The sagebrush steppe is a dry environment found in the western United States. It can be identified by the sagebrush, shrubs, and short bunch grasses that grow in it. Its name comes from the most dominant plant found in the ecosystem and "steppe," which describes a largely treeless, dry, level grassland. In Washington, the sagebrush steppe overlaps the coulee country of Eastern Washington. Binomial name Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ... A coulee (or coulée) is a deep steep-sided ravine formed by erosion, commonly found in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. ...
Historically, the Washington sagebrushsteppe was dominated by sagebrush interspersed with perennial bunchgrasses.
In particular, neither sagebrush nor perennial bunchgrasses are resistant to heavy grazing, and, after it was introduced by settlers to Washington, grazing led quickly to the colonization of disturbed steppe by plants, typically annual grasses and herbs, better-adapted to it.
Sagebrush provides winter forage for many species of animals from sage grouse to pronghorn antelope, who would otherwise starve when many other plants are covered by snow.
Until recently sagebrush was regarded as a weed that interfered with animal grazing, and large amounts of it were uprooted and destroyed.
Sagebrush is not able to recover from fire very quickly, often taking many years to repopulate a burned area.
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