Species Spotlight: Big Sagebrush

Dale Nibbe

voices

Helen Harbin, ONDA Board Member

“I connect with Oregon’s high desert through my feet, my eyes, my sense of smell, and all the things I hear. Getting out there is a whole body experience.” Supporting ONDA, Helen says, not only connects her with wild landscapes, but is also a good investment. “I felt like if I gave them $20, they might squeeze $23 out of it.”

fact

Badger

Badgers are generally nocturnal, but, in remote areas with no human encroachment, they are routinely observed foraging during the day. They prefer open areas with grasslands, which can include parklands, farms, and treeless areas with crumbly soil and a supply of rodent prey.

Badgers are born blind, furred, and helpless. Their eyes open at four to six weeks.

Latin name: Taxidea taxus

fact

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

Bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Blue Mountains to the north, Oregon’s high desert covers approximately 24,000 square miles. Annual rainfall in the high desert varies from 5 to 14 inches. The average elevation is 4,000 feet; at 9,733 feet, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in Oregon’s high desert. The terrain of the high desert was mostly formed by a series of lava flows that occurred between 30 and 10 million years ago.

Sources: The Oregon Encyclopedia; Wikipedia

Wildflowers, like these paintbrush, balsamroot and phlox, thrive alongside big sagebrush

Rachel Renne

Big sagebrush is evergreen and able to photosynthesize during winter.

Rachel Renne

Strange, but true: mountain big sagebrush leaves glow bright blue under a blacklight.

Rachel Renne

The way big sagebrush marks the passing of each season is also subtle, with slight, but important changes that allow it to thrive in its harsh environment. In winter, its evergreen leaves usually remain partially uncovered by snow, allowing it to photosynthesize on warmer days. When water is abundant in the spring, this shrub grows both small, perennial leaves and big, ephemeral leaves to gather and store energy. When temperatures increase and water becomes scarce, big sagebrush sheds the larger leaves and assumes a more frugal affect to wait out the hot, dry summer. At the same time, it shifts its efforts to growing stems that will support hundreds of tiny yellow flowers in the fall. Although this happens when water is scarce, these stems efficiently photosynthesize and can contribute energy to their own growth.

Whenever you find yourself in the company of this stalwart western shrub, keep an eye out for wildflowers (and wildlife) and take note of its seasonal adaptation. As you hike stretches of the Oregon Desert Trail, try to imagine how big sagebrush is quietly engineering the water and nutrients beneath your feet.

About the Author: Rachel R. Renne is a PhD student studying big sagebrush ecosystems at the Yale School of the Environment, a long-distance hiker and a volunteer with Oregon Natural Desert Association.

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