Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:1) The Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico. TheBLM isour research partner who is applying the ongoing landscape restoration treatments--herbicides to remove shrubs.We informed them of our current progress and recommendations, and we also had discussions regarding potential stakeholders to include in our survey to assess cultural ecosystem services. 2) Livestock ranchers who lease land parcels treated by the Restore New Mexico program. 3) Restoration ecologists and practitioners. 4) Stakeholders identified for our quantitative survey including members of conservation organizations, outdoor recreationists, rural landowners, and environmental educators. 5) K-12 students through collaborations with the Asombro Institute for Science Education in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to hold a workshop during summer 2020 in Las Cruces, New Mexico to complete our quantitative stakeholder surveys. Plans for the workshop remain on hold until restrictions on large, in-person meetings are relaxed. However, it is our hope that the stakeholder survey can be completed after our project end date once the pandemic has passed. Funds outside of this NIFA grant will be used to complete this quantitative assessment of stakeholder perceptions of restoration outcomes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?a) PhD student. University of Illinois. Investigating mammal responses to shrub encroachment and efforts to restore desert grasslands including the landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs, and how behavioral syndromes might constrain colonization of restoration sites by a keystone rodent. He belongs to a group underrepresented in STEM fields (Native American). Expected to graduate in 2022. b) MS student. North Carolina State University. Measured cultural ecosystems services provided to stakeholders in the context of grassland restoration in the Chihuahuan Desert. Graduated in spring 2019. c) PhD student. University of Texas at El Paso. Investigating how large-scale shrub removal affects soil carbon in the Chihuahuan Desert. Expected to graduate in 2022. d) Range Technician. New Mexico State University (2016-2020). Coordinated field activities focused on wildlife responses to shrub removal treatments. He is from a group underrepresented in STEM fields (Hispanic). e) Range Technician. New Mexico State University (2016-2020). Coordinated field activities related to measurement of plant responses and net primary productivity. f) Undergraduate students (5). Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Participated in the college's Summer Research Program by assisting with field sampling and conducting semi-independent research projects. At least three of these students used the experience to assist them in gaining admission to graduate school, including one at the University of Illinois. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?a) The project PI, co-PIs, and students gave multiple presentations at scientific conferences (see list in Products section). b) R. L. Schooley gave a presentation on "Shrub Encroachment, Restoration, and Wildlife" at the Field Day at the Jornada Symposium, July 2018, Jornada Experimental Range, NM. The event was attended by 110 people representing diverse stakeholders including scientists, land managers, ranchers, NGO personnel, government representatives, students, and K-12 teachers. c) We continually provide our extension partner, Las Cruces BLM, with updates of our research plans and findings through formal workshops and informal dialogue. d) We disseminated results regularly at the Malpai Borderlands Science Conference held annually in Rodeo, NM. That gathering includes biologists, range scientists, land managers, and ranchers. (1) Bestelmeyer, B. 2018. How we know: Long-term monitoring, experiments, and change in desert grasslands. (2) Schooley, R.L. 2019. Shrub encroachment, landscape restoration, and wildlife responses in the Chihuahuan Desert. (3) Bestelmeyer, B. 2020. Socioeconomic and environmental changes in the Malpai Borderlands region. (4) Bestelmeyer, B. 2021. Landscape change over 25 years in the Malpai Borderlands: Are sustainability goals being met? e) Bestelmeyer, B., L. Burkett, and R. Schooley. 2018. The Restore New Mexico Collaborative Monitoring Program Update. Restore New Mexico Coordination Group, Las Cruces, NM, June 12, 2018. f) Bestelmeyer, B. and R. Schooley. 2021. The Restore New Mexico Collaborative Monitoring Program Results. Restore New Mexico Coordination Group, Las Cruces, NM, February 11, 2021. g) B. T. Bestelmeyer trained technical service providers with New Mexico Association for Soil and Water Conservation Districts to expand long-term monitoring protocols to brush management treatments across the state of NM. h) M. A. Dinan shared stakeholder interview results and implications with interview participants through brief email reports. i) M. A. Dinan promoted research and relevant results through attendance and discussion at Joint Stockman's Association meetings and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research meetings. j) C. J. Wagnon contributed to a high school class program on "Matter and Energy Cycling in the Chihuahuan Desert" for the Las Cruces Public School District coordinated by Asombro Institute for Science Education. k) C. J. Wagnon collaborated with Asombro Institute for Science Education to develop a mammal dataset collected from camera traps to be used by middle school students in the Las Cruces Public School District. The dataset was used to create the winning entry called "Shrub Shenanigans" in the Jornada Basin LTER Data Jam challenge. l) C. J. Wagnon collaborated with Asombro Institute for Science Education to set-up and participate in the annual "Butterfly Flutterby" festival. Engaged with kids and their guardians to promote the conservation of butterflies in the Chihuahuan Desert. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Shrub encroachment in the semiarid-arid region of the Southwestern United States can have strong effects on multiple ecosystem services. Prevention and mitigation of shrub encroachment are key priorities of landowners and federal agencies. Remediation practices are urgently needed to ensure sustainability of these agroecosystems and to maintain rural lifestyles in the region. Extensive applications of herbicide treatments are being used in an attempt to restore degraded desert grasslands. We have improved knowledge about how animal diversity is responding to these restoration efforts at the scale of individual treatments from our previous research. However, substantial variation in responses suggests effects at the scale of landscape mosaics are also important. Moreover, we do not know if there are complementarities or trade-offs among biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and how these might change with temporal or spatial scale. We have taken a highly integrative approach by combining investigations of multiple animal taxa, plant richness, primary production, livestock productivity, recolonization constraints for a keystone species, and cultural ecosystem services. Our system provides general insights applicable to other regions currently experiencing woody plant invasion, or regions that will experience increased desertification due to climate change. a) Animal Diversity and Abundance (Objectives 1 and 2). On the Experimental Pairs, herbicide treatments resulted in changes in lizard community composition. Specifically, the abundance of Aspidoscelis uniparens - a grassland specialist with a unique life history as a parthenogen - increased on sites treated with herbicide. Aspidoscelis marmorata increased at treated sites where A. uniparens was rare or absent. The total abundance of lizards was greater on treated sites than controls, but there was no difference in species richness of lizards. On the Experimental Pairs, we estimated densities of D. spectabilis when treatments were nineor tenyears old. Densities were higher on treated plots than on control plots, on average, but there was considerable spatial variation in responses. Sites with higher densities of D. spectabilis prior to treatment generally had stronger responses to shrub removal. Ongoing analyses will attempt to explain remaining variation by pre-treatment vegetation conditions and aboveground net primary production. On the Landscape Mosaic Blocks, we sampled songbirds, lizards, banner-tailed kangaroo rats, and scaled quail on nine 7 x 7 km blocks. We found a positive relationship between the proportion of blocks treated and abundance of D. spectabilis, independent of treatment effects on shrub cover at a local scale. Blocks with high treatment coverage may increase connectivity and facilitate quicker recolonization. For lizard and songbird communities, species richness did not depend on treatment coverage at a landscape scale. However, grassland specialists (horned larks, eastern meadowlarks, Cassin's sparrows, and desert grassland whiptails) responded positively to reductions in shrub cover. Moreover, abundance of scaled quail, a declining game bird, responded positively to vegetation diversity, which was greatest on landscape blocks with intermediate levels of treatment. Hence, intermediate levels of herbicide treatment at a landscape scale may be most effective for maximizing regional biodiversity. