Ph.D.
6/1987
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Range Science
M.S.
6/1978
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Range Ecology
B.S.
4/1975
Ft. Lewis College, Durango, CO
Biology
B.A.
4/1974
Ft. Lewis College, Durango, CO
Math
·
Society for Range Management
Fellow Award (1998)
·
Dean's Award for Excellence
(South Dakota State University, 1996) in recognition of "national
leadership in encouraging a more uniform approach to rangeland assessment"
Appointment:
90% research and 10% teaching
Current
teaching assignment:
·
Rang 325 Measurement Topics:
Natural Resource Measurements (Summer, 2 wks, even years)
·
Rang 325 Measurement Topics:
Rangeland Analysis and Monitoring (Summer, 2 wks, odd years)
·
Rang 593 Special Topics: I
teach a variety of subjects as needed.
My
research emphases are:
· Patterns of utilization associated with livestock grazing.
· Plant responses to defoliation.
· Influence of prairie dogs on cattle and bison production systems
· Sustainable range livestock production systems.
· Impacts of water quality on cattle.
· Development of techniques for measurement of plant biomass and utilization.
·
Successional theory and range condition
Some of our current research:
· Grazing Patterns and Plant Responses to Defoliation on Mixed-Grass Prairie Vegetation: In this project, we are looking at the factors that affect choices that cattle make regarding which plants they graze, when they graze them, how severely they graze a plant, and how often they graze individual plants. We are also looking at how those patterns of grazing affect the survival, production, and replacement of plants in mixed-grass plant communities. This research involves very detailed measurements on 1000’s of marked tillers and their daughters both in the pasture and in exclosures. We have developed techniques for evaluating the production of rhizome tillers by installing PVC barriers in otherwise undisturbed native grassland sod. Our goal is to better understand grazing and its effect on plants so that better grazing systems can be developed for these rangelands.
·
Effects of Water Quality on Cow/Calf Production:
This project is designed to look at the impact of poor quality water on
production from cow/calf pairs. In
previous work we have identified the impacts of poor quality water on yearling
steers. We are, in this study,
taking the next step to determine how various levels of water quality impact
calf weight gain, milk production, animal health, cow body condition, and
reproduction rates. We are also
trying to determine whether water quality may alter grazing patterns.
·
Cattle/Prairie Dog Interactions: We have been involved in studies
to evaluate the impact of prairie dogs on rangeland vegetation and on livestock
stocking rates. Our interest is in
providing information on: how prairie dogs alter vegetation communities, how
much forage prairie dogs eat and destroy, forage consumption by cattle and bison
on prairie dog towns, and any nutritional benefit for livestock and bison that
consume forages on prairie dog towns. Our
goal is to determine the impact of prairie dogs on livestock and cattle grazing
and to develop guidelines for stocking rate changes based on scientifically
sound information.