A 6-yr combined measurement and modeling study is conducted to explore differences in snow distribution, water availability, and annual water balances between juniper-dominated and sagebrush-dominated catchments. The goal of this study is to better understand how juniper encroachment affects water availability for ecohydrologic processes and associated wildlife habitat in snow-dominated sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems. The impacts of juniper encroachment on critical ecohydrological relationships among snow distribution, water budgets, plant community transitions, and habitat requirements for wildlife, such as the greater sage grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus), remain poorly understood. Western Juniper ( Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) has greatly expanded in the past 150 + years and now dominates over 3.6 million ha of rangeland in the Intermountain Western United States.
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