Post-Prairie Dog Rangeland Recovery

2009 Annual Report for LNC07-280

Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2007: $147,470.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2010
Region: North Central
State: South Dakota
Project Coordinator:
Dr. Patricia Johnson
South Dakota State University

Post-Prairie Dog Rangeland Recovery

Summary

Pastures were grazed according to project protocol in 2009. Several pastures were lost to the project due to prairie dog return or loss of pasture lease by cooperator. Ten pastures remain, including 6 grazed during the growing season and 4 grazed during the non-growing season. Year 2 data collection, representing one year post-prairie dog occupation,were collected on each site. Very few differences between treatments were apparent after one year. A hands-on workshop on rangeland monitoring was held to train ag advisors so that they could work with producers to establish and conduct monitoring on their pastures.

Objectives/Performance Targets

In this project we will study the responses of plant communities to the removal of prairie dogs, and evaluate the effect of three grazing management strategies (no grazing, grazing during the growing season, and grazing during the dormant season) on those responses. This project will study the vegetation responses and economic consequences associated with grazing strategies following the loss of prairie dogs through plague or control that has been implemented by other entities. Objectives for 2009: 1. Collect vegetation data on permanent plots in June and again in July. 2. Analyze vegetation data to determine whether change in vegetation has occurred one year since removal of prairie dogs. 3. Train educators in rangeland monitoring so that they can assist producers in setting up and conducting monitoring on their pastures.

Accomplishments/Milestones

All pastures were grazed according to their specified treatment (summer-grazed in summer 2009 or winter-grazed in fall/winter 2009/2010) by producer cattle. Several pastures on which initial data were collected had to be withdrawn from the project for 2 primary reasons: 1) prairie dogs returned to a site and reinhabited the town or 2) loss of the lease for a pasture by cooperator. Ten pastures remain in the study, including 6 grazed during the growing season and 4 grazed during the non-growing season. Year 2 vegetation data were collected on all 10 remaining pastures. As expected, very few differences in production of vegetation occurred between treatments in one year. In August, 2009, a hands-on monitoring training was held on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Five Extension educators and 2 educators from Oglala Lakota College participated in a day-long training on how to establish and conduct monitoring. Fourteen students from the SDSU Range 325 and 699 courses (Topics in Rangeland Measurements, Advanced Rangeland Measurements) also participated.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Interest in this study is high. Thousands of acres of prairie dog towns were either controlled or infected with plague in summer 2009. Ranchers are anxious to return former prairie dog towns to productive rangelands. They understand that post-control management will likely exert a strong influence on the rate at which plant communities recover, and want to better understand the consequences (both biological and economic) of grazing management strategies on the rate of recovery. This study was featured in a poster presented at the annual Society for Range Management meeting held in Denver in February 2010. An abstract for that poster was also published in the proceedings for that meetin.

Collaborators:

Adele Harty

adele.harty@sdstate.edu
Educator
South Dakota State University
Haakon County Extension Office
Box 519, 140 Howard Ave.
Philip, SD 57567
Office Phone: 6058592840
Shawn Burke

shawn.burke@sdstate.edu
South Dakota State University
Pine Ridge Reservation
HC 49 Box 185
Porcupine, SD 57772
Office Phone: 6054551362
Mindy Hubert

mindy.hubert@sdstate.edu
Research/Extension Associate
South Dakota State University
SDSU WRAC
1905 N. Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57702
Office Phone: 6053942236
Roger Gates

roger.gates@sdstate.edu
Associate Professor
South Dakota State University
SDSU WRAC
1905 N. Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57702
Office Phone: 6053942236
Joshua Peterson

joshua.peterson@sdstate.edu
Graduate Student
South Dakota State University
SDSU WRAC
1905 N. Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57792
Office Phone: 6053942236
Stacy Hadrick

stacy.hadrick@sdstate.edu
Educator
South Dakota State University
Meade County Extension Office
1029 5th St.
Sturgis, SD 57785
Office Phone: 6053472436
Martin Beutler

martin.beutler@sdstate.edu
Professor
South Dakota State University
SDSU WRAC
1905 N. Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57702
Office Phone: 6053942236