The Rocky Mountains of the western United States contain many economically important natural resources. Increasing development of these resources has lead to land degradation, which often requires restoration efforts. A common type of disturbance in this region is mineral extraction and these activities often occur in zones of vegetation dominated by shrubs. These mined lands have proven to be particularly challenging to restore to native shrub cover. Mountain shrubland species such as big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), black chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos sp.) are crucial species for wildlife in this region due to the seasonal dependence of many wildlife species on the mountain shrubland zones. The development of successful restoration techniques for these key shrub species is therefore important for the continued and sustainable utilization of natural resources in the Rocky Mountains.The purpose of this literature review is to provide a reference to land managers working on woody plant establishment on mining disturbances in mountain shrublands in the Rocky Mountains. This review covers the biology, ecology, and propagation of six shrub species that are of primary importance for meeting regulatory compliance in this region. Based upon this survey of the published literature, we conclude that successful establishment of these species has most often involved: (1) utilization of local shrub ecotypes, varieties or subspecies in reclamation efforts, (2) protection from browsing during the establishment phase, (3) strategies for avoiding herbaceous competition, and (4) providing a source of mutualistic soil organisms. Additional specific recommendations for each of these species are discussed.

A revegetation technique study was established in a disturbed sagebrush-juniper community in northwestern Colorado in the fall of 1976. The purpose of the study was to identify effective cultural practices for establishing diverse and productive plant communities on disturbed soils. A combination of 4 treatments was applied:(1) altering life form seeding ratios, (2) seeding mixtures, (3) fertilizer, and (4) irrigation. After 4 years there was no significant difference in aboveground biomass production and canopy cover between irrigated and nonirrigated treatments. Fertilization increased production of grasses and shrub growth but depressed forb growth somewhat. The aboveground production of native and introduced mixtures was similar following four growing seasons. In general, introduced grasses out-produced native grasses, introduced forbs produced more than native forbs, and native shrubs out-performed introduced shrubs. Altering ratios among life forms affected shrub biomass more than forb and grass production. The use of different seeding rates indicates that phmt community composition will change and may be a function of not only seeding rates hut also plant and environmental factors over time and space.

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