SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: WERA_OLD40 : Rangeland Ecological Research and Assessment
Period Covered: 10/01/2004 to 09/01/2005
Date of Report: 12/01/2005
Annual Meeting Dates: 10/27/2005 to 10/28/2005

Alexander, Bob (robert_alexander@nm.blm.gov) - Bureau of Land Management; Bailey, Derek (dwbailey@nmsu.edu) - New Mexico State University; Boykin, Ken (kboykin@nmsu.edu) - New Mexico State University; Frost, Ric (rfrost@nmsu.edu) - New Mexico State University; Hardesty, Linda (lhardest@wsu.edu) - Washington State University; Jacobs, Jim (jjj@uwyo.edu) - University of Wyoming; Johnson, Pat (patricia.johnson@sdstate.edu) - South Dakota State University; Jones, Bruce (jones.bruce@epa.gov) - Environmental Protection Agency; Launchbaugh, Karen (klaunchb@uidaho.edu) - University of Idaho; Marlow, Clayton (cmarlow@montana.edu) - Montana State University; McDaniel, Kirk (kmcdanie@nmsu.edu) - New Mexico State University; Perryman, Barry (bperryman@cabnr.unr.edu) - University of Nevada, Reno; Peterson, Steven (steven.l.peterson@oregonstate.edu) - Oregon State University; Pyke, David (david_A_Pyke@usgs.gov) - United States Geological Survey; Smith, Mike (pearl@uwyo.edu) - University of Wyoming; Torell, Allen (atorell@nmsu.edu) New Mexico State University; Vermeire, Lance (lance@larrl.ars.usda.gov) USDA ARS;

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

This years meeting focused on NRCSs Ecological Site Descriptions. There were several presentations that ranged from the history, challenges and direction of Ecological Site Descriptions to the role of Ecological Site Descriptions in research and their application to rangeland health concepts. A multi-agency workgroup (BLM, FS, NRCS) has been formed to work on an Interagency Manual on Ecological Site Descriptions for rangeland and a status report on this workgroup was given. There was a field trip to the Jornada Experimental Range where Ecological Sites were visited and WERA members had extensive discussions on the status of Ecological Site Descriptions in states across the west and the use of Ecological Site Descriptions. There was also a report on the southwest Regional GAP analysis. The rest of the meeting focused on state reports and discussion of topics and activities for a new project proposal for WERA-40. A subcommittee comprised of Bruce Jones, Barry Perryman, Steve Bunting, Mike Smith, Tamzen Stringham, and Clayton Marlow will draft a revised proposal for WERA-40. The subcommittees proposal will be circulated to committee members in December to meet the January 15, 2006 deadline for the revised proposal. Tamzen Stringham was elected secretary and Barry Perryman will move to chair of WERA-40 for next year. Next year WERA-40 will meet jointly with WERA-50 with the date and location to be determined.

Legacy attachment file:

[Minutes]

Accomplishments

February 2005 Organized and participated in Rangeland Indicators Special Session at the SRM Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. The session included members of the round table discussion with the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable Working Group, Council on Environmental Quality. October 2005 WERA members provided review and on-site feedback to the Natural Resource Conservation Service/USGS team developing Ver. 4 of Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health. Established subcommittee to develop draft submittal for new WERA committee

Impacts

May 2005 Elements from the 2004 Symposium, The Changing Faces of Rangeland Users: Implications for Management and Rangeland Sustainability (Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT), have been incorporated into the US Forest Service National Line Officers Training curriculum. The first training session will be conducted in April 2006, Milford PA.

Publications

Beever, E.A., Pyke, D.A., Chambers, J.C., Landau, F., Smith, S. 2005. Monitoring temporal change in riparian vegetation of Great Basing National Park. Western North American Naturalist 65:382-401.

Brooks, M.L., DAntonio, C.M., Richardson, D.M., Grace, J.B., Keeley, J.E., DiTomaso, J.M., Hobbs, R.J., Pellant, M., Pyke, D. 2004. Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes. BioScience 54:677-688.

Heitschmidt, R.K., Byington, E.K. 2005. The role of agricultural research service in sustaining rangeland ecosystems. Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts 58th Meeting # 164. CD only. Fort Worth, Texas.

Heitschmidt, R.K., Klement, K.D., Haferkamp, M.R. 2005. Interactive effects of drought and grazing on northern great plains rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management 58:11-19.

Hubber-Sannwald, E., Pyke, D.A. 2005. Establishing native grasses in a big sagebrush-dominated site: an intermediate restoration step. Restoration Ecology 13:292-301.

Muscha, J.M., Vermeire, L.T., Haferkamp, M.R. 2005. Effect of fire and grazing on vegetation and biological soil crusts in eastern Montana. Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts 58:199.

Pellant, M., Shaver, P., Pyke, D.A., Herrick, J.E. 2005. Interpreting indicators of rangeland health, version 4. Interagency Technical Reference 1734-6, USDI, Bureau of Land Management, National Science and Technology Center, Information and Communications Group, Denver, CO.

Pyke, D.A., Knick, S.T. 2005. Plant invaders, global change and landscape restoration. African Journal of Range and Forage Science 22:73-83.

Rose, J.L., Vermeire, L.T., Wester, D.B. 2005. First year response to summer fire and post-fire grazing effects in northern mixed prairie. Society for Range Management Abstracts # 58.

Rose, J.L., Vermeire, L.T., Wester, D.B. 2005. First year richness and frequency response to summer fire and post-fire grazing. Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts # 291. On CD only.

Stubbs, M.M., Pyke, D.A. 2005. Available nitrogen: a time-based study of manipulated resource islands. Plant and Soil 270:123-133.

Vermeire, L.T., Heitschmidt, R.K., Haferkamp, M.R. 2005. Northern plains plant community response to 10 years of livestock exclusion. Ecological Society of America Abstracts 90:661.

Vermeire, L.T., Mitchell, R., Fuhlendorf, S.D., Wester, D.B. 2005. Patch burning and grazing effects on southern mixed prairie plant communities. Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts # 357 on CD.

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