Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/14
Outputs
(N/A)
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our general goal is to obtain an improved understanding of how redcedar encroachment affects the tallgrass prairie water cycle, and disseminate the results to state agencies and public for improving land management at Oklahoma. We have fully achieved and exceeded these goals. With support of this Hatch project and external funding, we constructed multiple experimental watersheds and successfully constructed the water budget for both tallgrass prairie and prairie heavily encroached by eastern redcedar. In addition, we quantified changes in hydrological properties associated with woody encroachment. We also quantified changes in biophysical parameters associated with woody encroachment. Using our experimental data, we calibrated and validated a prevailing hydrological model (SWAT) for assessing hydrological impact of woody encroachment for large watershed and river basin. During the life of this project, a total of eight external funded projects with multiple million-research grants were secured to complete this research project and conduct new research objectives. A total of 26 conference presentations and 24 peer-reviewed publications were produced.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Qiao L, Zou CB. 2014. Simulating redcedar encroachment on water cycle using SWAT model parameterized and calibrated with experimental watershed data. NSF EPSCoR Project Retreat, 2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Zou C, Will R, Stebler E, Qiao L. 2014. Role of vegetation in modulating rainfall interception and soil water flux in ecosystems under transition from grassland to woodland. EGU General Assembly 2014, April 28 May 2, 2014, Vienna, Austria;
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Dale J, Zou CB. 2014. Effect on streamflow from increased climate variability and anthropogenic alteration for an agriculturally dominated watershed in North Central Oklahoma. The 23rd OCWA Annual Meeting, Stillwater, April 2-3, 2014, Stillwater, OK
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Qiao L, Zou CB. 2014. Eastern redcedar encroachment and change of water budget on lower Cimarron River basin. The 23rd OCWA Annual Meeting, Stillwater, April 2-3, 2014, Stillwater, OK
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hallgren S, Zou CB, Shoup D. 2014. Water quality and quantity risks of high severity fire for drinking-water reservoirs. The 23rd OCWA Annual Meeting, Stillwater, April 2-3, 2014, Stillwater, OK
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Qiao L, Dale J, Zou CB. 2013. Streamflow and groundwater dynamics for a rangeland watershed under change in land surface conditions and climate in the south-central Great Plains. December 9-13, San Francisco, CA
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Zou CB, Turton DJ, Will RE, Engle DM, Fuhlendorf SD. Alteration of hydrological processes and streamflow with juniper (Juniperus virginiana) encroachment in a mesic grassland catchment. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.10102
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Caterina GL, Will RE, Turton DJ, Wilson DS, Zou CB. 2013. Water use of Juniperus virginiana trees encroached into mesic prairies. Ecohydrology. DOI: 10.1002/eco.1444
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Joseph Dale, 2014, Hydrologic responses to climate, water use, land surface transformation, and surface water impoundment in an irrigation intensive watershed. M.S. Thesis. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The targeted audiences of this project include land and water management agencies, land managers such as USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USGS, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, Corp of Engineers, and extension educators of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Nature Conservancy, and ranchers. We also extended our audience to general public through extension materials and mass communication. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduated 1 masters student One masters student is trained and is scheduled to complete in 2014 A PhD student is trained and is scheduled to complete in 2015 Hosted 1 visiting scholar 1 postdoc How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Research results have been effectively disseminated to targeted audiences from state and federal agencies during organized field days and to general public through fact sheets, websites and mass communication by the OSU Sun-up television program. Extension activities include – I have actively engaged in extension and outreach activities such as participating annual meeting of Global Rangelands, a partnership 19 western land-grant universities; Presenting in Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service in-service trainings for county educators; What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Three external funded projects: USDA NIFA Sustainable Bioenergy Program - Increasing water yield and quality through redcedar removal and establishment of herbaceous biofuel feedstock production systems. US Fish and Wildlife Service - Management and restoration of bottomland hardwoods in the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge: implications of hydrologic regime and edaphic factors. NSF EPSCoR RII - Adapting socio-ecological systems to increased climate variability. 4 conference presentations, 6 extension activities and 1 extension program 5 peer-reviewed publications
