Species protection due to the strength of wide-spread collaborative conservation actions
