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 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.