Co-developing criteria for white bark pine friendly ranching

Research Objective 1: Map whitebark and grazing interactions in two existing key grazing allotments Centennial and Gravelly Mountains. 

This objective will  ground-truth existing whitebark and grazing allotment maps  (Figure 2). Existing maps are rough estimates of where there is potential for the tree and grazing to interact in the Centennials and Gravelly Mountains. Ground truthing means physically verifying both the tree location and condition and grazing activities to refine the maps for specific grazing areas. 

Accurate maps will allow ranchers to make more informed grazing and land management decisions, and also serve as a baseline for monitoring of ecological change (tree mortality, changes in understory, changes in Clark’s nutcracker presence/absence). This objective aims to produce accurate maps of existing white bark pine stand extent using collaborative field mapping. 

In year 1, we will conduct ground truth existing GIS layers. Ground truthing involves interns and technical advisors collaborating with the ranchers to locate key areas for mapping. We will travel on foot or horseback to key areas on the maps to confirm their accuracy and to collect geospatial and photographic data about tree cover and mortality. Ground truthing will be triangulated with the interview data (documenting local ecological knowledge) to identify hot spots for whitebark/grazing interactions, tree cover change over time, or other forms of observed ecological change. Then, we will update the remote-sensing maps with the ground truthing data and a final map will be made publicly available for planning and management uses. 

Research Objective 2: Assess current ecological conditions and develop a long-term monitoring study in areas where grazing and whitebark pine have historically overlapped in the Centennial (Idaho) and Gravelly Mountains (Montana). 

Once maps are complete, we will establish monitoring plot locations on the study allotments (six per allotment) based on a random distribution of points within living whitebark stands. Plot locations will be geolocated and a baseline assessment will be completed by summer interns/ARS staff in Year 2. Plots will include 3, 100m transects 50m apart, running with the dominant aspect of the forest slope. Staff will photograph each plot, and measure: tree mortality, density, canopy structure, and understory composition, following conventional forest monitoring methods. We will establish electronic cameras and audio recording devices to  document wildlife and livestock presence over the duration of the growing season. Data will be entered, subject to quality control and cleaning, and summarized for presentation to stakeholders and/or scientific publication in Year 3. The monitoring protocol will establish long-term plots that can be monitored in the future as funding allows. Ecological fieldwork will be conducted with the consent and collaboration of relevant land management agencies and permittees (see Stakeholder letters). We will analyze the assessment data and summarize results in Year 3. 

Research Objective 3: Quantify the capacity of sheep grazing to promote the conditions for whitebark establishment.

 Placed in a working, commercial-scale sheep grazing system, we will conduct an experiment to test the hypothesis that localized sheep herding management decisions can influence the success of whitebark establishment and seedling development.  We will run the experiment in three historic and current open-range, sheep-grazing management areas to capture the natural sheep grazing behavior and pressure that occurs on the range annually. To accomplish this, we will rely exclusively on local knowledge from ranchers, permittees, and land managers. It is important to note that this experiment is constructed to extend years beyond the life of the funding cycle, while maintaining partnerships with the ranchers, permittees, and land managers to evaluate the long-term outcomes.

Year 1: Based on local knowledge, two sites will be identified in each area (3 areas x 2 sites/area = 6 sites total). Sites must be within the normal pattern of the sheep grazing system and have favorable environmental and soil conditions to support whitebark pine seedlings. At each site, four plots will be established along a semi-linear grazing gradient (3 areas x 2 sites/area x 4 plots/site = 24 plots total). Plots will be arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial treatment array to determine 1) if sheep bedding (treatment 1) can be used to facilitate establishment of whitebark pine seedling stands and 2) how annual sheep grazing (treatment 2) management influences early growth and development of the seedling stands. 

Before treatments are applied, all plots will be assessed for vegetation composition, structure, and cover, and soil samples will be collected. Bedded plots will be bedded in Year 1 only. A band of ARS sheep (~1,000 head) will be bedded on the respective plots, which consists of high-density grazing followed by sheep bedding down for rest overnight. Consistent with standard bedding management, herders will skillfully maintain sheep on these confined sites throughout the evening and night. Immediately after bedding is completed, boundaries of bedded plots will be mapped, assessment of the vegetation will be conducted, and soil samples will be collected. Bedded plots are expected to be somewhat circular with irregularities. The other two plots will not be bedded, but the shape of the plots will be constructed to somewhat mimic the average shape of the bedded plots. The targeted size of all plots is 0.2 ha (0.5 acre), which is based on the estimated size of area bedded with one band of sheep.

