Location: Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit
Project Number: 3070-31630-008-010-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2025
End Date: Aug 31, 2027
Objective:
1) To enhance our understanding of how different management (e.g., grazing, burning, and haying) practices impact carbon and water cycling in pastures.
2) To investigate seasonal and interannual dynamics of eddy fluxes and water use efficiency under varying management practices and variable growing conditions.
Approach:
This research will focus on quantifying CO2 and H2O fluxes and assessing water use efficiency in response to diverse grazing intensities and timings, prescribed burns, hay production, and environmental conditions. The research will leverage data from the network of eddy covariance (EC) towers that are located within the USDA-ARS El Reno facility. Remote sensing and ground-based measurements will be integrated to scale up findings and develop predictive models of water use efficiency. Advanced data processing and analytical techniques will also be employed to identify patterns and relationships between management practices, environmental variables, and ecosystem fluxes.