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). On our Experimental Pairs, we measured plant diversity and cover, and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP). Treated sites had lower live shrub cover and greater grass cover than control sites. Responses by black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) were highly variable and most treated had yet to approach vegetation conditions similar to remnant grasslands. Responses by perennial grasses to shrub removal treatments depended on elevation. Strong, positive responses for grasses were more likely at higher elevation sites. This result provides a practical rule-of-thumb that can be used by land managers to target future herbicide applications more effectively. Experimental shrub removal increased production (ANPP) of herbaceous plant species and of those species palatable to cattle (e.g., Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua barbata, Muhlenbergia porteri). The median increase of productivity of palatable species was 44 kg/ha, but increases of >100 kg/ha were measured on multiple sites. After one decade following treatment for shrub removal, treated sites had increased forage for livestock, indicating restoration efforts could improve this ecosystem service on southwestern rangelands. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). Links between landscape change, habitat restoration, and variation in animal personality have received little attention. We used three standard personality assays in the field to determine if D. spectabilis, a keystone species, exhibits personality structure and if it varied between restoration and remnant grassland habitats. We also conducted a movement experiment using artificial shrubs to determine if D. spectabilis departure decisions through shrub cover depended on personality traits. Nearly all measured behaviors were repeatable over time indicating stable personality types. Exploration and movement latency had the strongest evidence of personality structure. Positive correlations between multiple pairs of behavioral traits support behavioral syndromes. Individuals on remnant grasslands were more aggressive than those on restoration sites. Movement decisions through shrubs may be mediated by D. spectabilis personality in which more anxious, active, and social individuals are more willing to move through shrubby areas. Personalities for this keystone species could explain dispersal across shrub-dominated landscapes and recolonization of restoration sites. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). We used a cultural ecosystem service (CES) framework to test the relevance of CES to restoration by contrasting CES values between stakeholders engaged in restoration planning and management and those representing a wider suite of CES. We used both qualitative interviews and participatory mapping techniques. We conducted and transcribed 34 interviews of stakeholders including ones with cattle ranchers, land managers, and environmental groups. Results indicate a strong connection to the landscape across all participants. However, restoration partners and other CES stakeholders differ in the degree and frequency with which they mention particular CES. Restoration partners focus on lifestyle CES. By contrast, recreation CES rank highest among other CES stakeholders. Participatory mapping protocols demonstrate the geographical differences in landscape valuation across stakeholder groups and indicate shared values do not translate to the same places. We also developed a novel approach by combining Q-sort techniques with photo elicitation in a survey format. This quantitative survey was designed to allow us to measure the influence of restoration actions on cultural and other ecosystem services simultaneously. Considerable effort was put into developing this survey, conducting beta testing, and distributing it to a large sample of stakeholders. However, completion rate was low indicating in-person mentoring was necessary to obtain an adequate sample size. Hence, we planned stakeholder workshops for the summer of 2020 in Las Cruces that would include completing the survey. Due to the COVID pandemic, however, we have been unable to hold these workshops and complete the quantitative stakeholder surveys. e) Our final project objective (Objective 7) involving integration of results for biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services, including CES, as an assessment of a socioecological system has also been delayed due to the inability to complete the quantitative stakeholder surveys due to COVID.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R.L. Schooley and B.J. Cosentino. 2020. Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways. Ecosphere 11(9):e03240.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Schooley, R.L., B.T. Bestelmeyer, C.J. Wagnon and J.M. Coffman. 2021. Shrub encroachment, landscape restoration, and intraguild predation. Journal of Arid Environments 193:104588.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Andreoni, K.J., C.J. Wagnon, B.T. Bestelmeyer and R.L. Schooley. 2021. Exotic oryx interact with shrub encroachment in the Chihuahuan Desert. Journal of Arid Environments 184:104302.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B. T., S. Spiegal, R. Winkler, D. James, M. Levi and J. Williamson. 2021. Assessing sustainability goals using big data: collaborative adaptive management in the Malpai Borderlands. Rangeland Ecology and Management 77:17-29.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B.T., L.M. Burkett and L. Lister. 2021. Effects of managed fire on a swale grassland in the Chihuahuan Desert. Rangelands. (In Press).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Dinan, M., B.B. Cutts, E. Seekamp, K.L. Martin, S.K. Supak and Joshua Randall. 2021. Assemblages of cultural ecosystem services in southern New Mexico. Environmental Management. (In Revision).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B. 2020. Socioeconomic and environmental changes in the Malpai Borderlands region. Malpai Borderlands Science Conference, Rodeo, New Mexico, January 2020.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Dinan, M. and Cutts, B. 2020. Land of encroachment: A multiple stakeholder analysis of brush control efforts in New Mexico. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R.L. Schooley and B.J. Cosentino. 2021. Shrub encroachment, landscape restoration, and the behavior of an ecosystem engineer. 100th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. Virtual.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R.L. Schooley and B.J. Cosentino. 2021. Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways. 23rd Annual Graduate Student Symposium. University of Illinois. Urbana, Illinois. Virtual.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R.L. Schooley and B.J. Cosentino. 2021. Shrub encroachment, landscape restoration, and the behavior of an ecosystem engineer. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Annual Research Symposium. University of Illinois. Urbana, Illinois. Virtual.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B. and R. Schooley. 2021. The Restore New Mexico Collaborative Monitoring Program results. Restore New Mexico Coordination Group, Las Cruces, New Mexico, February 11, 2021.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B. 2021. Vegetation change in the modern era: Grasses, grazing, and shrub encroachment on the Jornada Experimental Range. 2021. Annual Native Plant Society of New Mexico Conference, Virtual, August 20-22, 2021.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B. 2021. Landscape change over 25 years in the Malpai Borderlands: Are sustainability goals being met? Malpai Borderlands Virtual Science Conference, April 2021.
