Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

17 Sep, 11 AM - 18 Sep, 11 PM

Sierra Nevada meadows are a unique habitat; host to diverse plant species assemblages and a number of threatened and endangered species such as the Yosemite toad and willow flycatcher. Yet these meadows also have provided productive summer range for livestock grazing since the 1860's. One legacy of this historic use has been areas of overuse and degradation. While recent shifts in United States Forest Service policy have reduced grazing pressure, we lack long-term descriptions of the condition and trend in these long-grazed meadows. The goal of our study is to quantify the reduction in grazing pressure in Sierra Nevada meadows by examining grazing allotment records over the past fifty years, and determine if the reduction in grazing pressure has led to a concomitant shift in the structure and function of dry, moist, and wet Sierra Nevada meadow plant communities using plant rooted frequency data collected by the United States Forest Service from 1999-2011.

Visit #29571 @Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Approved

Under Project # 25817 | Research

Plant Community Response to shifts in Grazing Policy in Sierra Nevada Meadows

other - University of California, Davis

Reservation Members(s)

Kerry Byrne Sep 17 - 18, 2012 (2 days)
Kerry Byrne Sep 17 - 18, 2012 (2 days)

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Dorm 2 Sep 17 - 18, 2012
Q1 2 Sep 17 - 18, 2012
Q2 2 Sep 17 - 18, 2012
Q3 2 Sep 17 - 18, 2012
Q8 2 Sep 17 - 18, 2012