Climate Change Effects on Wyoming Rangeland Part of Cheyenne Symposium

Aug. 8, 2008 -- How climate change may affect rangelands and the scientific background for making management decisions for the long-term sustainability of grazing systems will be presented during a September symposium in Cheyenne.

"Climate Change in Western Rangelands" is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Little America Hotel and Resort.

Experts from the University of Wyoming, Colorado State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) will present recent trends, expected future changes in climate in the western United States, potential effects of climate change on rangeland forage production and quality and the susceptibility of pastures to weedy plant invasions.

"Such changes have important implications for managing livestock production systems and wildlife habitat," said David Williams, associate professor in the UW College of Agriculture's Department of Renewable Resources.

To properly monitor rangeland condition and to plan for and implement improvements require knowledge of potential and expected changes in climate, said Williams, who is also a presenter.

"This symposium will provide the scientific background for making informed management decisions for long-term sustainability of rangeland grazing systems," he said.

Participants will also tour the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service High Plains Grasslands Research Station (HPGRS) and visit one of the world's few experiments to measure effects of both warming and carbon dioxide enrichment on grasslands, he said.

The tour to the Prairie Heating and CO2 Enrichment (PHACE) experiment site will showcase different aspects of climate change research, including methods used to evaluate changes in the structure and function of a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem under artificially imposed warming and elevated atmospheric CO2 levels, said Williams, who is a co-principal investigator.

Attendees will meet the scientists performing the research and hear how their studies address management and policy issues related to climate change.

Lunch is provided. Participation is limited to the first 200 registrants. Advance registration is available at www.rangelands.org/zencart. Registration is free for full-time ranchers; there is a fee for others. For more information, call Ann Heckart with HPGRS at (307) 772-2433, ext. 100, or e-mail ann.heckart@ars.usda.gov. Sponsors are the Society for Range Management, UW, USDA-ARS and CSU.

Posted on Friday, August 08, 2008

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