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Pure Prairie League: Researchers and Managers Gather to Discuss the State of Great Plains Grasslands
?Great Plains Grasslands at the Millennium,? Symposium at the 1999 Society
for Range Management Meeting, Omaha, NE, 24-25 February 1999. Proceedings in
Great Plains Research 9(2) Spring 2000.
The Great Plains grasslands and prairies constitute what was once the largest
vegetational unit in North America. With the settlement of the Great Plains,
the grassland ecosystems have been converted to agriculture and other uses,
both in public and private ownership. The grassland ecosystems of the Great
Plains are faced with numerous stresses, including possible climate change,
overgrazing, conversion to agriculture, invasion by non-native plants, and loss
of riparian zones. A greater understanding of these ecosystems is needed to
manage them sustainably and effectively. This is complicated by the fact that
the Great Plains grasslands cross state and national boundaries and are made up
of federal, state, and private lands.
National grasslands have received increased attention by the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) over the past several years. The Forest Service is dedicated to
multiple-use management of National Grasslands for sustained yields of
renewable resources such as water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. In 1996,
the National Grasslands Management Review Action Plan targeted the need for
science to understand and manage grassland ecosystems, and the importance of
ensuring that information about the sustainable management of grasslands
reaches the managers on the ground. To address these needs, the USFS, in
partnership with ESA, the Society for Range Management, the USDA Agricultural
Research Service, and the Centers for Great Plains Studies and Grasslands
Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, organized a symposium, Great
Plains Grasslands at the Millennium, to present a state-of-the-science
review of current knowledge on topics of primary interest to grassland
researchers, managers, and other interested parties. The symposium examined
what is known about grassland ecosystems at the site, landscape, and regional
levels, as well as economic and social factors. Other objectives included
bridging the gap and building trust between researchers and those who need
research information and providing a forum to better understand and communicate
the value of grasslands.
Science and Management: James Saveland, Assistant Director for Research of the
USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station emphasized the importance of having an
integrated approach to the science and management of grasslands. He stressed
the need for research and management to collaborate, as well as for
collaboration among researchers in the biological, physical, and social
sciences. Guy McPherson, The Nature Conservancy, discussed ways to improve
linkages between science and management and asserted that both endeavors will
benefit from increased understanding of each other?s goals. Scientists focus on
general principles and on understanding relationships in systems, while
managers are necessarily objective and site specific. We are at a critical
juncture for the management of natural resources and scientists and managers
must break down barriers and work together.
Setting the Stage: William Lauenroth, Colorado State University, set the stage
for the symposium by discussing the global context for grasslands, the Great
Plains concept, and the Central North American grassland region. The Central
North America grassland region is unique globally, encompassing one of the
largest contiguous areas of grasslands worldwide, with uniform gradients of
topography, climate, and socio-political culture. Ingrid Burke, Colorado State
University discussed the causes and consequences of land use patterns in the
Great Plains. She found that environmental variables (precipitation,
temperature, slope, and soil texture) can explain 80% of the variance in land
use management. Dr. Burke noted the tension of land use management between
cropland and rangeland and estimated the long-term, regional consequences of
these land-use practices.
Clenton Ownsby, Kansas State University, reviewed possible impacts of changes
in carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and climate in the central grassland region. His
analysis suggested that elevated CO2 effects on grassland plants could include
increased photosynthesis, improved water use efficiency, reduced nutrient
status, and reduced respiration. Effects on natural ecosystems of the Great
Plains are likely to include an increase in productivity in shortgrass prairies
and changes in vegetation distribution and nutrient cycling.
Dan Flores, University of Montana, challenged the conception of the Great
Plains as an unpopulated wilderness prior to European settlement. He noted that
350-400 generations of Native Americans have been impacting and actively
managing the land of the Great Plains through fire, planting, water
manipulation, and hunting practices.
Biodiversity and Conservation: The heterogenous landscape of the Great Plains
is important in maintaining grassland biodiversity and ecosystem processes.
