Location: Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research
2024 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Determine the interactive influences of land use, management strategies, and climate on the ability of rangelands to provide multiple ecosystem services.
Sub-objective 1.A: Quantify long-term (since 1959/1960) effects of grazing and grazing removal on the composition of four plant community types in high elevation rangelands, accounting for site characteristics and climate variability.
Sub-objective 1.B: Quantify the effects of livestock grazing and grazing removal on the ecosystems services provided by montane meadows along an elevation gradient (~2200-2800m), accounting for climate and static site properties.
Objective 2: Develop and evaluate methods for co-produced, social-ecological research for agroecological landscapes.
Sub-objective 2A: Co-produce a method for collaborative adaptive management with stakeholders to address management for multiple ecosystem services.
Approach
This project fills critical research gaps to support rangeland production and conservation goals in the upper Intermountain West through the development of: 1) science-based management frameworks assessing the effects of grazing and climate on rangeland ecosystem services; and 2) effective science co-production methods for living rangeland laboratories. Rangelands are the dominant land use in the western US. These lands support rural economies, food and fiber systems, and other ecosystem services, including biodiversity. However, rangelands are threatened by climate change, ecological uncertainty, and land use change. Furthermore, diverse stakeholder groups have historically experienced social conflict over goals for livestock grazing and conservation, particularly on public rangelands. Ranching and conservation partners have called on the ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research (RSPER) Unit to “redesign” our rangeland research approach to be inclusive of biodiversity and livelihood goals (i.e., to include multiple ecosystem services), an immediate research need for public lands management nation-wide.
The NP 215 project takes on that challenge with a social-ecological approach. The first objective seeks to determine the interactive influences of land use, management strategies, and climate on the ability of rangelands to provide multiple ecosystem services. Under this objective, scientists will quantify long-term (since 1959/1960) effects of grazing and grazing removal on the composition of four plant community types in high elevation rangelands, accounting for site characteristics and climate variability. Scientists will also quantify the effects of livestock grazing and grazing removal on the ecosystem services provided by montane meadows along an elevation gradient (~2200-2800m), accounting for climate and static site properties. The second objective seeks to develop and evaluate methods for co-produced, social-ecological research for agroecological landscapes. Scientists will co-produce method for collaborative adaptive management with stakeholders to address management for multiple ecosystem services. A multi-year collaborative project draws from participatory research methods, which are concerned with engaging the public in science directly. In this case, the collaborative effort will use an adaptive management approach with multiple groups of people to engage and build upon multiple knowledges and perspectives in knowledge generation for increased adaptive capacity.
Progress Report
This is the first year of for project 2056-21500-001-000D, titled, “Adaptive Capacity and Ecosystem Service Provisioning on Intermountain Range Sheep Systems Under a Changing Climate". It replaces project 2056-61630-001-000D, titled, “Developing Rangeland Management Strategies to Enhance Productive, Sustainable Range Sheep Agroecosystems".
In support of Sub-objective 1.A, ARS researchers in Dubois, Idaho, recovered historic monitoring data from 1959-1994 at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station. They manually verified data integrity and inspected historic plot locations. ARS researchers then compiled a modern data visualization dashboard for viewing by stakeholders. They further initiated a process to update historic dataset with modern botany information and began to conduct modern statistical analysis of historical data to prepare for peer reviewed publication.
For Sub-objective 1.B, ARS researchers analyzed data from a pilot study on high elevation grazing exclosures. Additionally, ARS researchers established a new cooperative agreement with the University of Wyoming for additional graduate student project evaluating biodiversity and biomass production on high elevation grazing lands. Researchers established new relationships with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to collaboratively develop a monitoring protocol to monitor sagebrush rangelands and selected research sites for future monitoring project implementation.
Supporting Sub-objective 2.A, ARS researchers held two in-person stakeholder meetings and four virtual meetings, as well as 35 stakeholder unstructured interviews to identify stakeholder goals, research needs, and key uncertainties related to rangeland management research. This is a significant step towards the project objectives in that it established a network of involved stakeholders and initiated a stakeholder assessment that will be used in the next stages of the project.
Accomplishments
1. Stakeholder assessment identifies diverse perspectives held by diverse rangeland user groups. Rangelands are complex systems where multiple stakeholders and goals intersect. Co-produced research seeks to more effectively address complex natural resource problems by engaging the public directly in all stages of the research. ARS researchers in Dubois, Idaho, initiated a new co-produced research project and assessed the goals and research needs of diverse stakeholders including ranchers, conservation groups, agency professionals, and other stakeholders. They documented how rangelands near the location support livestock production, conservation goals, recreational economies, and healthy watersheds. Across a range of perspectives, diverse stakeholders have common goals for long-term resilience and well-being of people and nature. These findings will feed into the continued development of a collaborative adaptive management project at the Dubois location, addressing multiple ecosystem services on rangelands.
Review Publications
Wilmer, H.N., Ferguson, D.B., Dinan, M., Thacker, E., Adler, P.B., Bills Walsh, K., Bradford, J.B., Brunson, M., Derner, J.D., Elias, E.H., Felton, A., Gray, C.A., Greene, C., McClaran, M., Shriver, R.K., Stevenson, M., Suding, K.N. 2024. Resilience is not enough: Toward a more meaningful rangeland adaptation science. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 95:56-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.04.003.
Wilmer, H.N., Taylor, J.B., Macon, D., Reeves, M., Wilson, C.S., Beck, J.M. 2024. Loss of seasonal ranges reshapes transhumant adaptive capacity: Thirty-five years at the US Sheep Experiment Station. Agriculture and Human Values. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-024-10591-2.
Spiess, J.W., McGranahan, D.A., Berti, M., Gasch, C., Hovick, T.J., Geaumont, B. 2024. Spatio-temporal patterns of rangeland forage nutritive value and grazer selection with patch-burning in the US northern Great Plains. Journal of Environmental Management. 357. Article 120731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120731.
Wilmer, H.N., Kaminski, A.R., Wendel, K., Grewe, N., Hruska, T., Cerveny, L.K., Bellmore, R.J., Meek, C.L., Nelson, K. 2024. Southeast Alaskans want food sovereignty and reimagined rural futures. Society and Natural Resources. 37(7):1000-1016. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2024.2321850.