Low - Black Sagebrush Shrubland
Global Name:
Intermountain Low & Black Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland
Global Rank:
G4G5
State Rank:
S4
(see reason below)
External Links
State Rank Reason
This group has experienced some decreases in extent and condition. Continued threats from non-native species and grazing practices are a concern though these are generally low to moderate in scope and severity. The relatively large Range Extent and Area of Occupancy ameliorate the current vulnerability of the type.
General Description
This National Vegetation Classification Group is characterized by low shrubs (<20 inches tall), primarily either Black Sagebrush (Artemisia nova) or Low Sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) often with a significant component of perennial grasses. Areas dominated by Fringed Sage (Artemisia frigida) are also included within this group. Shrub cover is mostly sparse or open, generally ranging between 10 and 30%, occasionally higher. It occurs in southwest and south-central Montana on sites that are gently to moderately sloping, particularly on dry, windswept hills and ridges, predominantly on southerly aspects. This is a minor type in Montana occurring as small to large patches. Typical sites are gently rolling hills and long, gently sloping pediments and fans. These sites are very windy and have shallow, often rocky soils. Rock and gravel cover much of the unvegetated ground surface. Soils are typically shallow, silts or clays, and derived from limestone or shale parent materials. The distinguishing feature of this group is a short-shrub stratum in which dwarf-shrubs (<20 inches tall) contribute at least two-thirds of the woody canopy. Black Sage (Artemisia nova) is the more common dominant in this group. In southwestern Montana, Low Sage (Artemisia arbuscula) may be the dominant, often found on restrictive clay soils that inhibit root depth and create a perched water table. Big Sagebrush (primarily Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) may be present within this community. Generally, this type is characterized as steppe vegetation, occurring in areas where precipitation and soil conditions are limiting tree growth. In Montana, this type often grades into or is adjacent to Limber Pine communities.
This group is equivalent to the Low Sagebrush Shrubland Ecological System.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Arid, Shrub-Steppe; Open, Low Shrub Community; Rocky or Gravelly Sites with Shallow, Calcareous, Clay or Silty Soils; Windswept Benches, Ridges, Gentle Slopes, and Alluvial Fans.
Typical Dominants: Black Sage (Artemisia nova); Low Sage (Artemisia arbuscula); Fringed Sage (Artemisia frigida)
Similar Systems
Range
This group occurs in southwest and southcentral Montana. At the northern end of its range, it occurs in the Elkhorn Mountains south of Helena and northeast of Roundup in Musselshell County. It is most abundant in portions of Beaverhead, Madison and Carbon Counties. In Carbon County it is common and widespread on portions of the eastern flank of the Beartooth range on outwash fans and lower slopes, and along the southerly-facing flank of the Pryor Mountains. Black sage dominated types occur throughout the range of the type in MT while Low Sage is primarily limited to Beaverhead County and surrounding areas.
In Montana, G308 occurs within these Level III Ecoregions: 17 (Middle Rockies) and 18 (Wyoming Basin)
In Montana, G308 occurs within these Major Land Resource Areas: 32 - Northern Intermountain Desertic Basins, 43B - Central Rocky Mountains, 44B - Central Rocky Mountain Valleys, the southern portion of 46 - Northern and Central Rocky Mountain Foothills
Density and Distribution
Based on 2025 land cover layer. Grid on map is based on USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle map boundaries.
Mapped Distribution by County
Beaverhead, Big Horn, Carbon, Gallatin, Madison, Silver Bow
Based on 2025 land cover layer.
Spatial Pattern
Small Patch and Large Patch
Environment
This group occupies arid sites that are mostly gently to moderately sloping, especially on dry, windswept hills and ridges and on southerly-facing slopes. Sites range in elevation from 3,500 feet (1070 meters) in Musselshell County and 4,000 feet in Carbon County up to 9,000 feet (2,740 meters) in southern Beaverhead County. Black Sage dominated communities range from the lowest elevations up to about 7,500 feet. Whereas Low Sage dominated types occur primarily above 6,000 feet. Soils are shallow, gravelly, often derived from limestone or shale and high in calcium carbonate. Sites are often characterized by a subsurface that is impermeable or has bedrock near the surface (Wambolt and Frisina 2002). Soils are usually silts or clays. Exposed rock, gravel and bare soil are common in this type. Though slopes are usually gentle, they have been documented to occur on slopes as steep as 37% (Mueggler and Stewart 1980).
Vegetation
The low shrubs Black Sage or Low Sage are dominant and the characteristic species of the type. Overall shrub cover is generally between 10-30% in this type. Grass cover is often higher than shrub cover with a range of 20-75% while forb cover is often much less than grass cover but varies widely from 2-60% cover (Mueggler and Stewart 1980). Other shrubs are usually very limited in these communities with Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) the only species that may occasionally occupy up to about 10% cover. Areas dominated by the dwarf-shrub, Fringed Sage (Artemisia frigida) are also included within this group, though such areas are usually very limited in extent. Other shrubs and dwarf-shrubs that routinely occur in these communities, although with very sparse cover, include Green Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus), Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata), Broom Snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), Plains Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha), and Gray Horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens).