|
Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:1) The Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico.TheBLM isour research partner who is applying the ongoing landscape restoration treatments--herbicides to remove shrubs.We informed them of our current progress, and we also had discussions regarding potential stakeholders to include in our survey to assess cultural ecosystem services. 2) Livestock ranchers who lease land parcels treated by the Restore New Mexico program. 3) Restoration ecologists and practitioners. 4) Stakeholders identified for our quantitative survey including members of conservation organizations, outdoor recreationists, rural landowners, and environmental educators. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to hold a workshop during summer 2020 in Las Cruces, New Mexico to complete our stakeholder survey. Plans for the workshop remain on hold until restrictions on travel and in-person meetings are relaxed. It seems likely that we will not be able to hold the workshop before our project end date (May 15, 2021). However, the lead person for this study component now has a research position with the USDA-ARS in Las Cruces. Thus, it is our hope that the stakeholder survey can be completed after our project end date once the pandemic has passed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?a) We trained one PhD student at the University of Illinois who is focusing on mammal responses to shrub encroachment and efforts to restore desert grasslands. In particular, the student is examining how shrub encroachment affects the landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs, and how behavioral syndromes might constrain colonization of treated sites by a keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis. He belongs to a minority that is under-represented in STEM fields (Native American). d) We trained two undergraduate students from Hobart and William Smith Colleges to serve as a research assistants. Students were mentored in ecological research techniques in the field, data management, and construction and testing of scientific hypotheses. The students were also exposed to a new ecoregion and land management issues in the Chihuahuan Desert. c) Four scientific staff (post-MS) assisted with the field activities focused on wildlife responses to shrub removal treatments and learned new skills to aid their professional development. One of the staff is from a group under-represented in the environmental sciences (Hispanic). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?a) The project PI, co-PIs, and students gave multiple presentations at scientific conferences (see list in Products section). b) We continually provide our Extension partner, Las Cruces Office of the BLM, with updates of our research plans and findings through formal workshops and informal dialogue. c) B. T. Bestelmeyer organized the 2019 Jornada Symposium, October 23, 2019. The symposium focused on rangeland management, including our Restore New Mexico project. The symposium included 100 participants from diverse backgrounds. d) M. A. Dinan shared stakeholder interview results and implications with interview participants through brief email reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). Complete analysis of wildlife responses to shrub removal treatment on our Landscape Mosaic Blocks and publish paper. Complete analysis of restoration trajectories of D. spectabilis on experimental pairs and publish paper. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). Publish paper featuring fiveand ten year vegetation responses in brush management on large set of experimental pairs. Analyze data on aboveground net primary production (ANPP) more fully to understand responses of ANPP to shrub removal treatments, and then responses of biodiversity to ANPP. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). Complete analysis of behavioral syndromes and movements of D. spectabilis on multiple treated sites and multiple remnant grasslands and publish paper. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). Publish paper on the results from the stakeholder interviews. If possiblegiven the current pandemic, we plan to hold a workshop to increase the sample size for our stakeholder using the Q sort approach.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Shrub encroachment in the semiarid-arid region of the Southwestern United States can have strong effects on multiple ecosystem services. Prevention and mitigation of shrub encroachment are key priorities of landowners and federal agencies. Remediation practices are urgently needed to ensure sustainability of these agroecosystems and to maintain rural lifestyles in the region. Extensive applications of herbicide treatments are being used in an attempt to restore degraded desert grasslands. We have improved knowledge about how animal diversity is responding to these restoration efforts at the scale of individual treatments from our previous research. However, substantial variation in responses suggests effects at the scale of landscape mosaics are also important. Moreover, we do not know if there are complementarities or trade-offs among biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and how these might change with temporal or spatial scale. We will take a highly integrative approach by combining investigations of multiple animal taxa, plant richness, primary production, livestock productivity, recolonization of a keystone species, and cultural ecosystem services. Our system will provide general insights applicable to other regions currently experiencing woody plant invasion, or regions that will experience increased desertification due to climate change. The BLM in southern New Mexico plans to expand shrub control measures as part of the Restore New Mexico program. It is critical to quantify exactly what is being gained by landscape treatments in terms of multiple ecosystem services. We will aid land managers in predicting where restorations are likely to be most successful to avoid costly applications that are unlikely to produce substantial, measurable benefits. Our close collaboration with the BLM will ensure that the numerous advantages of adaptive management are realized. We also will make sure that our results will be available to and coordinated with the NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a national project evaluating effects of conservation practices on rangelands. a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). We have measured wildlife responses to grassland restoration efforts for two study components--Experimental Pairs