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Data from: Trajectories and drivers of compositional and functional variation in sagebrush steppe restoration

Wessel, Sienna1; Jones, Laura2; Kramer, Erik2; Shoemaker, Lauren1; Laughlin, Daniel1

Research facility: Grand Teton National Park
Published Jun 23, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cjsxksnnt

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Abstract

Restoration outcomes are often variable and can fall short of targets due to poorly understood factors, especially in arid ecosystems. Identifying the drivers of variation during community assembly is critical for achieving restoration outcomes. Community trajectories and levels of recovery could be contingent on conditions at the time of establishment, a point at which practitioners may have the most control, though we currently lack a predictive understanding of these factors. Furthermore, it has been proposed that functional traits will respond more predictably than compositional metrics and could improve forecasts of restoration outcomes. Here, we use NMDS ordination and mixed effects models to evaluate sagebrush steppe restoration trajectories across 13 sites and 11 years. We compare the relative importance of time since restoration (age) and establishment conditions (soil, seed mix, establishment-year climate) to variation in restoration outcomes. Most compositional and trait metrics responded predictably through time, with sites converging with each other towards reference conditions despite differences at establishment. However, communities fell short of or overshot reference targets after 11 years, reaching a maximum 15 % compositional similarity and 69 % functional similarity compared to reference sites. Restored communities were dominated by native and exotic graminoid species, corresponding with a conservative and drought-tolerant composition of species with high leaf dry matter content and low turgor loss point. Restoration outcomes and convergence toward reference sites were contingent upon establishment year climate (year effects), soil sand content (site effects), and, to a lesser degree, seed mix design. These establishment effects on restoration trajectories often persisted or increased in strength over 11 years. Practical implication: Full restoration may require many more decades, but practitioners could speed success and increase control over outcomes by designing soil-specific seed mixes and scheduling seed sowing or post-seeding management to match short and long-term climate forecasts. When restoration efforts fall short of targets or lead to undesirable stable states, practitioners may improve recovery through actions such as supplemental targeted planting of desired shrub and forb species to redirect successional trajectories. Seed mixes with a higher proportion of forbs and shrubs to graminoids should be further tested.