South Ruby Mountains

South Ruby Mountains Site

Location:	Elko County, ~ 40 miles from Wells, NV
Land Management Agency:	USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ruby Mountains Ranger District
SageSTEP Site Manager:	Maggie Gray
Plots:	Three 50-acre core plots (Control, Burn, Mechanical)
Elevation:	6500-6700 ft
Topography:	8-31% slopes of varying aspect (N, NW, W, SW, and S)
Common Vegetation:	Utah juniper, singleleaf pinyon pine, Wyoming big sagebrush, green rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, long-leaf phlox, mat buckwheat, yellow eyed cryptantha, tailcup lupine, arrowleaf balsamroot, columbia puccoon, blue flax, long-flowered bluebells
Fire Regime:	Historical fire return interval of 30-40 years. Woodland invasion and canopy closure have significantly increased the risk of less frequent, catastrophic fire in these communities.
Representative Land Base:	Vast acreages in both the High Central and High Calcareous Provinces
Grazing:	Plots are located within active grazing allottment and will be fenced for duration of the study.
Treatments Implemented:	Fall 2008. For more information about treatments, click here.
Wildfire Activity:	50% of Mechanical Plot burned in wildfire 2019.
Unplanned Management Activity:	South Ruby control plot was inadvertedly clearcut in spring 2017, but will continue to be monitored in future. A new control plot was established in the summer of 2018, adjacent to the existing mechanical plot.

Updated 2009

Lisa Ellsworth
Project Co-coordinator
Dpt. Fisheries & Wildlife
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97330
Email
(541) 737-0008

Beth Newingham
Project Co-coordinator
GB Rangelands Research
USDA Ag. Res. Service
Reno, NV 89512
Email
(775) 784-6057 ext. 233

Lael Gilbert
Outreach Coordinator
Utah State University
5215 Old Main Hill
Logan, Utah 84322-5215
Email
(435) 797-8455