and Landscape Mosaic Blocks. During this reporting period, we have continued statistical analyses of these data sets and papers are in preparation. On the Experimental Pairs, we estimated densities of D. spectabilis by measuring densities of active mounds during when treatments were nineor tenyears old. This represented the fourth time that we have conducted mound counts on these sites, which will allow us to model population recovery over time in relation to restoration treatments. Densities were higher on treated plots than on control plots, on average, but there was considerable spatial variation in responses. Future analyses will attempt to explain this variation by examining baseline, pre-treatment vegetation conditions and response of aboveground net primary production to treatments. On the Landscape Mosaic Blocks, we have conducted statistical analyses focused on community responses by birds and lizards and population responses by D. spectabilis. Preliminary results indicate that abundances of multiple bird species of conservation concern are related negatively to shrub cover and positively to vegetation diversity. Moreover, vegetation diversity has a hump-shaped relationship to the proportion of the block treated with herbicide for shrub removal. Hence, an intermediate treatment level at landscape scales might have the greatest benefits for wildlife. We also examined how shrub encroachment affects the landscape of fear (i.e., perceived predation risk) for desert lagomorphs (black-tailed jackrabbits and desert cottontails). Little emphasis has been placed on how woody plant encroachment might alter predator-prey dynamics. We conducted 256 FID trials across a shrub encroachment gradient at Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Site. Structural equation modeling showed that jackrabbits considered shrubby areas to be much safer than open grasslands. Their landscape of fear could explain their spatial patterns of abundance with consequences for herbivory pressure and reinforcement of shrub-dominated states. Shrub cover had a weaker direct effect on cottontails, but a strong, negative, indirect effect by reducing densities of D. spectabilis mounds, which cottontails use for refuge. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). We completed all field work and statistical analysis for long-term vegetation monitoring featuring 46 experimental grass response monitoring sites and 108 observational shrub mortality monitoring sites. A paper from this research is in preparation. On our Experimental Pairs, we had previously measured plant diversity and cover, using Line-Point Intercept (LPI) sampling, and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP). Measurements were taken on all 32 plots (16 treated for shrub removal, 16 controls). Treated sites had lower live shrub cover and greater grass cover than control sites, but there was no difference in sub-shrub cover, litter, and bare ground between treatments and controls. Experimental shrub removal increased production (ANPP) of herbaceous plant species and of those species palatable to cattle (e.g., Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua barbata, Muhlenbergia porteri). The median increase of productivity of palatable species was 44 kg/ha, but increases of >100 kg/ha were measured on multiple sites. After approximately one decade following treatment for shrub removal, treated sites had increased forage for livestock, indicating restoration efforts could positively improve this ecosystem service on southwestern rangelands. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). We conducted trials during summer-fall 2019 to assess how the keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis, perceives predation risk in relation to shrub cover, and how these perceptions could affect recolonization of restored sites. We used standardized assays to determine whether D. spectabilis exhibits behavioral syndromes that could explain dispersal across shrubby landscapes and recolonization of sites treated for shrub removal. Analyses from the behavioral tests is nearing completion. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). After a few months of pilot testing and editing, we launched our Q-Sort stakeholder survey on 8/23/2019. Recruitment included a combination of personalized e-mails directly from Qualtrics to a sample frame of 96 people; working with Extension specialists to share flyers at multiple events in New Mexico; coordinating with organization and agency leaders to post the link to listservs and social media pages; mailed letters to producers; referrals from completed surveys and past interviews; and contacting previously involved and enthusiastic interview participants to share with their networks. Despite the efforts and over 70 started surveys, only 13 usable surveys have been documented, with mostly agency, NGO, and university input (lacking producers). Participants commonly stop after the initial sorting of statements. To increase survey completion and to gain participation for a broader range of stakeholders, we planned to hold a workshop in Las Cruces, New Mexico during summer 2020 in which attendees would complete the Q-Sort survey.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R.L. Schooley and B.J. Cosentino. 2020. Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways. Ecosphere 11(9):e03240.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Wagnon, C.J., R. Schooley, B. Cosentino and B. Bestelmeyer. 2019. Shrub encroachment alters the landscape of fear for lagomorphs in the Chihuahuan Desert. American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society Joint Annual Conference. Reno, Nevada.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dinan, M., Cutts, B., Bestelmeyer, B., Schooley, R. and Cosentino, B. 2019. Uniting management and societal goals: Identifying cultural ecosystem services to inform grassland restoration. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Louisville, Kentucky.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dinan, M. and Cutts, B. 2019. Land of Encroachment: A multiple stakeholder analysis of brush control efforts in New Mexico. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Goncarovs, B., M. Suchewski, B.J. Cosentino, C.J. Wagnon and R.L. Schooley. 2019. Effects of shrub cover on movement behavior in banner-tailed kangaroo rats. Student Research Symposium, Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B.T., S. McCord, N. Webb, J. Brown, J.E. Herrick and D.C. Peters. 2019. Big data, local science: Not an oxymoron. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.
