BY: CASEY MATNEY
DEPT. RANGELAND ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OR OVERVIEW
A rainstorm in the Catlow Valley, May 2007 THE CATLOW VALLEY Located between Steens Mountain and Hart Mountain in southeastern Oregon Catlow Valley: May 2007 Catlow Valley: May 2007 Mickey Basin: Excluded from cattle and feral horses in 1989, photo taken in July 2007 Mickey Basin: Excluded from cattle and feral horses in 1989, photo taken in July 2007 ? RESEARCH GOALS • Determine Winterfat Resilience: Exclosure Study
• Work towards a state and transition conceptual framework to explain dynamics in vegetation and soil properties
• Verify Framework: Well Gradient Study • Exclosure Study: 16 Locations • 3 Treatments: Cow, Rabbit, and Open • Sampling • 2002 Exclosures Established Vegetation Soil Hypothesized S-T-M Model 1 Lower pH STATE 1 P1 P2 P = Phase Depauperate Intact T = Transition Krascheninnikovia lanata T1 Krascheninnikovia lanata H = Pathway Native Grasses Native Grasses Atriplex nuttallii Atriplex nuttallii T2
T4 T3 STATE 2 P3 P1 P2 H1 Native Grass T5 Native Grass Native Grasses Annual Weeds Atriplex nuttallii T6 H3
H2 STATE 3 Annual Weeds H4
STATE 4
Wasteland Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH A , B , C , D RELATIVE VALUES
LOW
P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH
A , B , C , D
E RELATIVE VALUES
LOW
P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH
A , B , C , D
F
E RELATIVE VALUES
LOW
P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH
A , B , C , D
F
E RELATIVE VALUES
G
LOW
P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH
A , B , C , D
F
E RELATIVE VALUES
G
LOW H P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Model 1 Predictions: Pathway 1
HIGH
A , B , C , D
F
E I RELATIVE VALUES
G
LOW H P1 P2 P1 P2 STATE 1 STATE 2 STATE 3
GRAZING AND DISTURBANCE Well Gradient Study 6
5
4
3
2
1
well Well Gradient Study Early Results From Exclosure Study
Catlow Valley: October 2006 5 b c 4 a
3
2 gg. Stability Score gg. Stability A 1
open cow rabbit 0 Comparison of aggregate stability scores across treatments in 2007. ANOVA p<0.001 Means and standard errors displayed. 6 c 5
4 b a
3
2 Infl. Rate (cm/hour)
1 open cow rabbit 0 Comparison of infiltration rates across treatments in 2007. ANOVA p < 0.001 Means and standard errors displayed. Mickey Basin: Outside of the exclosure, photo taken in July 2007