Upland plant communities, which include sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), and juniper-mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) communities, are of interest to resource managers in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA), located in northeast Wyoming, for at least two reasons. First, these communities have been heavily impacted by both historical and modern human activity; and second, the quality and abundance of key plant species in these communities are considered indicators of overall rangeland health (Ricketts et al. 2004, BLM et al. 2008).