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Dale J, Zou CB. 2013. A new approach to readily assess surface water resources based on remote sensing and empirical model in Oklahoma. OWRRI Symposium. October 22-23. Midwest City, OK;
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Dong J, Ochsner TE, Zreda M, Cosh MH, Zou CB. Calibration and Validation of the COSMOS Rover for Mesoscale Soil Moisture Mapping. SSSA Annul Meeting, November 3 6, Tampa, FL;
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Zou CB, Turton D, Stebler E, Will R, Engle D. 2013. Streamflow responses after juniper (Juniperus virginiana) encroachment in previously cultivated mesic grasslands. Society of Range Management Annual Meeting, February 2-8, 2013, Oklahoma City, OK;
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
West A, Zou CB, Turton D, Fuhlendorf S, Zhang H. 2013. Response of tallgrass prairie to fire and grazing disturbance from patch burning and annual burning regimes. Society of Range Management Annual Meeting, February 2-8, 2013, Oklahoma City, OK.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ge J, Zou CB. 2013. Impacts of woody plant encroachment on regional climate in the Southern Great Plains of the USA. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmosphere 118, 9093-9104. doi:10.1002/jgrd.50634, 2013
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Will RE, Wilson SM, Zou CB, Hennessey TC. 2013. Increased vapor pressure deficit due to higher temperature leads to greater transpiration and faster mortality during drought for tree seedlings common to the forest-grassland ecotone. New Phytologist. 200: 366374. doi: 10.1111/nph.12321
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Breshears DD, Adams HD, Eamus D, McDowell N, Law DJ, Will RE, Williams AP and Zou CB. 2013. The critical amplifying role of increasing atmospheric moisture demand on tree mortality and associated regional die-off. Frontiers in Plant Science 4:266. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00266
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Twidwell D, Wonkka CL, Taylor CA, Zou CB, Twidwell JJ, Rogers WE. 2013. Drought-induced woody plant mortality in an encroached semiarid savanna depends on topoedaphic factors and land management. Applied Vegetation Science. doi: 10.1111\avsc.12044
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Adams HD, Germino MJ, Breshears DD, Barron- Gafford GA, Guardiola-Claramonte M, Zou CB, Huxman TE. 2013. Non-structural leaf carbohydrate dynamics of Pinus edulis during drought-induced tree mortality reveal role for carbon metabolism in mortality mechanism. New Phytologist 197:1142-51. doi: 10.1111/nph.12102.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Amanda West, 2013, Ecohydrological responses of native tallgrass prairie with fire and grazing disturbance (Thesis), Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During this reporting period, the primary focus was the initiation and development of research to improve our understanding of the hydrological function and ecosystem services associated with mesic grasslands. This project has primarily supported activities related to three research projects: 1.Understanding the role of patch burn in regulating the hydrological functions of grassland; 2.Understanding the potential impact of switchgrass based biofuel production on ecosystem services; 3.Understanding responses of woody plants to extreme climatic stressors (drought and heat wave). We participated in 5 regional and national meetings to present our research. We have hosted or assisted organization of field days for researchers and extension educators to visit our research sites. One graduate student completed her project and two new graduate students have started and are developing their research projects during this reporting period. Our research results were disseminated through participation of the 2012 AAAS-SWARM, 2012 OK-SWCS Annual Meeting, the 2nd Annual Student Water Conference at Oklahoma State University, the 2012 Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America. Our research and research findings were also disseminated to extension educators, governmental agencies by hosting field tours, including the participants of the 2012 annual meeting of the Southern Region Soil Physics Group and the 2012 annual meeting of the Ouachita Society of American Foresters. PARTICIPANTS: Stacey Gunter, scientist, USDA ARS Jim Bradford, scientist, USDA ARS Margaret Torn, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Don Turton, faculty, NREM, OSU Rod Will, faculty, NREM, OSU Sam Fuhlendorf, faculty, NREM, OSU David Engle, faculty, NREM, OSU Kim Winton, scientist, Oklahoma Water Science Research Center, USGS David