Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) poses both a challenge and an opportunity for natural resource management in the rangelands of the northern Great Basin. The continued expansion of western juniper on the rangelands of the interior Northwest will likely continue as there are currently no practical options for returning this area...
Protracted drought in the southwest U.S. has had significant impacts on the region’s keystone ecosystem, the pinyon-juniper (PJ) woodlands. Drought conditions in 9 of the last 10 years, exacerbated by extreme drought in one year, stressed the pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) trees, making them highly vulnerable to native ips beetles...
Pinyon-juniper woodlands throughout the western U.S. have expanded rapidly following European settlement during the late 19th century. In central and eastern Oregon, western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis var. occidentalis Hook.) encroachment has been previously documented in the sagebrush steppe and upper elevation aspen communities. While these vegetation changes and dynamics have...
A Study conducted at The Island, Lake Billy Chinook, in Central Oregon, examined
differences in the pattern of soil properties between a sagebrush-grass and a juniper-sagebrush-grass community. Juniper invasion is linked with the desertification
process in which the sagebrush shrubs and perennial grasses decline. Patterns in soil
nutrients and other...