Significant efforts are underway to translate improved understanding of how climate change is altering ecosystems into practical actions for sustaining ecosystem functions and benefits. We explore this transition in California, where adaptation and mitigation are advancing relatively rapidly, through four case studies that span large spatial domains and encompass diverse ecological systems, ins...

WILLIAM A. REINERS Department of Botany University of Wyoming PO Box 3165 Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3165, USA ABSTRACT / Carbon sequestration was estimated a northern mixed-grass prairie site and a sagebrush–steppe site in southeastern Wyoming using an approach that integrates remote sensing, CO2 flux measurements, and meteorological data. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 was measured using air...

Afforestation of marginal agricultural lands represents a promising option for carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. An ecosystem carbon model was used to generate new national maps of annual net primary production (NPP), one each for continuous land covers of ‘forest’, ‘crop’, and ‘rangeland’ over the entire U. S. continental area. Direct inputs of satellite “greenness” data from the...

Drought is common in rangeland environments and an understanding of its impacts on the structure and function of rangeland ecosystems is paramount for developing effective management strategies. This research was the second of a series of studies investigating the impacts of varying seasonal droughts on northern Great Plains rangelands. Research was conducted on native rangeland during the 1998...

Restoration and revegetattion of rangeland ecosystems is based on knowledge of abiotic and biotic interactions that affect plant establishment. Once plants become autotropbic, interactions within and between plant species may occur and these interactions may range from antagonistic to mutualistic. This full range of potential interactions needs to be considered to ensure successful revegetation...