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

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.