As I left the canyon's bottom and climbed over its rim, I was struck by how vast and open the sagebrush steppe is. The contrast was remarkable Whereas the canyon is a complex of visibly discrete habitats that formed a clear, interconnected mosaic within the confines of its walls, the area above the rim is an endless, indivisible expanse of Great Basin sagebrush and grasses to the horizon and beyond. With my first step above the...