Resilience in Practice

students at Reller Prairie

Applying ‘resilience thinking’ to agricultural landscapes helps manage, design, and, when needed, transform landscapes to provide critical ecosystem services over a wide variety of conditions. Below are projects where CRAWL operationalizes resilience theory and modeling to deliver enhanced outcomes for working landscapes and the natural systems on which they depend.

Nebraska’s Grazing Lands

Resilience thinking applied to rangeland management is helping improve the utility, function, and performance of grazing lands. Through timely and robust pasture information, producers can adapt production cycles to better absorb operational stressors or shocks.

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leading cows across the prairie
prescribed burn at Barta Brothers Ranch
Photo Courtesy TL Meyer

Woody Plant Encroachment

Translating scientific analysis into real-world application is a key shortcoming in multiple-use landscapes. We’re combining remote sensing with rancher experiences to grasp the sweeping changes underway in the Great Plains.

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Agricultural production must increase by more than 70% by 2050 to meet the world’s demand for food, fuel & fiber.

Learn How Agricultural Resilience Can Meet Demand

Platte River Basin

Agricultural watersheds encompass more than 70 percent of the continental United States. The Platte River Watershed is an example where the needs of multiple users and ecological integrity and functionality must align. The resilience approach can help manage this precious resource that is critical to achieving sustainable intensification of agriculture.

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photo of platte river from above
photo of student looking across prairie
Photo Courtesy Ethan Freese

Denton Hills Grasslands

The Denton Hills is an unplowed, fragmented landscape important to local birds, pollinators, and other animals. However, fundamental land-use changes and continued woody plant encroachment threaten its scenic and cultural identity. It’s a familiar story in the Midwest, but how can resilience theory help flip the script?

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Bats in Agriculture

Controlling pest outbreaks is a daunting challenge for farmers and growers. While insects often evolve resistance to chemical controls, winged predators like bats continually provide billions of dollars in services reducing pest populations. Despite the vital role bats play, their importance is often unrecognized in agricultural landscapes.

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bat in trap