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Rangeland Center
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive
     MS 1135
Moscow, ID 83844-1135

phone (208) 885-6536
4range@uidaho.edu

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Research in rangeland ecology and management at the University of Idaho covers a diversity of topics from the soil to the stratosphere. Several projects focus on plant-soil, plant-plant, and plant-animal interactions. Other research focuses on rangeland communities and ecosystems.
Ongoing Research Projects
►Ecophysiology
►Fire Ecology and Management
►Invasive Plant Management
►Grazing
►Wildland Restoration
►Landscape Ecology and
Remote Sensing
 ►Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Our focus is on the ecological forces that create and maintain landscape patterns on rangelands. The reseach projects focus on fire, grazing, and invasive plants. We also examine methods to restore plant communities after disturbances such as highway construction, wildfire, or weed invasion.
These research projects aimed at understanding the nature and ecology of rangelands are accomplished primarily with the creative energy and field work of graduate students seeking M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Rangeland Ecology and Management and Natural Resources and Environmental Science.
Ongoing Research Projects
Ecophysiology

Consequences of stratospheric ozone depletion: Scaling the effects of enhanced solar UV-B radiation through trophic levels in ecosystems. R. Robberecht, J.H. Bassman

Effect of enhanced UV-B radiation on carbon dynamics in selected tree species. R. Robberecht, J.H. Bassman and G.E. Edwards

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Fire Ecology and Management

Southern Idaho Historical Fire Regimes. S.C. Bunting and A. Kuchy

Effects of vegetation treatments on sagebrush steppe in western Wyoming. S.C. Bunting and S. Hatch

A Regional Experiment to Evaluate Effects of Fire and Fire Surrogate Treatments in the Sagebrush Biome. S.C. Bunting N. Rimbey and A. Stebleton

Landscape dynamics of the western juniper woodland/sagebrush steppe mosaic. S.C.  Bunting, J.L. Kingery and E.K. Strand 

Landscape dynamics of the western juniper woodland/sagebrush steppe mosaic. S.C. Bunting, J.L. Kingery and E.K. Strand

A spatial fire and vegetation interaction model for semi-arid African savanna. S.C. Bunting, A. Hudak, and B. Brockett

Effects of landscape pattern on fire behavior within the western juniper woodland/sagebrush steppe mosaic. S.C. Bunting and A. Roth

Mapping small aspen patches for fire management planning utilizing SPOT imagery. S.C. Bunting and E.K. Strand

Role of grazing in plant response to fire in sagebrush communities. K.L. Launchbaugh, S. Seefeldt and L. New

Documenting delayed mortality after fire with remote sensing. L. Vierling, M. and M. Calhoun

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Invasive Plant Management

Developing prescription grazing guidelines for controlling spotted knapweed with sheep. M.B. Hale, and D.D. Patten, K..L. Launchbaugh, J. Hendrickson, and S. Seefeldt

Integrating biological control and prescribed grazing to manage yellow starthistle on Idaho Rangeland. L. Wilson, K. Launchbaugh, and E. Hovde
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Grazing and Foraging

Enhancing spatial heterogeneity of grazed landscapes: implications to the fire fuel matrix and avian and insect communities.: K.T. Vierling, S. Cook, K.L. Launchbaugh, S.C. Bunting and E.K. Strand.

Effects of livestock trampling on Lepidium papilliferum and slickspot composition in southern Idaho. S.C. Bunting

Nutritional aspects of winter grazing by sheep on salt-desert shrublands. K.L. Launchbaugh and H. Blackburn

Grazing management of crested wheatgrass, Russian wildrye grass and forage kochia. K. Sanders

Natural dynamics of salt desert shrub plant communities. K. Sanders and K. Johnson

Role of grazing in plant response to fire in sagebrush communities. K.L. Launchbaugh, S. Seefeldt and L. Roselle

Developing prescription grazing guidelines for controlling spotted knapweed with sheep. M.B. Hale, and D.D. Patten, K.L. Launchbaugh, J. Hendrickson, and S. Seefeldt

Integrating biological control and prescribed grazing to manage yellow starthistle on Idaho Rangeland. L. Wilson, K. Launchbaugh, and E. Hovde

Nutritional aspects of winter grazing by sheep on salt-desert shrublands. K.L. Launchbaugh and H. Blackburn

Targeted grazing by goats to manage yellow starthistle infested rangeland in Idaho. B. Goehring and K.L. Launchbaugh

Interactions between toxic plants and invasive weeds and effects on equines. G. Hanson and K.L. Launchbaugh
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Wildland Restoration

Vegetation management practices for soil stability, erosion control, and slope maintenance. J. Kingery, K. Moseley, A. Cotter, M. Thomas

Native plant propagation and establishment techniques (identify species most adaptable and best suited for roadside revegetation and rest area landscape projects). J. Kingery, K. Moseley

Emerald Creek resource management area restoration project. J. Kingery

Use of livestock grazing and physical impact for restoration of rangeland communities after fire (Harold Heady Endowed). K.L. Launchbaugh, L. Roselle
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Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing

Change detection of extent and density of quacking aspen using current and historical photography. E.K. Strand and S.C. Bunting

Monitoring aspen within City of Rocks National Reserve and Craters of the Moon National Monument. E.K. Strand and S.C. Bunting

Improving wildlife habitat monitoring in temperate and tropical ecosystems using multispectral and lidar remote sensing.  Project led by Sebastian Martinuzzi, Vierling Ph.D. Student

Developing techniques for scaling fluxes of CO2 and water vapor from flux tower sites across the landscape.  Project led by Steve Garrity, Vierling Ph.D. Student

Partitioning shrub-steppe net primary productivity into functional groups (shrubs, native grasses, invasive grasses) across large landscapes.  Project led by Javier Naupari, Vierling Ph.D. Student

Developing low-cost narrowband remote sensing instruments for field deployment on flux towers worldwide. With Steve Garrity, Vierling Ph.D. Student

Development of Earth Systems Science curricula for all ages of students (K-grey).  With colleague Jeff Frykholm, University of Colorado

Creation of a dynamic national-scale map of vegetation insect disturbance.With colleagues Paul Gessler and Jeff Hicke, University of Idaho

Using lidar to delineate rangeland and forest vegetation structure across the American West.  Jessica Xu, M.S. Student, with colleagues Andrew Hudak, USFS, Alistair Smith, UI, and Paul Gesssler, UI.

Investigating the structural connectivity of landscapes in the context of wildlife functional behaviors.  Project led by Melanie Johnson, UI Ph.D. student

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