|
Progress 05/15/18 to 05/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:1) The Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico. TheBLM isour research partner who is applying the ongoing landscape restoration treatments -- herbicides to remove shrubs.We informed them of our current progress, and we also had discussions regarding potential stakeholders to include in our survey to assess cultural ecosystem services. 2) Livestock ranchers who lease land parcels treated by the Restore New Mexico program. 3) Restoration ecologists and practitioners. 4) Stakeholders identified for our quantitative survey including members of conservation organizations, outdoor recreationists, rural landowners, and environmental educators. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?a) We trained one PhD student at the University of Illinois who is focusing on mammal responses to shrub encroachment and efforts to restore desert grasslands. In particular, the student is examining how shrub encroachment affects the landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs, and how behavioral syndromes might constrain colonization of treated sites by a keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis. He belongs to a minority that is underrepresented in the sciences (Native American). b) We trained one MS student at North Carolina State University who focused on using a stakeholder interviews and a quantitative survey to measure how cultural ecosystems services are being affected by shrub removal efforts in our region. The student graduated in spring 2019. c) We hired a Lead Field Technician at New Mexico State University (post-MS) who assisted with the field activities focused on wildlife responses to shrub removal treatments. He is from a group underrepresented in the environmental sciences (Hispanic). d) Finally, we hired one undergraduate from Hobart and William Smith Colleges to serve as a Research Assistant. The student is planning on obtaining an advanced degree in Ecology, so our project provided an opportunity for her to develop relevant skills and to refine research interests. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?a) The project PI, co-PIs, and students gave multiple presentations at scientific conferences (see list in Products section). b) R.L. Schooley gave a presentation in the field on "Shrub Encroachment, Restoration, and Wildlife" at the Field Day at the Jornada Symposium, July 2018, Jornada Experimental Range, NM. The event was attended by 110 people representing diverse stakeholders including scientists, land managers, ranchers, NGO personnel, government representatives, students, and K-12 teachers. c) We continually provide our Extension partner, Las Cruces BLM, with updates of our research plans and findings through formal workshops and informal dialogue. d) B.T. Bestelmeyer gave a presentation on research results to Restore NM Coordination Group, New Mexico Association for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, June 18, 2018, Las Cruces, NM. e) B.T. Bestelmeyer trained technical service providers with New Mexico Association for Soil and Water Conservation Districts to expand long-term monitoring protocols to brush management treatments across the state of New Mexico. f) M.A. Dinan. A sociocultural analysis of ecosystem change: Using cultural ecosystem services to inform restoration management. Master's Thesis Defense. Raleigh, NC, April 2019. g) M.A. Dinan shared stakeholder interview results and implications with interview participants through brief email reports. h) M.A. Dinan promoted research and relevant results through attendance and discussion at Joint Stockman's Association meetings and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). Complete analysis of restoration trajectories of D. spectabilis on experimental pairs and publish paper. Publish paper on shrub encroachment and the landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs in Special Feature in Ecosphere on Dynamic Deserts. Complete analysis of the landscape of fear for desert lizards and publish paper. Complete analysis of wildlife responses to shrub removal treatment on our Landscape Mosaic Blocks. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). Publish paper featuring five and ten year vegetation responses in brush management on large set of experimental pairs (n = 50 plots). Analyze data on aboveground net primary production (ANPP) more fully to understand responses of ANPP to shrub removal treatments, and then responses of biodiversity to ANPP. Explore use of NDVI to remotely measure primary production on the Landscape Mosaic Blocks. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). Conduct study of behavioral syndromes of D. spectabilis on multiple treated sites (from experimental pairs) and multiple remnant grasslands. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). Publish paper on the results from the stakeholder interviews. Launch stakeholder survey generated from interview results and complete analysis using the Q sort approach. Disseminate results of the stakeholder survey to community groups.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Shrub encroachment in the semiarid-arid region of the Southwestern United States can have strong effects on multiple ecosystem services. Prevention and mitigation of shrub encroachment are key priorities of landowners and federal agencies. Remediation practices are urgently needed to ensure sustainability of these agroecosystems and to maintain rural lifestyles in the region. Extensive applications of herbicide treatments are being used in an attempt to restore degraded desert grasslands. We have improved knowledge about how animal diversity is responding to these restoration efforts at the scale of individual treatments from our previous research. However, substantial variation in responses suggests effects at the scale of landscape mosaics are also important. Moreover, we do not know if there are complementarities or trade-offs among biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and how these might change with temporal or spatial scale. We will take a highly integrative approach by combining investigations of multiple animal taxa, plant richness, primary production, livestock productivity, recolonization of a keystone species, and cultural ecosystem services. Our system will provide general insights applicable to other regions currently experiencing woody plant invasion, or regions that will experience increased desertification due to climate change. The BLM in southern New Mexico plans to expand shrub control measures as part of the Restore New Mexico program. It is critical to quantify exactly what is being gained by landscape treatments in terms of multiple ecosystem services. We will aid land managers in predicting where restorations are likely to be most successful to avoid costly applications that are unlikely to produce substantial, measurable benefits. Our close collaboration with the BLM will ensure that the numerous advantages of adaptive management are realized. We also will make sure that our results will be available to and coordinated with the NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a national project evaluating effects of conservation practices on rangelands. a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). We measured wildlife responses to grassland restoration efforts for two study components -- Experimental Pairs and Landscape Mosaic Blocks -- during summer-fall 2018. Our focal groups included desert lizard communities, desert lagomorphs, and a keystone rodent (Dipodomys spectabilis). On the Experimental Pairs, we observed 748 lizards representing 13 species across all sampling locations. We found no difference in species richness between treatment and control plots, but lizard abundances (across all species) were greater on treatment than control plots. The response of individual species to shrub removal depended on initial conditions. Positive responses to treatment were strongest when baseline shrub cover was lowest. On the Experimental Pairs, we estimated densities of D. spectabilis by measuring densities of active mounds during spring 2019 when treatments were 9 or 10 years old. This represented the fourth time that we have conducted mound counts on these sites, which will allow us to model population recovery over time in relation to restoration treatments. We counted 365 active mounds of D. spectabilis across sites in spring 2019. Densities were higher on treated plots than on control plots, on average, but there was considerable spatial variation in responses. Future analyses will attempt to explain this variation by examining baseline, pre-treatment vegetation conditions and response of aboveground net primary production to treatments. We also examined how shrub encroachment and shrub removal affect the landscape of fear (i.e., perceived predation risk) for lizards and desert lagomorphs. Little emphasis has been placed on how woody plant encroachment might alter predator-prey dynamics. For the lizards, we used flight initiation distance (FID) trials on the Experimental Pairs and the Landscape Mosaic Blocks. Preliminary data analyses on A. uniparens, A. marmorata, and U. stansburiana showed that FIDs were greatest for A. marmorata and lowest for U. stansburiana. FIDs were greater for A. uniparens on plots treated for shrub removal than on untreated plots. The unisexual A. uniparens had less variation in escape behavior among individuals than the sexual A. marmorata. For desert lagomorphs, black-tailed jackrabbits and desert cottontails, we conducted 256 FID trials across a shrub encroachment gradient at Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Site. Structural equation modeling showed that jackrabbits considered shrubby areas to be much safer than open grasslands. Their landscape of fear could explain their spatial patterns of abundance with consequences for herbivory pressure and reinforcement of shrub-dominated states. Shrub cover had a weaker direct effect on cottontails, but a strong, negative, indirect effect by reducing densities of D. spectabilis mounds, which cottontails use for refuge. