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Major changes in ecosystems have consequences for people who rely on them for their livelihoods and delivery of ecosystem services, such as food and fuel production, flood regulation, pollination, recreation and more. In rangelands of Nebraska and the surrounding Great Plains, decades of woody plant encroachment have led to widespread transition of grassland to woodland, with detrimental impacts on forage production for livestock and habitat for grassland-dependent wildlife. Research has shown proactive approaches to woody plant management to be more effective than reactive approaches in preventing grassland-to-woodland transitions and impacts on ecosystem services; however, proactive management depends on knowing where and when to focus limited time and resources.
This collaboration between CRAWL and the university’s Large-Scale Rangeland Conservation Lab develops maps of early warning of grassland-to-woodland transitions across Nebraska and the Great Plains. Map products continue to be distributed to land managers to help inform grassland conservation efforts and have also been featured in numerous scientific publications, NSF-funded research, an online decision support tool, a pocket guide for managing woody encroachment, and a New York Times Opinion piece.