Shrub expansion and grazing capacity in Rocky Mountain Foothills Grasslands

An increase in shrub cover over the past 50-80 years in Alberta foothills grasslands has reduced grazing capacity. The goal of this project is to document the changes in and causes of woody plant cover change on two large working ranches near Longview Alberta. Specific objectives are to use remote sensing techniques to document changes in woody plant cover, identify landscape factors such as topography and management factors such as grazing practices associated with woody plant cover change, and to examine the efficacy of herbicide application for shrub control and improving grass productivity. These objectives are critical for determining ecologically sound targets for the proportion of grass and woody plant cover, identifying parts of the landscape that were historically grassland that could be targeted for woody plant control efforts, and identifying management practices correlated with lower woody plant cover that could be implemented elsewhere on the landscape.

Faculty Supervisor:

Eric Lamb;Xulin Guo

Student:

Partner:

Tongue Creek Ranch;The Calgary Stampede;Nature Conservancy of Canada;Nature Conservancy of Canada (AB)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: