Current Projects

Restoring Habitats

Canada’s greater sage-grouse once numbered fewer than 100 individuals across Alberta and Saskatchewan. This reduction prompted a range of habitat restoration actions. To support restoration planning for this iconic species, we developed a suite of restoration models and planning tools.

We integrated vegetation and climate data with decision-support analyses to identify climate-resilient sites for long-term conservation. To visualize changes in sagebrush over time, we produced a short video and developed an interactive web viewer.

Restoration and recovery efforts included wet meadow rehabilitation and infrastructure removal. To guide these actions, we developed a suite of decision-support tools, including a mesic habitat prioritization tool and a vegetation projection model. We also collaborated with NGO partners to test micro-sized rock dams — a promising technique for restoring wet meadows critical to sage-grouse habitat.

Explore our materials below and contact us at info@ceg.group for additional info.

  • Video

    Sagebrush ecosystems are changing. What does this mean for the greater sage-grouse?

    Conservation in a changing climate demands innovative and climate-smart planning— and carefully considered spatial modeling can play a big role. In this video, we explore how scientists are using climate vulnerability analyses to assess where sagebrush ecosystems may thrive or decline over the next century.

    Discover how this information can empower land managers to plan for the long-term recovery of this endangered species.

    Check out our short video here.

  • Webviewer

    CEG’s sagebrush webviewer is an interactive tool designed to help users visualize and explore projected changes in the sagebrush ecosystem over time.

    The sagebrush webviewer is designed to support long-term ecosystem planning, by providing maps of historical sagebrush cover and projected changes in future cover in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana. The tool also includes a vulnerability map predicting areas where sagebrush may decline or thrive due to climate change by the year 2100.

    This ecosystem is crucial for the endangered greater sage-grouse and other species, but it faces threats due to land use change, industrial activity, and climate change. By using these maps in combination with other data, users can make climate-informed decisions on habitat conservation and restoration.  

    Contact us at info@ceg.group for more information.

  • Spatial Restoration Prioritization Tool

    What areas should we restore next?

    In collaboration with partners, CEG developed a user-driven tool to prioritize areas for sagebrush restoration and sage-grouse recovery actions in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. The tool contains prioritization examples for sagebrush restoration, mesic area restoration, and tree management that can be fully customized, allowing users to define multiple spatial criteria to identify candidate locations for management actions. Map outputs can be downloaded and used in external analyses and applications.

    Contact us at info@ceg.group to try out the tool.

  • Vegetation Projection Model

    Speaking of restoration, our state-and-transition model shows what actions can make the biggest difference.

    With support from partners, CEG designed a spatial vegetation projection model that forecasts the outcomes of a range of habitat restoration actions that are meant to improve habitats for the greater sage-grouse in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Specifically, we built a state-and-transition simulation model to evaluate the impact of restoring croplands and mesic areas, and removing infrastructure and trees removal on sage-grouse habitat. Our results indicate the largest habitat gains at local scales, when actions were taken in close proximity. This tool provides a framework for landscape and restoration planners to optimize restoration strategies and can guide future conservation efforts by simulating vegetation recovery under different restoration scenarios. 

  • ArcGIS StoryMap

    We developed an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap called Science in Action in the Northern Sagebrush Ecosystem, highlighting key CEG projects and actionable insights to support the recovery of Canada’s sage-grouse population.