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). On our Experimental Pairs, we had previously measured plant diversity and cover, using line-point intercept (LPI) sampling, and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP). Measurements were taken on all 32 plots (16 treated for shrub removal, 16 controls). Treated sites had lower live shrub cover and greater grass cover than control sites, but there was no difference in sub-shrub cover, litter, and bare ground between treatments and controls. Experimental shrub removal increased production (ANPP) of herbaceous plant species and of those species palatable to cattle (e.g., Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua barbata, Muhlenbergia porteri). The median increase of productivity of palatable species was 44 kg/ha, but increases of >100 kg/ha were measured on multiple sites. After approximately one decade following treatment for shrub removal, treated sites had increased forage for livestock, indicating restoration efforts could positively improve this ecosystem service on southwestern rangelands. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). We conducted pilot trials during summer-fall 2018 to assess how the keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis, perceives predation risk in relation to shrub cover, and how these perceptions could affect recolonization of restored sites. We used standardized assays to determine whether D. spectabilis exhibits behavioral syndromes that could explain dispersal across shrubby landscapes and recolonization of sites treated for shrub removal. A full study of behavioral constraints to colonization for D. spectabilis will be conducted during the next reporting period. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). We have conducted and transcribed 32 interviews of stakeholders including ones with cattle ranchers, land managers, and members of environmental groups. We identified 13 cultural ecosystem services perceived across residents of southwest New Mexico using the Millennium Ecosystem Service framework and other services identified in the literature. We outlined restoration management actions and outcomes, as well as social interactions among community groups, which hinder or enhance perceptions of cultural ecosystem services. For example, longevity of interventions and lack of access to restoration sites interfere with recreational opportunities. Finally, we incorporated novel research methods by combining Q method techniques with photo elicitation in a survey format. This survey will measure the influence of restoration on both culturally and ecologically relevant values at the same time.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B.T., D.P.C. Peters, S.R. Archer, D.M. Browning, G.S. Okin, R.L. Schooley and N.P. Webb. 2018. The grassland-shrubland regime shift in the southwestern United States: Misconceptions and their implications for management. BioScience 68:678-690.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B.T., L.M. Burkett, L.L. Lister and R.L. Schooley. 2019. Collaborative approaches to strengthen the role of science in rangeland conservation. Rangelands. Accepted with minor revisions.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cosentino, B.J., R.L. Schooley, B.T. Bestelmeyer, H. Campos and L.M. Burkett. 2019. Does habitat disturbance promote geographical parthenogenesis in whiptail lizards? Evolutionary Ecology. In Revision.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Schooley, R.L. 2019. Shrub encroachment, landscape restoration, and wildlife responses in the Chihuahuan Desert. Malpai Borderlands Science Conference, Rodeo, NM, January 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Wagnon, C. 2018. Shrub encroachment and top-down versus bottom-up controls of lagomorphs in the Chihuahuan Desert. Jornada Basin LTER Graduate Student Symposium, Las Cruces, NM, July 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cosentino, B.J., R.L. Schooley and B.T. Bestelmeyer. 2018. Understanding the relationship of lizard communities to desert grassland restoration with a landscape-scale experiment. North American Congress for Conservation Biology, Toronto, July 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Murphy, P. and B.J. Cosentino. 2018. Differences in predator response behavior between sexual and unisexual whiptail lizards. Summer Research Symposium, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, September 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cosentino, B.J., R.L. Schooley, B.T. Bestelmeyer, H. Campos and L.M. Burkett. 2019. Landscape change and geographical parthenogenesis in whiptail lizards. U.S.-International Association of Landscape Ecology Meeting, Fort Collins, April 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dinan, M. and B. Cutts. 2019. Land of encroachment: Identifying sociocultural impacts of ecosystem change on New Mexico grasslands. National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium. Annapolis, MD, April 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Dinan, M. and B. Cutts. 2018. Identifying the intersection between restoration and cultural ecosystem services. A Community for Ecosystem Services. Washington, D.C., December 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Dinan, M. and B Cutts. 2018. Landscape values in New Mexico: Cultural ecosystem services and restoration. International Symposium for Society and Resource Management. Salt Lake City, UT, June 2018.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dinan, Maude. 2019. A Sociocultural Analysis of Ecosystem Change: Using Cultural Ecosystem Services to Inform Restoration Management. MS Thesis, North Carolina State University.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lister, L. and B.T. Bestelmeyer. 2019. The Restore New Mexico Collaborative Monitoring Program: The action and the science. In: Abstract Proceedings of the 72nd Society for Range Management International Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, February 2019.
|
Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:1) The Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico. TheBLM isour research partner who is applying the ongoing landscape restoration treatments--herbicides to remove shrubs.We informed them of our current progress, and we also had discussions regarding potential stakeholders to include in our survey to assess cultural ecosystem services. 2) Livestock ranchers who lease land parcels treated by the Restore New Mexico program. 3) Restoration ecologists and practitioners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?a) We trained one PhD student at the University of Illinois who is focusing on mammal responses to shrub encroachment and efforts to restore desert grasslands. In particular, the student will examine behavioral constraints to colonization of treated sites by a keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis. He belongs to a minority that is underrepresented in the sciences (Native American). b) We trained one MS student at North Carolina State University who will focus on using a stakeholder survey to measure how cultural ecosystems services are being affected by shrub removal efforts in our region. c) We hired a Lead Field Technician at New Mexico State University (post-MS) who directed the main field activities focused on wildlife responses to shrub removal treatments. He is from a group underrepresented in the environmental sciences (Hispanic). d) Finally, we hired two recent graduates with BS degrees from Hobart and William Smith Colleges to serve as Research Assistants. Both assistants were taking a bridge year before attending graduate school so our project provided an opportunity to develop relevant skills and to refine their research interests. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?a) We continually provide our Extension partner, Las Cruces BLM, with updates of our research plans and findings through formal workshops and informal dialogue. b) Presentations Bestelmeyer B.T., L.M. Burkettand L. Lister. 2018. Understanding Spatial Variability in Perennial Grass Restoration Following Shrub Removal in the Chihuahuan Desert: The Restore New Mexico Collaborative Monitoring Program. Society for Rangeland Management, Sparks, Nevada. Dinan, M.and B.B. Cutts. 