Productive Forests and Rangelands: Science for Productive Rangelands

This was the first of four webinars in our series focused on science supporting Productive Forests and Rangelands. During this webinar, scientists from the Rocky Mountain Research Station presented their latest research in three short presentations.

Science for Prescribed Fire in the Great Plains

Presented by Jacqueline Ott, Research Ecologist

Jacqueline Ott provides an overview of the role of fire in the Great Plains and then focuses on how prescribed fire affects annual brome and sagebrush at the ecotone of sagebrush steppe and northern mixed grass prairie in South Dakota and Wyoming. She also briefly describes the societal perspectives on prescribed fire in grasslands, highlighting a recent study from western North Dakota.

The Climate Smart Restoration Tool v2.0: A Guide to Seed Transfer in a Changing Climate

Presented by Elizabeth Milano, Research Biological Scientist

Elizabeth Milano presents the Climate Smart Restoration Tool (CSRT) v2.0, which provides seed transfer and vegetation restoration planning guidance for current day and mid-century climates. The goal of this webtool is to highlight the dynamic changes that will impact plant communities and identify species and seed sources needed to maximize success in restoration and management efforts.

Learning from Long-Term Studies at the Desert Experimental Range: How Grazing, Drought, and Invasive Species Alter Rangelands

Presented by Robert Heckman, Research Botanist

Arid and semi-arid rangelands cover vast swaths of the western United States and support key ecosystem services, yet these systems are frequently threatened by drought and invasive species. Robert Heckman discusses how livestock grazing studies at the Desert Experimental Range in western Utah, which have been ongoing for decades, can help inform land management practices in desert rangelands.