Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The research opportunitiescarried out will create undergraduate and graduate research projects, and built training, academic, and outreach programs linking the cooperating institutions (DC and NAU) in addressing Navajo Nation needs.The proposed project has two main objectives, each with multiple sub-objectives. Objective one is to develop improved understanding of Woodland & Forest Restoration based on permanent experimental sites. Object two is to strengthen Tribal College/University Collaboration in Agricultural and Forestry Research.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
40%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
We propose to build upon this foundation to expand into research linking forest ecosystems to Tribal needs on the Navajo Nation. The key project personnel include PD Benita Litson, Director of the Diné College Land Grant Office, Dr. Demetra Skalstas, Assistant Professor at Diné College, and Bryan Neztsosie, Land Grant Research Coordinator. At NAU, Co-PD Dr. Peter Fulé is a faculty member in the School of Forestry.This proposal directly addresses these challenges by offering a local, culturally relevant, and immersive research experience tailored to the needs of Diné graduate students.Objectives: The proposed project has two main objectives, each with multiple sub-objectives:Develop improved understanding of Woodland & Forest Restoration based on permanent experimental sites.Pinyon woodland health and restorationInvestigate the landscape decline of pinyon and juniper trees; 2) Beneficial and pathogenic microbial testing; 3) Sap collection - healthy and unhealthy trees; 4) Monitoring herbaceous cover and diversity in restored and control areas, 5) Assessing pinyon cone and seed production in restored and control areasPonderosa forest health and restorationComplete tree thinning on experimental restoration plots; 2) Install herbaceous cover and diversity monitoring in restored and control areasStrengthen Tribal College/University Collaboration in Agricultural and Forestry Research.Strengthen the collaboration and involvement of undergraduate and Master's Degree students from DC Master of Biology Program and NAU School of Forestry.Provide research support for Forestry co-program development at DC.
Project Methods
Proposed project activities are divided between the two main objectives, as described in detail in this and the following section. Activities for Objective 1, Develop improved understanding of Woodland & Forest Restoration, will take place at two permanent experimental sites on or near the Diné College main campus in Tsaile, Navajo Nation. Activities for Objective 2, Strengthen Tribal College/University Collaboration in Agricultural and Forestry Research, are not limited to specific locations but built throughout the project.Project sites for Objective 1 include the pinyon woodland restoration project located at Tsaile, on the Colorado Plateau, approximately 7,000 ft elevation on sandstone soils. A 25-acre site with ten replicate treatment and control grids was established in 2018. Following forest measurements from permanent plots and remote (drone-based) sensing, trees were thinned to restore historical forest characteristics in 2021-22. Thinning resulted in a 62% reduction in tree density and a 25% reduction in basal area, mitigating the risk of high-intensity wildfires (Margolis 2014) while preserving the age structure of older trees (oldest dating back to 1435 C.E.) (Whitehair et al. 2018). A companion forest restoration site in ponderosa pine was established about 3 miles to the east of the DC campus at Wheatfields in 2022. Treatment and control sites were designated based on a treatment plan developed by the Navajo Forestry Department; treatment is currently in progress. The woodland and forest types represented by these study areas make up over 90% of the forest resources of the Navajo Nation (Navajo Forestry Department 2001).Activities under Objective 1 (Develop improved understanding of Woodland & Forest Restoration based on permanent experimental sites), involve five studies related to pinyon woodlands and two related to ponderosa pine forests. The research activities are described in this section and clear hypotheses or objectives are presented in the next section, following NIFA´s guidance in the Request for Applications.Pinyon study 1, Investigate the landscape decline of pinyon and juniper trees, will carried out using uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) or "drone" imagery. Woodlands in the landscape surrounding Diné College´s campus in Tsaile range from juniper/pinyon savannas at low elevation near Chinle (5,500 ft) in the west to pinyon woodlands near Tsaile (7,000 ft) to the pinyon/ponderosa interface in the foothills of the Chuska Mountains to the east. We will collect airborne imagery of discrete swaths of vegetation along the elevational gradient in consultation with local residents using an Autel Evo II 640t UAS, featuring a 48-megapixel color camera as well as a Mapir survey 3 multispectral sensor with red, green, and near infrared bands, for detecting drought-stressed foliage. We will identify dead, declining, and healthy trees. Analysis will relate environmental attributes such as elevation, slope, and aspect to tree attributes such as condition, species, and size. Diné College interns and NAU faculty and students with FAA-approved UAS operator´s licenses and device registration will collaborate on data collection. Pinyon study 2, Beneficial and pathogenic microbial testing. This study will focus on identifying both beneficial and pathogenic microbes in pinyon nuts from healthy and declining trees, aiming to understand how these microbial communities impact tree health and nut quality. Pinyon nuts will be collected from thinned and controlled plots, sampling ten healthy trees and ten declining trees from each plot. The nuts will be surface-sterilized following the methods of Gazis and Chaverri (2010) to focus on internal fungal communities. Building on isolates collected in previous research, we will conduct bioassays to assess their potential as biocontrol agents against pathogens or their role in promoting tree resilience under environmental stress. Fungal isolates will be tested for important traits like pathogen suppression and nutrient acquisition, providing insight into how these communities interact with the trees.