Location: Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research
Project Number: 2056-31610-007-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2022
End Date: Nov 30, 2025
Objective:
Specific objectives are:
1. Evaluate differences in gall morphology, diversity, and abundance in response to grazing and fire management practices in an existing replicated fire-grazing experiment in mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle), plant communities.
2. Evaluate differences in sagebrush gall morphology, diversity, and abundance across a climatic and elevation gradient (as a proxy for climate change) at the Range Sheep Production Efficiency Unit (RSPER) near Dubois, Idaho, thus providing insight into gall adaptation to future climate changes.
3. Provide training opportunities for one graduate student from the Cooperator's laboratory in ecological and biological survey methods, statistical analysis, and scientific writing.
4. Translate key study findings to managers and ranchers through the development of an interactive digital fact sheet and rangeland tour at the ARS unit.
5. Produce undergraduate teaching materials related to insect field sampling and sagebrush pollinator ecology.
6. Publish results of the management and climate surveys in peer-reviewed journals and present at one scientific conference.
Approach:
This project involves an on-site sabbatical program for a visiting scholar who will work with USDA ARS to conduct and publish studies related to galls in the sage ecosystem, translate findings to managers, and mentor graduate students.
The RSPER operates on a 19,000-ha (48,000 acres) commercial scale range sheep production operation near Dubois, Idaho, in a native sagebrush ecosystem. This elevation gradient coincides with gradients in temperature, precipitation, and growing season. Observations of insect gall characteristics across this gradient can indicate gall and ecosystem response to climatic gradients and changes. The survey design will leverage existing vegetation monitoring plots and protocols on plots across this ecological gradient. We will survey gall characteristics on these new or existing monitoring plots (each representing approximately 0.5-1 square km macroplot area) across this elevation gradient and in an existing fire-grazing experiment.
The RSPER also operates a long-term replicated fire-grazing interaction study on a 270-ha area (27 10-ha paddocks) in the mountain big sage community at the Headquarters property. A total of 90 ha of this study area was burned (2008-2009), and four spring/fall sheep grazing or grazing deferment treatments were randomized within the paddocks in subsequent years. Gall surveys in this replicated experiment will statistically evaluate differences in gall response to grazing and fire.
The project will also provide training opportunities for one graduate student from the Cooperator's laboratory who will assist with data collection and analysis during a summer visit to the USSES.
The project will report key study findings to managers and ranchers through the development of an interactive digital fact sheet and rangeland tour at the ARS unit. The cooperator will also produce undergraduate teaching materials related to insect field sampling and sagebrush pollinator ecology. Finally, we will publish results of the management and climate surveys in peer-reviewed journals and present at one scientific conference.
