Category: Ecosystems

Vegetative and Climatic Controls of Aboveground Net Primary Production and Radiation Use Efficiency Along a North to South Transect in the Western Great Plains – Isabella Goodman

Posted on by Josh Blake

Isabella is studying seven sites along a latitudinal gradient spanning nearly 1,800 miles from Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Marfa, Texas. She is using an ecosystem water balance model to estimate soil moisture to be used in linear models to determine the climatic vs. vegetative controls of radiation use efficiency along the latitudinal gradient in the Read more about Vegetative and Climatic Controls of Aboveground Net Primary Production and Radiation Use Efficiency Along a North to South Transect in the Western Great Plains – Isabella Goodman[…]

Ecosystems of Reform: Comparing Water Reallocation Strategies in the Western US and South Africa – Alaina Geibig

Posted on by Josh Blake

At the edge of the Atlantic, the blackened sea gave way to sandstone remnants of an ancient river valley floor, now suspended impossibly in the sky. These were the same Table Mountain monuments I saw twelve hours before. With boarding pass in hand, passengers filed down the metal jet bridge fashioned with askew glossy photos of dream destinations, including (most appropriately) Cape Town.   South Africa greeted me with golden Read more about Ecosystems of Reform: Comparing Water Reallocation Strategies in the Western US and South Africa – Alaina Geibig[…]

Clipping My Way Through the Sagebrush Sea – Jianing Tian

Posted on by Josh Blake

Fieldwork always sounds romantic and serene from the outside: wide open skies, fresh air and soft breezes, fragrant sagebrush, and a mischievous choir of tiny creatures. But when your main task is clipping grasses and forbs for biomass, the reality is often more like an endurance activity, especially when you’re up against certain “special” plants Read more about Clipping My Way Through the Sagebrush Sea – Jianing Tian[…]

First Month in the Field and Yellowstone Trip – Myroslav Bur

Posted on by Josh Blake

My first time stepping onto the soil of sagebrush-dominated steppe was a breathtaking experience for me, someone who grew up among the limitless forests of northern Ukraine. The contrast between this arid, open, mountainous landscape and the dense woods commonly observed during my entire lifetime still leaves me with admiration. Seeing the Wind River Range Read more about First Month in the Field and Yellowstone Trip – Myroslav Bur[…]

Using Science, Mapping, and Innovation to Foster Human-Beaver Coexistence in Montana — Xiaofan Shen

Posted on by Vanesa Aguay Guerra

As the biggest rodent on land, beavers are remarkable engineers, transforming landscapes with their dam-building expertise. These excellent hydrologists create ponds that profoundly impact annual streamflow, stream velocity and groundwater recharge (Naiman et al., 1988; Pollock et al., 2015). Beyond habitats for beavers, these ponds also stand as the central hubs for dynamic wetland ecosystems.   Read more about Using Science, Mapping, and Innovation to Foster Human-Beaver Coexistence in Montana — Xiaofan Shen[…]

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems- Joshua Kesling

Posted on by Vanesa Aguay Guerra

Second year Master of Environmental Management student Joshua Kesling recently published an article in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. The piece addresses freshwater and riparian ecosystem conservation strategies across Intermountain Western United States National Forests. Moreover, Kesling discusses the importance of measuring how outdoor recreation involving the use aquatic resources affects ecological integrity.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70057