Guest Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Schuyler
Although wildfire is a natural process in sagebrush ecosystems, fire severity and frequency have changed substantially in recent years. The interaction between fire suppression, certain land-management practices and the invasion of non-native grasses has led to an increase in the frequency of wildfires that has significant impacts on sagebrush-dependent species such as the Greater sage grouse. Grouse are members of the family that includes quail, turkeys, chickens and pheasants.
Dr. Lizz Schuyler of Oregon State University has been studying the effects of a large scale wildfire on Greater sage grouse in the Trout Mountains of Oregon and Nevada. She is a veteran of many field seasons studying how habitat disturbances and climate influence population dynamics of harvestable species such as deer and grouse.