Pinyon-Juniper – Conifer Encroachment Education Project

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are an important ecosystem with their own dynamics, values, and threats. Consider these resources to learn more.

Although woodlands are expanding or infilling in some places, they are declining in others. See this report from the Intermountain West Joint Venture to learn about primary threats to pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Drought is a major threat to pinyon-juniper woodlands, but appropriate actions depend on historical and current vegetation, future climate suitability, habitat and resource values, and more (Redmond et al. 2023).
Pinyon-juniper woodlands vary substantially across their range, with different disturbance regimes playing out across persistent woodlands, pinyon-juniper savannas, and wooded shrublands. Management actions should consider these differences (Romme et al. 2009).

Pinyon Jays are a woodland-obligate species of conservation concern. Consider these resources to learn more.

Pinyon jays use a variety of habitat types across the landscape, including pinyon-juniper and sagebrush species along the ecotone between these ecosystems (Boone et al., 2018).
Optimization models that balance pinyon-juniper and sagebrush habitat provide critical insights for conifer management where pinyon jays and sagebrush-obligate species overlap (Reinhardt et al. 2024).
Research shows that most conifer management done on private lands through the Sage Grouse Initiative avoided pinyon jay habitat demonstrating that sage grouse and pinyon jay conservation do not have to compete (Tack et al. 2024).
Information about pinyon jay habitat use and demographics is growing, and land managers are working with researchers and state wildlife agencies to understand how this information can inform vegetation management.