Building Climate-Resilient Rangelands Amidst Fire, Grazing, and Ecological Invasion in California
Rangelands in California face significant challenges from climate change, wildfires, and invasive species, threatening their productivity and the benefits they provide to local communities. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will develop a management framework for restoring climate-resilient rangelands in California by examining interactions between fire, grazing, and plant invasions. This work will ultimately benefit ranchers, local communities, and the environment by improving land management practices.
Rangelands in the western U.S. face unprecedented challenges from changing weather patterns, increased wildfires, and invasive plant species. Climate change is intensifying pressures on rangelands, lowering productivity and creating uncertain outcomes for plant communities. These lands are essential for providing ecosystem services and supporting local economies, which makes their restoration and management critical. Rural communities, ranchers, and the public stand to benefit from strategies that improve livestock forage and soil health, and from strategies that enhance the resilience of these landscapes to climate change. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective restoration methods that address the unique environmental drivers of fire, grazing, and invasion, especially in California, where changes in climate are expected to be significant.
This project aims to develop a new management framework for restoring climate-resilient rangelands in California. Researchers will investigate how changing fire regimes interact with weed invasion and grazing. They are guided by three specific objectives: (1) determining how increased fire frequency affects forage and soil health, (2) understanding the interactions between fire, grazing, and invasion, and (3) identifying suitable plant species for restoration under altered fire regimes.
The project will yield important insights into the best practices for maintaining and restoring rangelands, directly contributing to climate resilience by finding ways to counteract the negative impacts of climate change. By aligning with California's climate goals, the research will inform policies for nature-based solutions on working landscapes, promoting healthier rangelands that can withstand environmental pressures, support sustainable agriculture, and benefit local communities. Ultimately, the project will offer essential strategies to ranchers for protecting these vital landscapes.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 668438e9d34e0f592272b4f7)
Rangelands in California face significant challenges from climate change, wildfires, and invasive species, threatening their productivity and the benefits they provide to local communities. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will develop a management framework for restoring climate-resilient rangelands in California by examining interactions between fire, grazing, and plant invasions. This work will ultimately benefit ranchers, local communities, and the environment by improving land management practices.
Rangelands in the western U.S. face unprecedented challenges from changing weather patterns, increased wildfires, and invasive plant species. Climate change is intensifying pressures on rangelands, lowering productivity and creating uncertain outcomes for plant communities. These lands are essential for providing ecosystem services and supporting local economies, which makes their restoration and management critical. Rural communities, ranchers, and the public stand to benefit from strategies that improve livestock forage and soil health, and from strategies that enhance the resilience of these landscapes to climate change. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective restoration methods that address the unique environmental drivers of fire, grazing, and invasion, especially in California, where changes in climate are expected to be significant.
This project aims to develop a new management framework for restoring climate-resilient rangelands in California. Researchers will investigate how changing fire regimes interact with weed invasion and grazing. They are guided by three specific objectives: (1) determining how increased fire frequency affects forage and soil health, (2) understanding the interactions between fire, grazing, and invasion, and (3) identifying suitable plant species for restoration under altered fire regimes.
The project will yield important insights into the best practices for maintaining and restoring rangelands, directly contributing to climate resilience by finding ways to counteract the negative impacts of climate change. By aligning with California's climate goals, the research will inform policies for nature-based solutions on working landscapes, promoting healthier rangelands that can withstand environmental pressures, support sustainable agriculture, and benefit local communities. Ultimately, the project will offer essential strategies to ranchers for protecting these vital landscapes.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 668438e9d34e0f592272b4f7)