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Interactions of Cattle Grazing
& Climate on Semi-arid Ecosystem Functions
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Rangelands, lands that are dominated by herbaceous
plants and shrubs, are a major type of land on all continents. Thirty-four
percent of the U.S. is rangeland, with 57% of that land being owned
by the U.S. government. Rangelands provide forage for native and
domestic animals, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, wood products,
and recreational opportunities. As U.S. populations continue to grow
and become more urbanized, rangelands are increasingly valued for
their scenery and open space.
We are excited about the series of studies we have
embarked upon to gather information on the impacts of livestock grazing
on semiarid ecosystems of the western U.S. It is our hope that these
sites may provide baseline data for other studies regarding ecosystem
structure and function in the semi-arid west and around the world.
We invite collaborators to consider using these sites
for additional studies provided their studies will not damage these
permanently located plots. If you would like further information
about thse sites, our methods, and our data, please contact David Pyke for further information.
If you decide to use some sites, please let us know and inform the
local BLM office contact person listed with each site on the map.
This will help us track the site's use as well as providing both
of us information on specific plot locations and sampling procedures
so that we do not disturb these mutually beneficial experiments.
David A. Pyke
Research Ecologist and Project Leader
USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis OR 97331
Phone: 541-750-7334
Fax: 541-758-8806
Email: david_a_pyke@usgs.gov
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