Increased soil erosion occurs due to the lack of vegetative ground cover. When prescribed fire programs are implemented, deferment of livestock grazing to accumulate fine fuels is necessary. After burning some rest from livestock grazing, time dependent on specific conditions, is required to allow recovery and re-establishment of the understory. Mountain mahogany communities often exist in conjunction with natural juniper woodlands on ridges and rimrocks where natural fires did not reach. This species serves as an important food source for wild ungulates.
Most stands are now overmature with little or no recruitment due to heavy ungulate browsing.
Land managers are currently exploring rehabilitation methodologies. The major risk to juniper woodlands and surrounding communities is, of course, the continued expansion of the community and the increase in trees per acre. Dominance of juniper will cause losses of the communities it invades. There is a risk to biodiversity on these areas and most importantly the risk of soil loss that will negate the opportunity to restore native communities. As the native understory declines, there is the opportunity for invasion of exotic annuals that require less soil moisture and can, therefore survive with the junipers.