Optimizing Invasive Plant Management in Grasslands with Remote Sensing and Climate Sciences
Tallgrass prairies in the U.S. Southern Great Plains are threatened by the aggressive invasive plant Lespedeza cuneata, and climate change is expected to affect its spread in complex ways. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will use remote sensing, climate science, and ecological modelling to detect the plant, identify climate factors driving its spread, and identify future vulnerable habitats. Project outcomes will equip managers with information to more effectively manage this economically and ecologically costly invasive species.
Many tallgrass prairies are threatened by invasive plants, with Lespedeza cuneata (L. cuneata) being among the most aggressive in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Global changes, especially climate change, may affect the plant’s spread, but the impacts will likely be complex and vary by region -- what helps the plant spread in one area might slow it down in other areas. Cost-effective management strategies are urgently needed; for example, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has spent over 1.3 million dollars since 1997 to control the spread of L. cuneata, making it the highest annual land management cost for TNC’s Tallgrass Initiative in Oklahoma’s Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
In partnership with TNC, this project team will integrate remote sensing, climate science, and ecological modeling to develop an approach for directly detecting L. cuneata invasion. Researchers will also identify climatic factors that promote the spread of L. cuneata and determine which habitats are most vulnerable to invasion under future climate scenarios. In the face of rapid global change, these methods can help determine where and when to use limited resources to monitor and control L. cuneata.
To ensure that the findings are communicated to end-users, one project co-PI will be designated as the “applications liaison.” They will use already-established networks such as the Prairie Project and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service to share timely and actionable project results to landowners and managers, helping them manage L. cuneata and reduce economic and ecological damage.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ef50d34e7eb9eb7d6e2a)
Tallgrass prairies in the U.S. Southern Great Plains are threatened by the aggressive invasive plant Lespedeza cuneata, and climate change is expected to affect its spread in complex ways. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will use remote sensing, climate science, and ecological modelling to detect the plant, identify climate factors driving its spread, and identify future vulnerable habitats. Project outcomes will equip managers with information to more effectively manage this economically and ecologically costly invasive species.
Many tallgrass prairies are threatened by invasive plants, with Lespedeza cuneata (L. cuneata) being among the most aggressive in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Global changes, especially climate change, may affect the plant’s spread, but the impacts will likely be complex and vary by region -- what helps the plant spread in one area might slow it down in other areas. Cost-effective management strategies are urgently needed; for example, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has spent over 1.3 million dollars since 1997 to control the spread of L. cuneata, making it the highest annual land management cost for TNC’s Tallgrass Initiative in Oklahoma’s Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
In partnership with TNC, this project team will integrate remote sensing, climate science, and ecological modeling to develop an approach for directly detecting L. cuneata invasion. Researchers will also identify climatic factors that promote the spread of L. cuneata and determine which habitats are most vulnerable to invasion under future climate scenarios. In the face of rapid global change, these methods can help determine where and when to use limited resources to monitor and control L. cuneata.
To ensure that the findings are communicated to end-users, one project co-PI will be designated as the “applications liaison.” They will use already-established networks such as the Prairie Project and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service to share timely and actionable project results to landowners and managers, helping them manage L. cuneata and reduce economic and ecological damage.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ef50d34e7eb9eb7d6e2a)