Assessing the Impacts of Brush Management on Herbaceous Diversity and Primary Production in Southern Arizona Grasslands

This project is assessing the role of Woody-Plant Encroachment and brush management on the carbon cycle, carbon storage potential, biodiversity, and rangeland ecosystem stability and resilience. Data collected from this project can inform land managers on costs and benefits of different brush management options and factors. This experiment compared ecosystem services between treated and control sites on four mesquite-encroached watersheds by monitoring numerous response variables. Variables measured include: herbaceous diversity and net aboveground primary production, coarse woody debris and litter, soil organic carbon and nitrogen, land-surface atmosphere carbon and water exchange, and soil erosion and retention.