2010 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objective of this cooperative agreement is to promote scientific and academic cooperation between the USDA, Agricultural Research Service's research unit based at the Jornada Experimental Range (the ARS) and the Universidad Nacional de La Pampa at Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina (UNLPam). Cooperation activities include the exchange of visiting scientists and graduate students associated to both institutions and the promotion of joint cooperative research projects regarding understanding and management of rangeland landscape. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Collaborative academic activities including seminars, scientific meetings, and courses will be planned according to mutual interests and requirements. Research activities concern primarily the development, design, and implementation of research projects in related sites in the Southwestern United States and Central Argentinean rangelands. Research activities will be focused primarily to increase the understanding of landscape dynamics in the semiarid grassland ecosystems in order to develop site specific management strategies. Both institutions will facilitate the exchange of researchers to participate in academic and research activities in their respective countries. 3.Progress Report This project began in 2009 with a 2-month visit by a Univ. Nacional de la Pampa faculty member to this research unit. During this visit we established specific research objectives for projects to be initiated in both Argentina and the US in 2010. An ARS scientist conducted seminars and workshops in Argentina in April 2010. Field sites were established for initial experiments designed for implementation in 2011. A Univ. Nacional de la Pampa faculty member will return to the research unit for a 2-month period in October – November 2010 to continue collaborative research on landscape responses to large scale management practices. All activities have been coordinated through the ADODR.