Carolyn Hull Sieg, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, presented a discussion
of biodiversity indicators of Great Plains rangeland sustainability. She noted
that grassland systems have been severely impacted by land-use conversion,
fragmentation, and degradation which have put species, ecosystems, and
processes at risk and reduced ecosystem goods and services. A growing threat to
grassland ecosystems are invasions by non-native species. Fred Smiens, Texas
A&M University, provided a review of characteristics of invasive species and
ecosystems susceptible to invasion.
The Nature Conservancy?s (TNC) conservation goal for grassland ecosystems of
the Great Plains is to assure the long-term survival of viable native species
and community types through the design and conservation of a portfolios of
sites. Steve Chaplin presented TNC?s ecoregional planning process to identify
and select suitable areas for conservation to protect all native community
types, all rare species, and other selected declining species (e.g., grassland
nesting birds, migratory shorebirds, neotropical migrants, big river fishes,
area-sensitive species).
What little remains of the tallgrass prairies in the ?Prairie State? is highly
fragmented. James Herkert, Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board, has
been investigating the effects of habitat fragmentation on grassland birds.
Problems associated with habitat fragmentation include habitat loss, an
increase in edge effect, a decrease in patch size, and an increase in
isolation, all of which can have negative impacts on ground-nesting birds. Land
management practices outside of the Great Plains region also can influence
patterns of ground-nesting birds in grasslands. Michael Carter, Colorado Bird
Observatory, discussed the recent fate of grassland birds, conservation
efforts, and cooperation efforts with private land owners both in the United
States and Mexico.
Grazing: Grazing is an integral component to Great Plains grassland ecosystems
which have evolved with grazing by large ungulates, particularly bison. Rodney Heitschmidt, USDA Agricultural Research Service, reviewed the ecological,
economic, and social sustainability of grazing on the Great Plains. Given the
history of grazing on the Great Plains, he proposed that well-managed grazing
is ecologically sustainable, although not always economically viable or
socially acceptable.
Stephen McCanny, Parks Canada, reminded the group that the Great Plains
grasslands extend northward into Canada. Parks Canada has been investigating
grazing impacts, the value of long-term rest in grassland conservation, and the
consequences of leaving National Park lands ungrazed. Because it is important
to graze conservation areas, bison are being returned to some National Parks to
provide intensive grazing at a long return interval. Along with fire and some
carefully managed cattle grazing, bison grazing will contribute to a dynamic
and diverse landscape.
Three presentations examined the effects of bison and cattle grazing on
grassland ecosystems. Al Steuter, The Nebraska Nature Conservancy, presented a
comparison of the physiology, morphology, grazing strategies, and ecological
impacts of bison and cattle. He found some differences in the influence of
these species on plant community structure, which is further affected by adding
fire to management strategies. But the bottom line is that both bison and
cattle can convert forage effectively and can be managed to conserve soil,
water, and biological resources.
David Hartnett, Kansas State University, summarized evidence from a study on
population and community level effects of bison and cattle grazing on the
tallgrass prairie at the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research site. This
research found that grazing by large herbivores is fundamental for functioning
of tallgrass prairie ecosystems. The differences in vegetation response to
cattle and bison are not large and are primarily at the plant population level.
In fact, plant populations and communities are more influenced by different
management strategies than differences between bison and cattle.
Robert Hamilton, The Nature Conservancy Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, discussed
the suitability of bison and/or cattle for grassland natural area management
under several programmatic considerations (e.g., land base size, management
style, surrounding land use, labor availability, institutional capability and
goals). He presented case studies of three TNC preserves and how these
considerations have affected the choice of management tools used (e.g., fire,
cattle grazing, bison grazing, and combinations of these). Richard Hart, USDA
Agricultural Research Service, discussed the implications for managers of
recent research on impacts of bison and cattle grazing. He noted that land
managers must use strategies that are appropriate for the class of livestock,
the environment, and the economy.