2018. Photovoice as a means of Eliciting Cultural Ecosystem Services for Rangeland Restoration. College of Natural Resources Graduate Research Symposium. Raleigh, North Carolina. Schooley, R.L. 2018. Shrub Encroachment, Biodiversity, and Landscape Restoration in the Chihuahuan Desert. University of Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). During summer 2018, we will measure responses of songbird communities and focal species including scale quail on our nine Landscape Mosaic blocks.These data will inform us as to how these species respond to shrub removal treatments of different sizes, ages, and especially landscape heterogeneity. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). During summer-fall 2018, we will continue analysis of data on plant diversity, cover, and ANPP from our Experimental Pairs. We also will explore approaches for measuring productivity for our Landscape Mosaic Blocks using remote sensing methods. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). During summer-fall 2018, we will measure perceived predation risk for our keystone species, Dipodomys spectabilis, so that we can then relate perceived risk to shrub cover and colonization potential of restored sites. We will also initiate trials to assess whether the species exhibits behavioral syndromes that could affect their dispersal across shrub invaded landscapes. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). During summer 2018, we will conduct additional 1.5-hour interviews with people representing a subset of potential stakeholders of interest. These interviews will be used inform development of a broad stakeholder survey to be implemented during winter 2018.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Shrub encroachment in the semiarid-arid region of the Southwestern United States can have strong effects on multiple ecosystem services. Prevention and mitigation of shrub encroachment are key priorities of landowners and federal agencies. Remediation practices are urgently needed to ensure sustainability of these agroecosystems and to maintain rural lifestyles in the region. Extensive applications of herbicide treatments are being used in an attempt to restore degraded desert grasslands. We have improved knowledge about how animal diversity is responding to these restoration efforts at the scale of individual treatments from our previous research. However, substantial variation in responses suggests effects at the scale of landscape mosaics are also important. Moreover, we do not know if there are complementarities or trade-offs among biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and how these might change with temporal or spatial scale. We will take a highly integrative approach by combining investigations of multiple animal taxa, plant richness, primary production, livestock productivity, recolonization of a keystone species, and cultural ecosystem services. Our system will provide general insights applicable to other regions currently experiencing woody plant invasion, or regions that will experience increased desertification due to climate change. The BLM in southern New Mexico plans to expand shrub control measures as part of the Restore New Mexico program. It is critical to quantify exactly what is being gained by landscape treatments in terms of multiple ecosystem services. We will aid land managers in predicting where restorations are likely to be most successful to avoid costly applications that are unlikely to produce substantial, measurable benefits. Our close collaboration with the BLM will ensure that the numerous advantages of adaptive management are realized. We also will make sure that our results will be available to and coordinated with the NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a national project evaluating effects of conservation practices on rangelands. a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). We measured wildlife responses to grassland restoration efforts for two study components--Experimental Pairs and Landscape Mosaic Blocks--during summer 2017. Our focal groups included desert lizard communities and a keystone rodent (Dipodomys spectabilis). Lizard abundances were estimated using visual encounter surveys, and abundances of the keystone rodent were indexed by densities of active mounds. For the Experimental Pairs, we conducted surveys on 32 paired plots (16 treated for shrub removal, 16 controls; 9-ha each) distributed throughout the southwestern New Mexico region. Plots within a pair were surveyed within the same day between 12 June 2017 and 7 July 2017. We counted 757 individual lizards (4 - 71 per plot) from 15 species. We also counted 454 active mounds of D. spectabilis (0 - 81 per plot). Statistical analysis of these biodiversity data is ongoing, but initial Structural Equation Models indicate abundances of both lizards and keystone rodents responded positively to herbicide applications to remove invasive creosotebush from arid rangelands. For the Landscape Mosaic Blocks, we measured responses of wildlife focal groups to restoration treatments on 9 blocks. Each block was 7 x 7 km and collectively they represented a gradient in the percentage of land treated with herbicide to remove shrubs (ranging from 5.5% to 78.6% treated). Site selection involved cooperation with the Las Cruces District Office of the BLM and local cattle ranchers. We measured responses of lizard communities and our keystone rodent along four3-km transects within each block (9 blocks x 4 transects x 3 km = 108 km of sampling). Each long transect included multiple segments with different ecological states, which we recorded (see next section). We sampled desert lizards and the keystone rodent on 60-m belt transects centered on the transects from 12 July 2017 to 16 August 2017. We counted 1,210 individual lizards from 17 species. We also counted 977 active mounds of the keystone rodent (24 - 290 per block). Our design will allow us to examine biodiversity responses at hierarchical spatial scales (segments, transects, blocks). b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). On our Experimental Pairs, we had previously measured plant diversity and cover using Line-Point Intercept (LPI) sampling. During fall 2017, we measured aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) on the 32 plots (16 treated for shrub removal, 16 controls). These data are being analyzed and will be used as predictors in our statistical models explaining abundances for our wildlife focal groups. The primary productivity data, separated by functional groups including perennial grasses, will also be used to assess how carry capacity for cattle is affected by restoration efforts. On our Landscape Mosaic Blocks, we recorded distinct ecological states for segments along the 3-km transects by measuring soil texture categories and dominant vegetation cover. Soil type was classified as Sandy, Loamy, Gravelly, or Lithic. We estimated grass cover (and dominant grass species) and shrub cover (and dominant shrub species) to ordinal groups (0-5%, 5-10%, 10-25%, >25% cover). A list of co-dominant plant species was also generated for each segment. We recorded ecological states for 346 segments (totaling 108 km). These data will be used to predict how biodiversity elements respond to habitat structure at multiple scales resulting from shrub removal and other environmental drivers. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). We conducted pilot trials during summer 2017 to assess how the keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis, perceives predation risk in relation to shrub cover, and how these perceptions could affect recolonization of restored sites. We tested perceived predation risk using giving-up density (GUD) experiments that measure resource use (seed removal) while controlling for metabolic costs and missed opportunity costs. We will expand the GUD experiments during summer-fall 2018 and also begin using standardized assays to determine whether D. spectabilis exhibits behavioral syndromes that could explain dispersal across shrubby landscapes and recolonization of sites treated for shrub removal. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). We met with the BLM in Las Cruces during summer 2016 to discuss potential stakeholder groups to include in our survey that will measure stakeholder perceptions of landscape conditions and management outcomes and of values that they place on landscape elements. During this reporting period, we refined a set of questions for use during in-person interviews of representative stakeholders. These interviews will inform development of our larger mail survey of diverse stakeholders. So far, we have conducted and transcribed 21 interviews including ones with cattle ranchers, land managers, and members of environmental groups.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Bestelmeyer, B.T., D.P.C. Peters, S.R. Archer, D.M. Browning, G.S. Okin, R.L. Schooley and N.P. Webb. 2018. The grassland-shrubland regime shift in the southwestern United States: Misconceptions and their implications for management. BioScience (In Press).
