SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Participants

Allen, Edith (eallen@citrus.ucr.edu) - University of California, Riverside; Briggs, James (jim.briggs@por.usda.gov) - USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service, OR; Du Toit, Johan (johan.dutoit@usu.edu) - Administrative Advisor, Utah State University; Pyke, David (david_a_pyke@usgs.gov) - USGS, Corvallis, OR; Stahl, Peter (Unclem@uwyo.edu) - WERA021 Chairman, University of Wyoming

WERA-21 Committee Business Meeting, 30 May 2008, Richland, WA Meeting was called to order by P. Stahl at approximately 1:30 pm Discussions began with the 2007 Annual Progress Report; the committee agreed that future progress reports should conform to the NIMSS Impact Statement format. Future WERA-21 reports must include clear impact statements and research milestones from each committee member. Committee advisor, J. Du Toit, pointed out the importance of committee members becoming familiar with functions of WERA committees and our particular impact oriented objectives. Committee members will be instructed to address these vital points in next years progress reports. The committee then discussed membership issues. Questions regarding individuals keeping their names on the membership list and how to keep the membership list current were addressed. This discussion will help the committee keep correct current membership lists and prevent interested and involved members from being inadvertently dropped from the committee. Expanding the committee membership to involve more qualified and interested scientists was discussed. The committee agreed that new members could add to the quality of the committees work. Suggestions were made for new members that could be invited to join the committee. Planning details of the 2009 annual WERA-21 committee meeting were discussed. Committee members present noted that the best attended committee meetings over the past several years were those held in conjunction with annual meetings of the Society for Range Management. The committee agreed to hold the 2009 annual meeting in Albuquerque, NM during the week of 8-12 February in conjunction with the 2009 annual meeting of SRM. Election of a new committee secretary was held. James Briggs (USDA-NRCS, Portland , OR) was elected by members present. Other committee officers rotated into new positions as traditionally done on an annual basis: George Vance became the chair of the committee and Mark Paschke became vice-chair. Committee administrative advisor, J. Du Toit suggested the WERA-21 photodatabase on degraded, restored, reclaimed and revegetated lands be transferred to Rangelands West.org (part of the Agriculture West Network Information Center (AgNIC). Rangelands West has an extensive photo collection on the website and the WERA-21 committee agreed this move would increase synergistic efforts and reduce redundancy. P. Stahl volunteered to contract Rangelands West to offer them the collection. The committee discussed sponsoring a symposium on Land Reclamation and Ecosystem Restoration at the upcoming meeting of the Society for Range Management. Because the deadline for proposing symposia for the 2009 SRM Meeting had just passed, the committee agreed to propose a Symposium on Land Reclamation and Ecosystem Restoration at the 2010 annual SRM meeting. For the 2009 SRM meeting, the committee agreed to present a poster on WERA-21 Committee activities and impacts. Plans for the 2008 Field Tour were outlined by D. Pyke. This years tour was a visit of sagebrush-grassland restoration sites on the Hanford Reach National Monument led by David Pyke the day after the business meeting, 31 May 2008. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5 pm.

Accomplishments

WERA021 Accomplishments 2007 Members of this committee conducted research on a multitude of important issues regarding revegetation, stabilization and restoration of degraded lands in the western U.S. Research projects involving members of WERA021 ranged from studies of standardized Federal emergency stabilization and rehabilitation monitoring protocols to methods to increase carbon sequestration in soils on reclaimed coal mined lands. Other topics of research included studies on restoration of weed invaded lands, Increasing reestablishment of shrubs in restored rangelands, control of weeds, especially cheatgrass and knapweed, development of tools to integrate restoration activities in National Parks, selection of native plants for revegetation and restoration projects, and improvement of seeding techniques and equipment for Wyoming big sagebrush and other native plants. Completed studies offer new technologies and suggestions for more efficient and effective restoration, revegetation and stabilization of degraded lands. Outputs of WERA021 during the year 2007 included dozens of publications in peer-reviewed national and international scientific journals, several final research reports to Federal and State Land Management Agencies, a number of articles in the popular press, a wealth of data, a number of workshops presented to stakeholder groups, and a number of oral and poster presentations at national and western regional meetings in the western U.S. Detailed listing of publications and reports produced by WERA021 committee members are given in the 2007 Annual Report. Conducting and disseminating results of research projects listed in the first paragraph of this section (WERA021 Accomplishments) are primary activities of WERA021 participants. A specific and organized activity of a number of WERA021 members is participation in SageSTEP (Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project), a study designed to to evaluate the effects of fire and fire surrogate treatments on vegetation and fuel responses on sagebrush communities of the Great Basin with the ultimate goal of developing strategies for restoring this endangered ecosystem. Another function of WERA021 has been development and maintenance of an educational photodatabase. The committee is exploring the possibility of transferring this resource to to Rangelands West.org (part of the Agriculture West Network Information Center (AgNIC) to increase its accessibility and reduce redundancy. The committee is making plans to sponsor a symposium on Land Reclamation and Ecosystem Restoration at the 2010 meeting of the Society for Range Management. The committee will be presenting a poster on WERA021 accomplishments, activities and impacts at the 2009 meeting of the Society for Range Management. The committee plans to meet in 2009 in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Range Management in Albequerque between 8-12 February.