Riparian Zones: Riparian zones are extremely important in Great Plains
grasslands and have been greatly impacted by human activities. W. Carter
Johnson, South Dakota State University, provided an overview of historical and
ecological factors which control riparian zone dynamics on both large rivers
and small streams. Dams and water diversions on the Missouri and Platte Rivers
have had extensive impacts on the river dynamics, ecological processes, and
vegetation communities of these systems. Small streams are more heavily
impacted by local land uses and restoration of these small streams can improve
the quality of rangelands.
Michael Scott, USGS Biological Resources Division, focused on the importance of
natural disturbance regimes to riparian zones in his presentation on the
effects of floods, ice, and cattle grazing on cottonwood demographics along a
portion of the upper Missouri River in Montana. Successful recruitment of
cottonwood requires infrequent high flows that deposit seedlings high enough on
the bank to survive subsequent flooding and ice scouring. Grazing has been
shown to reduce seedling densities, so grazing management can play an important
role in the spatial occurrence and success of cottonwood establishment along
this reach.
Socio-economic Factors: Outdoor recreation is becoming more popular and the
Great Plains grasslands offer a multitude of opportunities for activities like
walking, bird watching, and wildlife viewing. Ken Cordell, USFS Forestry
Sciences Laboratory, presented trends in outdoor recreation in general and in
the Great Plains. He noted that with an increasing demand for outdoor
recreation and history and natural history based activities, we need to
increase our understanding of the opportunities and impacts of these activities
and do a better job of managing for them.
Mark Drabenstott, Federal Reserve Bank, discussed the economic future of the
rural Great Plains. He noted that these communities are facing a large
challenge and need to make informed decision about how to become economically
viable. Four ways they can do this were presented: value-added agriculture,
tourism, manufacturing, and white-collar services. The rural communities of the
Great Plains are experiencing changes in population, organization, and physical
environment. John Allen, University of Nebraska, suggested that centralization
of government, the private sector, and agriculture are changing the
relationships between individuals, communities, and sectors of our society.
These changes to Great Plains rural communities in turn have impacts on the
environment.
The economic, ecological, and social services provided by grasslands together
form the basis for sustainability of rural communities. Jill Vaisey, Prairie
Farm Rehabilitation Administration, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, presented
a discussion of the economic, ecological, and cultural importance of grasslands
in Canada?s three prairie provinces. Current issues impacting these lands
include endangered species legislation, climate change, and economic
diversification. These all have the potential to change the way the prairie
grasslands are used, and so change the way they contribute to rural
sustainability. Cornelia Butler Flora, North Central Regional Center for Rural
Development, Iowa State University, proposed that by looking at economic,
ecological, and social services provided by grasslands in an integrated
approach, alternative methods of land use optimizing all three services can be
developed. By recognizing the different resources present in grassland
communities, citizens can individually and collectively make better decisions
about how to invest those resources to create new resources.
Mary Peterson, Forest Supervisor, Nebraska National Forest, and Jerry Dodd,
North Dakota State University, provided a synthesis of the symposium
presentations which highlighted the strong link between science and management.
Research involves inquiry while management involves application, but both are
required to have real knowledge. Thus, partnerships are needed to enhance the
joint advancement of research and management principles on the Great Plains
grasslands.
Selected papers from the symposium have been published as a special issue of
Great Plains Research (Volume 9, Number 2, Spring 2000). For more information
contact Great Plains Research, 1215 Oldfather Hall, P.O. Box 880317, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0317, 402-472-6970, fax: 402-472-0463,
e-mail: gpr@unl.edu, website:
http://www.unl.edu/plains/gpr.htm.
The symposium was funded by the U.S. Forest Service under a grant to ESA and
the development and printing of the proceedings was funded by a grant from the
USDA Agricultural Research Service to ESA.
Dr. Elizabeth Stallman
Program Manager
Science Program
Ecological Society of America
Washington, DC
Email: bette@esa.org
1990 M Street, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20036 | phone 202-833-8773 | fax 202-833-8775 | email 
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