The Art of Range is a podcast about rangelands for people who manage rangelands. Our goal is education and conservation through conversation. Find us online a...
Dr. Germino’s latest research, published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal in November 2024, reveals a startling and significant finding: invasive grasses are turning western U.S. rangelands from valuable carbon sinks into potential carbon sources. This research, a two-year collaboration between the US Geological Survey and Envu, provides the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass, on soil carbon stocks. The study found that the conversion of native perennial shrublands to these invasive grasslands can result in a 42-49% reduction in soil carbon, releasing a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It also found that wildfire and grass invasion had a similar impact on soil carbon stocks, a surprising finding that challenges previous assumptions about the relative impacts of these disturbances. Dr. Germino is joined by another study author, Dr. Harry Quicke from Envu. They discuss implications of this new research for rangeland management and potential solutions. This is part 2 of the discussion. To hear the first part, go to episode 147.
A full transcript of the episode and links to articles are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-149-wildfire-depletes-ecosystem-carbon-storage-50-part-2-germino-maxwell-quicke.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
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AoR 148: Targeted Cheatgrass Grazing Research with Sheep -- Kelly Hopping & Riley Kowitz
A research study in the mountains of Idaho tracked cheatgrass consumption by sheep in the spring and fall. Listen to Kelly Hopping (Boise State University) and sheep rancher Riley Kowitz describe their experiences with implementing this approach to controlling invasive annual grass and changing the wildfire risk profile on the Sawtooth National Forest. Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-148-targeted-cheatgrass-grazing-research-sheep-kelly-hopping-riley-kowitz to see the video and read the full story.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
How does wildfire affect soil carbon, the ecological currency of the 21st century? Careful collaborative research involving US Geological Survey scientists, Envu, and Boise State University has begun to answer some of the many questions surrounding soil carbon and fire. This is the first of a two-part interview on soil carbon storage, sequestration mechanisms, effects of wildfire and plant community shifts, and management implications. Be sure to read the Open Access paper at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-147-wildfire-depletes-ecosystem-carbon-storage-50-part-1-germino-maxwell-quicke, where you will also find the usual transcript and links to other resources.
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1:07:50
AoR 146: Angus Whyte - Sheep Grazing in New South Wales, Australia
Angus's family has managed the Wyndham Station near the Anabranch and Darling Rivers in southern Australia for 4 generations. That and the promise of a great Australian accent should be enough to make you listen to this episode. But we also discuss managing the earth's Living Skin, Angus's efforts to get others to think broadly about caring for land and livestock and all living things, including improving health care for humans in remote areas. It's a small world, and Angus's challenges in the Land Down Under are quite similar to those in North America.
Find a transcript and links for this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-146-angus-whyte-sheep-grazing-new-south-wales-australia
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AoR 145: Dr. John Buckhouse, Part 2, Reflections on a Half Century of Thinking in Wholes
Riparian management, water quality, and livestock grazing used in the same sentence can warm up a room with heated discussion. John Buckhouse has spent a lifetime contending for the Radical Middle, where people recognize that land conditions that are good for fish are also good for cattle. He has effectively advocated for and led collaborative resource management, published reams of research on the most critical and controversial topics in natural resources policy and management, and has loved people well. In this two-part interview, John reflects on these developments and work that remains to be done.
The Art of Range is a podcast about rangelands for people who manage rangelands. Our goal is education and conservation through conversation. Find us online at www.artofrange.com.