|
Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences included the Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico. TheBLM isour Extension partner who is applying the ongoing landscape restoration treatments--herbicides to remove shrubs.We organized a workshop with the BLM during the summer of 2016 to update them on the results from our previous research to inform adaptive management. We also had discussions regarding potential stakeholders to include in our survey to assess cultural ecosystem services. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We recruited and hired one PhD student at the University of Illinois for the project who will focus on mammal responses to shrub encroachment and efforts to restore desert grasslands. In particular, the student will examine behavioral constraints to colonization of treated sites by a keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis. He belongs to a minority that is underrepresented in the sciences (identifies as American Indian). Training began in January 2017. We also recruited and hired one MS student at North Carolina State University who will focus on using a stakeholder survey to measure how cultural ecosystems services are being affected by shrub removal efforts in our region. She will begin training during our next reporting period. We hired a Lead Field Technician at New Mexico State University (post-MS) who will direct the main field activities during our next reporting period focused on wildlife responses to shrub removal treatments. He is from a group underrepresented in environmental science (Hispanic). Finally, we hired two recent graduates with BS degrees from Hobart and William Smith Colleges to serve as Research Assistants during fieldwork to be completed during our next reporting period. Both assistants are taking a bridge year before attending graduate school so our project will provide an opportunity to develop relevant skills and to refine their research interests. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continually provide our Extension partner, Las Cruces BLM, with updates of our research plans and findings through formal workshops, informal dialogue, and field visits. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). During the summer of 2017, we will measure responses of lizard communities and a keystone rodent on 16 Experimental Pairs and on nine Landscape Mosaic blocks. These data will inform us as to how these taxa respond to shrub removal treatments of different sizes, ages, and especially landscape context. Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). During the fall of 2017, we will measure aboveground net primary production (ANPP) on sites within our experimental pairs component. These data will inform us as to how plant productivity and landscape capacity for livestock respond to shrub removal treatments and other environmental covariates. Keystone Species (Objective 5). During the summer of 2017, we will conduct a pilot study to determine how best to measure perceived predation risk for our keystone species, Dipodomys spectabilis, so that we can then relate perceived risk to shrub cover and colonization potential of restored sites. Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). During the summer of 2017, we will conductinterviews with people representing a subset of potential stakeholders of interest. These interviews will be used inform development of a broad stakeholder survey to be developed during the winter of 2017.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Shrub encroachment in the semiarid-arid region of the Southwestern United States can have strong effects on multiple ecosystem services. Prevention and mitigation of shrub encroachment are key priorities of landowners and federal agencies. Remediation practices are urgently needed to ensure sustainability of these agroecosystems and to maintain rural lifestyles in the region. Extensive applications of herbicide treatments are being used in an attempt to restore degraded desert grasslands. We have improved knowledge about how animal diversity is responding to these restoration efforts at the scale of individual treatments from our previous research. However, substantial variation in responses suggests effects at the scale of landscape mosaics are also important. Moreover, we do not know if there are complementarities or trade-offs among biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and how these might change with temporal or spatial scale. We will take a highly integrative approach by combining investigations of multiple animal taxa, plant richness, primary production, livestock productivity, reintroduction of a keystone species, and cultural ecosystem services. Our system will provide general insights applicable to other regions currently experiencing woody plant invasion, or regions that will experience increased desertification due to climate change. The BLM in southern New Mexico plans to expand shrub control measures as part of the Restore New Mexico program. It is critical to quantify exactly what is being gained by landscape treatments in terms of multiple ecosystem services. We will aid land managers in predicting where restorations are likely to be most successful to avoid costly applications that are unlikely to produce substantial, measurable benefits. Our close collaboration with the BLM will ensure that the numerous advantages of adaptive management are realized. We also will make sure that our results will be available to and coordinated with the NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a national project evaluating effects of conservation practices on rangelands. a) Biodiversity (Objectives 1 and 2). We designed and selected nine Landscape Mosaic Blocks in our study region in southern New Mexico where we will measure responses of wildlife groups to shrub removal treatments at multiple spatial scales. Each block is 7 x 7 km and represents a gradient in the percentage of land treated with herbicide to remove shrubs (ranging from 5.5% to 78.6% treated). Site selection involved cooperation with the Las Cruces District Office of the BLM and local ranchers. We will measure responses of lizard communities and a keystone rodent on the Landscape Mosaic Blocks during our next reporting period. b) Plant Diversity and Primary Production (Objectives 3 and 4). We have a study component involving experimental pairs in which one 9-ha site is treated with herbicides and a paired 9-ha site is left untreated as a control. During fall 2016, we measured plant cover and diversity on 10 experimental pairs using line-point intercept (LPI) sampling. We also developed plans for measuring aboveground net primary production (ANPP) on the experimental pairs during our next reporting period. c) Keystone Species (Objective 5). We recruited a PhD student who will focus on this study component (see below). Fieldwork with the keystone rodent, Dipodomys spectabilis, will begin during our next reporting period. We also wrote a protocol that was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee at the University of Illinois (#16161) to cover activities to be conducted for this objective. d) Stakeholder Perceptions (Objective 6). We recruited an MS student who will focus on this study component (see below). We met with the BLM in Las Cruces during the summer of 2016 to discuss potential stakeholder groups to include in our survey that will measure stakeholder perceptions of landscape conditions and management outcomes and of values that they place on landscape elements. We also developed a set of questions that will be used for in-person interviews of representative stakeholders during our next reporting period. These interviews will inform development of our larger mail survey of diverse stakeholders.
Publications
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