Project Number: 6235-11210-007-15
Project Type: General Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2012
End Date: Oct 31, 2014

Objective:
To contribute to the development of a "Land Potential Knowledge System" (LPKS). This global system will be developed for the United States, Kenya, and Namibia. Development and testing across these three regions is necessary because the ultimate goal is to share knowledge and information about rangeland management throughout the world, allowing US managers to benefit from lessons learned on similar soils and conditions in other countries.

Approach:
Complete a study in Kenya on soil-plant-animal relationships at landscape to regional scales that will provide the foundation for the initial implementation of the LPKS. We will identify an area with similar soils, rainfall and general vegetation structure to areas in the southwestern US. Then develop a suite of experiments and observational studies designed to adapt and apply ecological site and state-and-transition model concepts to areas with limited traditional soil survey information.