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Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystem
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 A
sagebrush-steppe is a type of dry habitat characterized by
sagebrush and other shrubs and short grasses. The INL
lies in the largest sagebrush-steppe in North America.
The name
"sagebrush-steppe" comes from sagebrush, which is
the most abundant plant species that grows in this ecosystem
and "steppe," which is a word describing
a large, dry, level, grassland having few or no trees.
In the Snake River Plain,
shrub-steppe winters are cold and wet with strong winds and
blowing snow. Summers are hot and dry with temperatures that
can reach above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, then
cool at night. Less than 7 inches of rain falls per year.
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Plants of INL
Sagebrush-Steppe
INL's
sagebrush steppe may be dominated by either Wyoming
big sagebrush or basin big sagebrush, or by both. Most
sagebrush steppe has an abundance of perennial
grasses.
Other shrubs on INL's
sagebrush steppe include:
More
information on INL's flora: www.stoller-eser.com/Flora/
Wildlife in the
Sagebrush-Steppe
The INL is 890 square miles
of important habitat for many wildlife species.
Pronghorn
Antelope are year-round residents on the INL,
though in severe winter seasons pronghorns from throughout the
state and as far away as Montana migrate to the INL.
During the early 1980s, elk
were considered only vagrant on the INL, but by 1988, 180
animals considered the INL home. The elk population on
the INL today is estimated at over 300 animals. In
fact, elk are the second most abundant ungulate on the INL.
Sage
grouse winter on the INL. The largely
undisturbed sagebrush steppe of the INL is excellent habitat
for the birds. Many stay through spring to breed and
nest before migrating to the mountain valleys of Birch Creek
and the Little Lost River for the summer.
The Black-tailed
Jackrabbit is a member of the hare family. Its fur
is a dark buff color that is peppered with black. It has
distinctive long ears tipped with black and a prominent black
stripe that runs from its rump to the top of its tail.
Black-tailed jackrabbit is the most widely distributed
jackrabbit in North America. Most of the rabbits
observed on the INL are black-tailed jackrabbits.
INL is
also home to several sagebrush
obligates. Sagebrush obligates are animals
that cannot survive without plenty of sagebrush and its
associated perennial grasses and forbs.
- Sage
Grouse
- Brewer's
Sparrow
- Sage
Thrasher
- Sage
Sparrow
- Pygmy
Rabbit
- Sagebrush
Lizard
- Sagebrush
Vole
- Pronghorn
Antelope
INL Species Lists: www.stoller-eser.com/species_index.htm
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