Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato
Abstract
The increase in density and distribution of juniper (Juniperus spp.) in sagebrush communities throughout the Western United States, primarily as a result of fire suppression and historic over-grazing, has raised concerns among land managers and ranchers due to the detrimental effects of juniper on livestock forage species, and wildlife habitat. Juniper may dominate sagebrush communities because it may decrease understory plant cover and is more proficient in accessing deep soil waters than common competitors in the area. The main objective of this study was to examine how removal of juniper by mechanical means may affect species richness and abundance of forbs in the immediate surrounding area. We estimated species richness and abundance of forbs in three treatments: live juniper, removed juniper (stump present with masticated juniper materials), and non-juniper (no live juniper tree or stump present). Removed juniper sites had 62% more species than live sites (
