Oregon’s Sagebrush Species

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Bobcat

Found only in North America, where it is the most common wildcat, the bobcat takes its common name from its stubby, or “bobbed,” tail. The cats range in length from two to four feet and weigh 14 to 29 pounds. Bobcats mainly hunt rabbits and hares, but they will also eat rodents, birds, bats, and even adult deer.

Latin name: Lynx rufus fasciatus

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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

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.”

Pygmy Rabbit

North America’s smallest rabbit species, pygmy rabbit weigh a quarter to half pound and measure about the size of a grapefruit. Pygmy rabbits depend on sagebrush for food and shelter. Despite their small size, pygmys dig their own burrows, typically at the base of a sagebrush shrub. Reduced sagebrush habitats threatens pygmy rabbit populations. The species was recently petitioned for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Greater Sage-Grouse

An iconic species native to Oregon’s high desert, the greater sage-grouse thrives in healthy sagebrush steppe. This charismatic ambassador of the Sagebrush Sea, known for its elaborate mating displays, is a favorite for wildlife watchers in Oregon and from around the world. Unfortunately, the species has suffered an 80 percent decline rangewide since 1965. In Oregon, numbers dipped to the lowest ever recorded in 2019.

Pronghorn

Unique to North America, pronghorn are found throughout the open plains and grasslands of the Sagebrush Sea. Undisputedly the fastest mammal on the continent, pronghorn adapted long ago to outrun the now-extinct American cheetah. Pronghorn almost followed the way of the American cheetah, declining to as few as 10,000 to 15,000 individuals in the early 20th century. Decades of conservation efforts have saved the pronghorn, though the species will require continued attention into the future.

Redband Trout

Unique to high desert streams, redband trout have adapted to flourish in arid landscapes, developing a greater tolerance for high water temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen levels than most other trout. Still, the species needs abundant, cool water characteristic of healthy streams to survive long-term. Unfortunately, redband trout populations are struggling across large parts of the desert due to diminished streamflow and habitat loss.

California Bighorn Sheep

Once ranging far and wide in the West, the California subspecies of bighorn was reintroduced and continues to make their home in Oregon’s high desert— though finding them is certainly a challenge. They favor rocky ridges and river canyons in some of the most remote corners of the region. In the 1800s, nearly all populations in North America were wiped out, primarily due to unregulated hunting. Today, California bighorn sheep, now numbering 4,000 statewide, are closely managed and monitored.

Beaver

Serving as nature’s ecosystem engineers, beavers are invaluable streamside habitat developers, playing a vital role in the health and resilience of desert waterways, to the benefit of fish, other wildlife and a huge diversity of desert plants. Heavy trapping in the era of European settlement nearly eliminated beavers from the high desert. Fortunately, their populations are beginning to stabilize and special efforts are underway to restore beavers to desert waterways in need of their ecosystem services.

ONDA’s efforts to bolster native plants beavers use for food and shelter are happily increasing the species’ once-declining range again. This population uptick puts beavers back to work restoring desert creeks and rivers which in turn improves habitat for fish, such as the redband trout.

ONDA has developed our Desert Wildlife conservation campaign to make the most of an unprecedented opportunity now before us. To ensure a future for these magnificent fish and wildlife and the habitats they need, ONDA is advocating for wildlife protections along with improved land management, preservation of wildlands, regulation of recreational opportunities and other steps. This will include investing in efforts to shape several state and federal wildlife plans that will identify and protect key wildlife habitats and migration corridors. And efforts like our Owyhee Canyonlands campaign, an initiative to protect than 1 million acres of desert land, offer even more opportunities to support Oregon desert wildlife.

Advocacy

Each of ONDA’s primary programs works to ensure that these fragile species and the ecosystems they depend on for survival are protected.

There are several ways we as individuals can aid in providing healthy homes for diverse populations of fish and wildlife. For starters, consider getting out in the desert to give it some care. Taking part in a stewardship trip is one way to improve the health of the desert in a hands-on way. For a longer lasting impact, engaging in advocacy actions is a way to speak up for the lands and wildlife you love by encouraging lawmakers to take permanent action to protect the high desert.

Photo Credits: Pygmy Rabbit – Peter Lancaster, Greater Sage-Grouse – Chris Christie, Pronghorn – Tara Lemezis, California Bighorn Sheep – Shannon Phifer, Beaver – Michael S. Quinton

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