Location: Range Management Research
Project Number: 3050-11210-009-035-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Nov 1, 2018
End Date: Oct 31, 2023
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to understand and quantify the key factors and processes controlling ecosystem dynamics in Chihuahuan Desert landscapes.
Approach:
New Mexico State University (NMSU) will conduct short- and long-term studies of four types of transitions (shrub encroachment into grassland, grassland recovery, non-native plant invasion, and changes in dominant shrub species) on the Jornada Experimental Range (JER) via funding provided by the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other NSF support. A variety of technologies will be employed, including field experiments, remote sensing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and monitoring of vegetation, microbes, and soils. The USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range will provide data from long-term studies collected throughout the Jornada Basin, spatial data layers needed for interpretation, and will facilitate NMSU researchers’ access to data and sites on JER. ARS scientists will also collaborate with NMSU researchers in fulfilling obligations of LTER grants via their roles as co-PIs and collaborators.