Breshears, faculty, University of Arizona Shili Miao, scientist, South Florida Water Management District Shujun Chen, Research Associate, Northwest A&F University, China Jenny Hung, GRA, NREM, OSU Amanda West, GRA, NREM, OSU Joseph Dale, GRA, NREM, OSU Bharat Acharya, GRA, NREM, OSU TARGET AUDIENCES: Information and knowledge related to alternation and change of grassland hydrological function and resilience are critical for water and land management related federal and state agencies to make science based land management decision. We have identified Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (OWRRI), Oklahoma Water Science Center, Oklahoma Governor Water Resource Board, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA, and Oklahoma Conservation Commission as my primary audience. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
A combination of increasing demand in water for municipal and energy development and a continuous drought in the central and south Great Plains has revived the interests in searching for land based management approaches to sustain ecosystem goods and services, especially with potential to augment streamflow and recharge for replenishing both surface and subsurface water resources. For Oklahoma, the trajectory of redcedar encroachment and its potential impact on water budget have attracted attention of a wide range of audience from academia to layman. The results from our research, largely as output of the USGS supported research project, suggest that encroachment of redcedar into grassland converted from abandoned croplands will result in substantial reduction of streamflow with no increase (potential decrease) in soil organic carbon. This is important information for land managers in the south-central Great Plains. OK0218602 fund and associated preliminary research have helped to secure external funded projects: 1. Quantitative assessment of climate variability and land surface change on streamflow decrease in the Upper Cimarron River by Oklahoma Water Research Institute (OWRRI); and 2.Synthesizing ecohydrology models as a management tool for landscape conservation under climate change by USGS South Central Climate Science Centre. Dissemination of results from this project is starting to contribute to change in knowledge both in the researchers and layman. As a result, a research proposal with Texas A&M University to compare the hydrologic effect of woody plant encroachment on Edwards plateau and the Rolling Red Plains was recently re-submitted to NSF. In addition, such mechanistic understanding of linkage between vegetation cover, land use and hydrological outcome serves as a fundamental promise for managing social and ecological systems in Oklahoma to adapt anticipated increase in climatic variability. Such understanding contributes to a multiple disciplinary, multiple institution proposal to NSF EPSCoR program. Successful funding of that proposal will likely present a unique opportunity for transforming the way of managing our natural resources including water in Oklahoma.
Publications
- Wine ML, Zou CB, Bradford JA, Gunter SA. 2012. Runoff and sediment responses to grazing native and introduced species on highly erodible Southern Great Plains soil. Journal of Hydrology. 450-451: 336 -341.
- Chen SJ, Chen C, Zou CB, Stebler E, Zhang SX, Hou L, Wang D. 2012. Application of Gash analytical model and parameterized Fan model to estimate canopy interception of a Chinese red pine forest. Journal of Forest Research. 10.1007/s10310-012-0364-z
- Royer PD, Breshears DD, Zou CB, Villegas JC, Cobb NS, Kurc SA. 2012. Density-dependent ecohydrological effects of Pinion-Juniper woody canopy cover on soil microclimate and potential soil evaporation. Rangeland Ecology and Management 65:11-20. DOI: 10.2111/rem-d-11-00007.1
- Field JP, Breshears DD, Whicker JJ, Zou CB. 2012. Sediment capture by vegetation patches: Implications for desertification and increased resource redistribution. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences. DOI:10.1029/2011jg001663
- Miao SL, Zou CB. 2012. Effects of inundation on the growth and nutrient allocation of six major macrophytes in the Florida Everglades. Ecological Engineering 42: 10-18. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.01.00
- Chen SJ, Chen C, Zou CB, Zhang SX, Wang D, Hou L. 2011. Canopy effect on rainfall redistribution and timing of throughfall and stemflow occurrence in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest in the Qinling Mountains, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica. 32:1142-1150
- Wine ML, Zou CB. 2012. Long-term streamflow relations with riparian gallery forest expansion into tallgrass prairie in the Southern Great Plains, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 266: 170-179. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2011.11.014
- Jenny Hung. 2012. Ecohydrological Effects of Eastern Redcedar Encroachment inTallgrass Prairie. Thesis. Oklahoma State University