Impacts

  1. The 2007 Annual Report of Research Projects and publications of participating institutions has been submitted and is available online. It details activities, accomplishments, and outcomes of WERA021 members and provides stakeholders with sources of information and data from recent research conducted by committee members. The high level of publication of committee members continues to strengthen WERA021 value as a source for current scientific information regarding methods for effective and efficient revegetation, land stabilization, reclamation and ecosystem restoration.
  2. A field tour was conducted by Dr. David Pyke of USGS on 31 May 2008 at Hanford Reach National Monument observe methods and results of sagebrush steppe restoration after cheatgrass invasion and fire. The tour highlighted interdisciplinary technologies used by USGS to reestablish sagebrush communities in highly disturbed habitats and broadened the knowledge and experience of participating committee members and the tour hosts regarding the complex interactions of cheatgrass invasions and fire.
  3. Research projects conducted by WERA021 members and resulting publications detailed in the Annual Report promoted technology development and transfer on a wide variety of land revegetation, reclamation and ecosystem restoration issues in the western U.S. The most important topics of current projects include restoration of sagebrush steppe communities impacted by cheatgrass invasion and fire, reclamation of lands disturbed by natural resource extraction, and revegetation and stabilization of rangelands invaded by weedy species of plants.
  4. The WERA021 website continues to provide and disseminate information regarding activities and final products of the committee to stakeholders and other interested parties. A poster describing objectives and activities of the WERA021 committee was presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR). The committee will update and present the poster at the 2009 Billings Land Reclamation Symposium in Billings, MT and the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management to provide information to the large gathering of land managers, students and scientists at this meeting. The committee will sponsor a symposium on Land Reclamation and Ecosystem Restoration in the Western U.S. at the 2010 Meeting of the Society for Range Management to provide a forum for detailed presentations on innovation, multidisciplinary approaches to revegetation, reclamation, and restoration of degraded lands.
  5. The committee has added a number of new members in response to losing a few and continues to maintain a mix of scientists representing a wide variety of disciplines involved in revegetation and land stabilization including botanists, soil scientists, range ecologists, weed scientists, shrub ecologists, plant materials specialists, and restoration ecologists. Newest members of the committee include Mark Paschke of Colorado State University and Tamzen Stringham of Oregon State University.
  6. Examples of Grants, Contracts and Resources obtained by WERA021 Members: Influence of plant community structure and topsoil handling method on soil structural development and microbial community recovery in reclaimed soil. P.D. Stahl, L.J. Ingram, and A.F. Wick. Funded by Office of Surface Mining, USDOI, $114,874. 2006-2007. Mechanisms for stabilization and accumulation of organic carbon in reclaimed mineland soils. P.D. Stahl, G.F. Vance and S.V. Huzubazar. Funded by the Abandoned Mine Land Research Program, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, $222,220, 2005-2008. Recovery of Belowground Ecosystem Components Under Different Plant Communities on Reclaimed Coal Mine Lands, P.D. Stahl, L.J. Ingram, S.V. Huzubazar and C. J. Bilbrough. Funded by the Abandoned Mineland Research Program, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, $217,696. 2004-2007. (Stahl - $205,000)

Publications

All publications from WERA021 participants are in the attached file, which also includes reports on progress at each participating institution.
[Publications]
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