Grasses are often important components of the community with Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Elymus spicatus), Prairie Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), and Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) typically the most common components. Other species that are often present though at very low coverages include Sandberg’s Bluegrass (Poa secunda), Needle-and-Thread (Stipa comata), and Indian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides). The sedge Carex duriuscula is often present as well.
The forb component of these communities may be diverse but is mostly limited to low-growing and cushion species. Forb diversity will be most obvious in the first half of the growing season but will appear much more depauperate later in the season as conditions dry and the species whither. Common components include Antennaria species (A. rosea and A. umbrinella), Fleabanes (Erigeron sp.), Hood’s Phlox (Phlox hoodii), and Flax (Linum lewisii). Dozens of other species are often found within these habitats.
Adjacent habitats may support grasslands, woodlands or other upland shrub communities. These may form abrupt or gradual transitions depending upon landscape position, topographical features and soil conditions. Adjacent types will often occur on sites with deeper soils and/or more available moisture. Typical Low or Black Sagebrush habitat is generally drier and rockier than that of Big Sagebrush and other adjacent communities. Woodland communities adjacent to Low and Black Sagebrush include Foothills Limber Pine - Juniper Woodland, Montane - Subalpine Limber Pine Woodland, and Dry Douglas-fir Forest & Woodland. Grassland and shrubland types that grade into or occur adjacent to Low - Black Sagebrush communities include Rocky Mountain Low Elevation - Dry Grassland, Montane - Subalpine Dry Grassland, Rabbitbrush - Arid Steppe and Shrubland, Basin & Wyoming Big (Threetip) Sagebrush Shrubland, Mountain Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Within MT, this Group is represented by four Alliances and nine Associations within the National vegetation Classification. These likely encompass most, if not all, of the community diversity present in this type.
National Vegetation Classification
Download the complete NVC hierarchy for Montana
TT5 B05 Desert and Semi-desert
TT5.a S61 Cool Semi-desert
TT5.a1 F121 Cool Desert and Semi-desert Shrub-Steppe
TT5.a1.Na D040 Western North American Cool Semi-Desert Scrub and Grassland
TT5.a1.Na.2 M170 Great Basin-Intermountain Dwarf Sagebrush Steppe
TT5.a1.Na.2.b G308 Intermountain Low and Black Sagebrush Steppe
A2565 Artemisia frigida Dwarf-shrubland Alliance
CEGL008897 Artemisia frigida / Pseudoroegneria spicata Dwarf-shrubland
A3219 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula Shrub Steppe Alliance
CEGL001409 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Grassland
CEGL001412 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrub Grassland
A3221 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba Shrub Steppe Alliance
CEGL001416 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrub Grassland
CEGL001522 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Grassland
CEGL002585 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba / Elymus lanceolatus Shrubland
A3222 Artemisia nova Shrub Steppe Alliance
CEGL001424 Artemisia nova / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrubland
CEGL001524 Artemisia nova / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Grassland
CEGL008952 Artemisia nova - Artemisia tripartita ssp. rupicola - Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba Dwarf-shrubland
A4122 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. thermopola - Artemisia papposa / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Steppe Alliance
CEGL001540 Artemisia tripartita ssp. rupicola / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Grassland
*Disclaimer: Some Alliances and Associations are considered provisional. Some require further documentation to verify their occurrence in the state
and some may be modified or deleted in future revisions after collection of additional data and information.
Dynamic Processes
This group usually occurs in a patchy mosaic with other woodland, sagebrush and grassland communities. Low and Black Sagebrush shrublands generally occur on the driest, most windswept sites with the shallowest soils relative to shrublands dominated by other sagebrush species. Low and Black Sagebrush are easily killed by fire and the plants do not resprout (Wright et al 1979). Heavy grazing pressure will also lead to a decrease in perennial grasses and potentially to an increase in cheatgrass. Sites invaded by cheatgrass may have altered dynamics including increased fire potential, severity and spread.
Management
Excessive grazing may result in a decrease in perennial grass cover and an increase in less palatable forbs and shrubs. It may also contribute to the invasion of and/or increase in cheatgrass.
Restoration Considerations
Information on restoration considerations of these communities is lacking at this time.
Species Associated with this Community
- How Lists Were Created and Suggested Uses and Limitations
Animal Species Associations
Please note that while all vertebrate species have been systematically associated with vegetation communities, only a handful of invertebrate species have been associated with vegetation communities and invertebrates lists for each vegetation community should be regarded as incomplete. Animal species associations with natural vegetation communities that they regularly breed or overwinter in or migrate through were made by:
- Using personal observations and reviewing literature that summarize the breeding, overwintering, or migratory habitat requirements of each species (Dobkin 1992, Hart et al. 1998, Hutto and Young 1999, Maxell 2000, Werner et al. 2004, Adams 2003, and Foresman 2012);
- Evaluating structural characteristics and distribution of each vegetation community relative to the species' range and habitat requirements;
- Examining the observation records for each species in the state-wide point observation database associated with each vegetation community;
- Calculating the percentage of observations associated with each vegetation community relative to the percent of Montana covered by each vegetation community to get a measure of "observations versus availability of habitat".