In early fall, after the sheep have been moved to other ranges, we will plant greenhouse-reared whitebark seedlings in all plots. Density will be set at 1 seedling per 100 m2 (i.e., 10-m x 10-m area) resulting in 20 seedlings per plot.  If, however, fall moisture is limiting, plantings will be postponed to the following spring after snow melt (i.e., Year 2).

Year 2: Consistent with the established grazing plants of the permittee and land manager, sheep bands will be herded to the plots at each site. Before the sheep arrive, vegetation assessments and soil sampling will be conducted as before. Temporary, portable fences will be raised around the non-grazed plots before the sheep arrive.  Grazed plots will be grazed in the established fashion of open-range-herded sheep grazing. Typically, a band of sheep will graze through an area as subtly guided by the herder. Although in high density, sheep briefly graze over an area at a self-paced, grazing-traveling rate. By placing our experiment within an active grazing system, grazed plots should experience the same grazing behavior and pressure as experienced each year in the current grazing system.  The “moving” stocking rate and density will be held constant in the experiment based on annual precipitation and forage production values of the surrounding area. We will monitor results in terms of seedling use by sheep, seedling development, vegetation composition, and soil composition of the plots.

Year 3: We will analyze the data using linear mixed models to quantify the effects of grazing and understory plant community diversity on seedlings, accounting for weather, Julian day, and other environmental factors.

 Research Objective 4: Document local knowledge ecological change in the grazing allotments. Use interviews and oral histories with ranchers, herders, range riders, outfitters, and other land users (n>15) to document: land use, changes in forest and watershed conditions, grazing cultures, and emergent challenges. 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval will be obtained via University of Montana prior to beginning research. Dr. Arica Crootof is committed to adhering to IRB requirements and will oversee all IRB protocols relating to human subject data acquisition, processing, quality control, documentation, and preservation. Students involved in the human subject research portion will go through IRB training and will uphold IRB protocols. 

Data Collection & Analysis: This place-based research draws on oral histories to capture the rich knowledge of and connections to this landscape. Oral history question development will be conducted during the first few months of the project. We will seek partner input on the oral history questions at the kick off meeting. Oral histories can then be conducted October to January in 2024 and  May to January in 2025 when there is time for agricultural professionals and producers to participate in the study.  We will collect oral histories with our project partners as well as reach out to ranchers, herders, range riders, and outfitters in the study area. To collect a range of uses and perspectives, we aim to have a minimum of 20 interviews. By asking questions specific to climate, land use, grazing practices, water resources, and forest and whitebark pine coverage, we will document how these landscapes have changed over the past 30 to 50 years. We will also ask open-ended questions that seek to understand existing and emerging challenges. Results from the oral histories will be used to help map existing and historical whitebark pine. Notes and digital recordings will be collected. The privacy of the subjects and the confidentiality of information will be protected throughout the research and beyond. However, we will have consent releases for those who wish to have their voices, photos, and/or video included in our education outreach materials. All oral histories will be transcribed within 6 months of the interview (spring 2025 and 2026) and then thematically coded and analyzed using NVivo software. 

Research Objective 5: Develop a prototype “whitebark pine friendly ranching certification”.

This objective develops a science-informed list of “best practices” will help solidify ranchers’ capacity and commitment to whitebark conservation. A draft “WhiteBark Pine Friendly Ranching Certification” protocol will be based on both the current science and stakeholder input. This will provide conceptual guidance for ranching and conservation communities to identify and promote sustainable grazing practices. In year three, we will synthesize the findings of our mapping, monitoring, experimental, and interview data collection into a series of best-practices for grazing management in allotments where whitebark is present. Following the format of the Ski Area Certification (Ski Area Certification – Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (whitebarkfound.org), the protocol will include clear objectives, guidelines and a best-practices checklist, and stakeholder-derived recommendations for certification and recognition. Stakeholders from ranching, conservation, and land management backgrounds will review and revise the draft at the final Stakeholder Meeting before anything is published. This is a prototype, and not a full blown certification program, because additional resources will be needed to implement an actual reporting and certification effort. In this way, the research will enable and empower improved management practices without committing any producer or organization to specific action. 

Table 1: The vision behind the Whitebark Pine Friendly Ranching certification includes research and educational activities categorized by multiple components. This follows the basic framework used in a similar set of best practices for whitebark pine friendly ski areas that has already seen success across the region.