Adverse impacts to grassland and shrubland communities would result from surface-disturbing activities and other actions that alter the distribution and abundance of grassland and shrubland communities and change community structure and diversity. Therefore, management actions that result in more surface disturbance would result in more adverse impacts to these communities. Alternative C would involve the most surface disturbance to grassland and shrubland communities, followed by alternatives D, A, and B. Other adverse impacts may result from concentrated livestock grazing that compacts soil and degrades community health. However, proper grazing practices would reduce the potential for these impacts and may improve resource conditions in certain areas. Under Alternative B, allotment monitoring practices, Allotment Management Plan (AMP) development, livestock flushing practices, and rangeland improvements, would cause the least adverse impacts to grassland and shrubland communities but would also restrict grazing from certain areas where it could be used as a management tool to improve resource conditions.

Reclamation practices under Alternative B would facilitate the restoration of disturbed areas the most, followed by alternatives D, A, and C. Special designations and other resource programs under Alternative B protect the most grasslands and shrublands from surface disturbance and degradation due to off-road motorized vehicle use, followed by alternatives D, A, and C. However, Alternative B would involve the least amount of treatment to prevent wildfires and eradicate invasive species. Alternatives A, D, and C allow for more treatment of grassland and shrubland communities but overall, adverse impacts due to surface disturbance under these alternatives are likely to be greater than under Alternative B. Overall, Alternative C would result in the greatest adverse impact to grassland and shrubland communities, followed by alternatives A, D, and B.