Species that breed in Montana were only evaluated for breeding habitat use. Species that only overwinter in Montana were only evaluated for overwintering habitat use. Species that only migrate through Montana were only evaluated for migratory habitat use. In general, species are listed as associated with a vegetation community if it contains structural characteristics known to be used by the species. However, species are not listed as associated with a vegetation community if we found no support in the literature for the species’ use of structural characteristics of the community even if point observations were associated with it. If you have any questions or comments on animal species associations with vegetation communities, please contact the Montana Natural Heritage Program's Senior Zoologist.
Plant Species Associations
Please note that while diagnostic, dominant, or codominant vascular plant species for a vegetation community have been systematically assigned to those communities and vascular plant Species of Concern were systematically evaluated for their associations with vegetation communities, the majority of Montana’s vascular plant species have not been evaluated for their associations with vegetation communities and no attempt has been made to associate non-vascular plants, fungi, or lichens with vegetation communities. Plant species associations with natural vegetation communities were made in a manner similar to that described above for animals, but with review of Lesica et al. (2022) and specimen collection data from the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria. If you have any questions or comments on plant species associations with vegetation communities, please contact the Montana Natural Heritage Program's Program Botanist.
Suggested Uses and Limitations
Species associations with vegetation communities should be used to generate potential lists of species that may occupy broader landscapes for the purposes of landscape-level planning. These potential lists of species should not be used in place of documented occurrences of species or predicted habitat suitability models (this information can be requested at: https://mtnhp.mt.gov/requests/), or systematic surveys for species and onsite evaluations of habitat by trained biologists. Users of this information should be aware that the land cover data used to generate species associations is based on satellite imagery from 2016 and was only intended to be used at broader landscape scales. Land cover mapping accuracy is particularly problematic when the vegetation communities occur as small patches or where the land cover types have been altered over the past decade. Thus, particular caution should be used when using the associations in assessments of smaller areas (e.g., evaluations of public land survey sections). Finally, although a species may be associated with a particular vegetation community within its known geographic range, portions of that vegetation community may occur outside of the species' known geographic range.
Literature Cited
- Adams, R.A. 2003. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West; natural history, ecology, and conservation. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado. 289 p.
- Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria. https://www.pnwherbaria.org/ Last accessed May 30, 2025.
- Dobkin, D. S. 1992. Neotropical migrant land birds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region. Publication No. R1-93-34. Missoula, MT.
- Foresman, K.R. 2012. Mammals of Montana. Second edition. Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, Montana. 429 pp.
- Hart, M.M., W.A. Williams, P.C. Thornton, K.P. McLaughlin, C.M. Tobalske, B.A. Maxell, D.P. Hendricks, C.R. Peterson, and R.L. Redmond. 1998. Montana atlas of terrestrial vertebrates. Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. 1302 p.
- Hutto, R.L. and J.S. Young. 1999. Habitat relationships of landbirds in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-32. 72 p.
- Lesica P., M. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of vascular plants, 2nd Edition. Brit Press. 779 p.
- Maxell, B.A. 2000. Management of Montana's amphibians: a review of factors that may present a risk to population viability and accounts on the identification, distribution, taxonomy, habitat use, natural history, and the status and conservation of individual species. Report to U.S. Forest Service Region 1. Missoula, MT: Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana. 161 p.
- Werner, J.K., B.A. Maxell, P. Hendricks, and D. Flath. 2004. Amphibians and reptiles of Montana. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. 262 p.
- Species of Concern Associated with this Community
Vascular Plants
Mammals
Birds
- Diagnostic, Dominant, or Codominant Plant Species for this Community
Vascular Plants
- Other Native Species Commonly Associated with this Community
Vascular Plants
Original Concept Authors
K.A. Schulz 2015
Version Date
12/5/2024
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Mueggler, W. F. and W. L. Stewart. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-66, Intermountain Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah. 154 pp.
Wambolt, C. L., K. S. Walhof and M. R. Frisina. 2001. Recovery of big sagebrush communities after burning in southwestern Montana. Journal of Environmental Management 61: 243-252.- Wright, H. A., L. F. Neuenschwander, and C. M. Britton. 1979. The role and use of fire in sagebrush-grass and pinyon-juniper plant communities: A state of the art review. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report INT-58. Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Ogden, UT.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Knight, D. H., G. P. Jones, Y. Akashi, and R. W. Myers. 1987. Vegetation ecology in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Unpublished report prepared for the USDI National Park Service and University of Wyoming-National Park Service Research.
- Shiflet, T. N., editor. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Society for Range Management. Denver, CO. 152 pp.
- West, N. E. 1983a. Great Basin-Colorado Plateau sagebrush semi-desert. Pages 331-349 in: N. E. West, editor. Temperate deserts and semi-deserts. Ecosystems of the world, Volume 5. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam.
- West, N. E. 1983c. Western Intermountain sagebrush steppe. Pages 351-374 in: N. E. West, editor. Temperate deserts and semi-deserts. Ecosystems of the world, Volume 5. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam.
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