Project Number: 5409-22610-001-02
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 13, 2004
End Date: Jul 30, 2009

Objective:
The objective of this research project is to conduct collaborative research on population dynamics, biogeochemical dynamics, and land-atmosphere interactions at the USDA-ARS Central Plains Experimental Range, to use knowledge from these investigations to elucidate the long-term ecological functioning of the shortgrass steppe, and to develop and evaluate sustainable management practices for semi-arid rangelands.

Approach:
Unlike intensively-managed agro-ecosystems, the functioning of native grasslands requires experiments of sufficient duration to incorporate important temporal dynamics that underlie their structure and function. Since decades or even centuries are sometimes required to fully capture the effects of management and environmental disturbances on some ecosystem components, experiments and monitoring of critical system components must be of sufficient duration for elucidating response mechanisms. Under this proposed agreement, the Rangeland Resources Research Unit (RRRU) will collaborate with scientists from Colorado State Univ. (CSU) to conduct long-term experiments that will evalute population dynamics of key animal and plant species; land-atmosphere exchange of primarily water, C, and energy; and biogeochemical cycling of primarily C and N. The results of these investigations will provide the basis for formulating new sustainabile management strategies, as well as evaluating the health and condition of semi-arid rangelands.