K.P. Burnham C.E. Braun S.J. Oyler-McCance 2001 <p>The decline in abundance of the newly recognized Gunnison sage grouse (<i>Centrocercus minimus</i>) in southwestern Colorado is thought to be linked to loss and fragmentation of its habitat, sagebrush (<i>Artemisia</i>) vegetation. We documented changes in sagebrush-dominated areas between the 1950s and 1990s by comparing low level aerial photographs taken in these time periods. We documented a loss of 20% or 155,673 ha of sagebrush-dominated areas in southwestern Colorado between 1958 and 1993. The amount of sagebrush-dominated area was much higher and loss rates were much lower in the Gunnison Basin. We also found that 37% of plots sampled underwent substantial fragmentation of sagebrush vegetation. If current trends of habitat loss and fragmentation continue, Gunnison sage grouse (and perhaps other sagebrush-steppe obligates) may become extinct. Protecting the remaining habitat from further loss and fragmentation is paramount to the survival of this species.</p> application/pdf 10.2307/3672428 en Southwestern Association of Naturalists Influence of changes in sagebrush on Gunnison sage grouse in Southwestern Colorado article