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities during this reporting period include continuation of existing field experiment, completion of a new research initiative, and publication of modeling and synthesis of work based on results available. Specifically, we have conducted or completed the following listed activities: 1. Monthly evapotranspiration measurement using custom-made ET chamber; 2. Comparison of soil organic carbon between grassland and encroached watersheds; 3. Comparison of soil water dynamics under grassland and encroached grassland and its interaction with soil texture. 4.Grass canopy rainfall interception vs eastern redcedar (redcedar) tree canopy interception; 5.Streamflow response to long-term increase in forest cover in riparian area; 6.Modeling and synthesis of available results; 7.Facilitating site visits and engaging visiting scholars and interns in research activities. We hosted visits from federal and state agencies, university faculty, research scholars, OSU graduate students and interns. The products as resulted from this project during this reporting year mainly fall into the following three categories: 1. New fundamental or applied knowledge: The preliminary data on infiltration, soil moisture dynamics, canopy interception and streamflow provide important insights in terms of how the hydrological processes are affected in plot and experimental watershed level after woody plant encroachment in a semiarid and subhumid rangeland. This theoretic understanding will be the basis for developing more applied knowledge such as the effect of woody plant encroachment on streamflow and water resource management. 2. Collaborations fostered by the project: The research facilities and the field site of this project were used for a research team involved OSU, other university faculty, USDA scientists for developing new techniques in measuring soil moisture at large scale (SMAP project and COSMOS rover technique). Permanent research facility such as soil moisture stations and watershed flumes will likely contribute to further research opportunities for years to come. These research facilities have facilitated visiting of researchers from other departments, other universities and research institutions. Such site visits have positively contributed to cross disciplinary interactions and collaboration opportunities as evidenced by the development of a proposal involved Oklahoma Water Science Center that was submitted to OWRRI and another proposal with Texas A&M University that was submitted to NSF coupled Nature and Human Dimension. 3. Students graduated in agricultural sciences: One student has graduated with a master degree in natural resource ecology and management. Our research results were disseminated through participation of 2011 Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America, 2011 Oklahoma Clean Water and Watershed Association annual meeting to our target audience. Our research and research findings were also directly disseminated to extension educators, governmental agencies by hosting field tours. During this reporting year, we also worked with OSU SUNUP TV program and produced a section for TV program to disseminate research to broader audience. PARTICIPANTS: Don Turton, faculty, NREM, OSU Rod Will, faculty, NREM, OSU Sam Fuhlendorf, faculty, NREM, OSU David Engle, faculty, NREM, OSU Jianjun Ge, faculty, Dept of Geography, OSU Kim Winton, Scientist, Oklahoma Water Science Research Center, USGS Elaine Stebler, Senior research specialist, NREM, OSU Michael Wine, GRA, NREM, OSU Jenny Hung, GRA, NREM, OSU Giulia Caterina, GRA, NREM, OSU Vinicius Guidotti, intern, Sao Paulo State University, Brazil Marcela Olenscki, Sao Paulo State University, Brazil TARGET AUDIENCES: The potential effect of woody species encroachment on ecosystem carbon sequestration and water provision in the mesic grassland is debatable in the scientific community. Information and knowledge related to alternation and change of land cover on ecosystem services of rangeland are critical for water and land management related federal and state agencies to make science based land management decision. I have identified Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (OWRRI), Oklahoma Water Science Center, Oklahoma Governor Water Resource Board, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA, and Oklahoma Conservation Commission as my primary audience. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Whether woody plant encroachment will result substantial decrease in streamflow in the Southern Great Plains is important and still not conclusive. In Texas, woody plant encroachment is concurrent with a period of significant decline in animal numbers, leading to a net improvement in infiltration capacity. Increased infiltration capacity on a regional scale translates to marked changes in streamflows including reduced flood flows and increased spring flows. However, it is uncertain whether these findings can be transferred north to the Rolling Red Plains and Prairies or the Tall Grass Prairie. A study completed during this reporting year found similar stream flow response with increase in forest cover in riparian area at Oklahoma and partially supported the Texas findings. However, such historic streamflow study is rarely able to isolate the exact effect of the woody encroachers during this hydrological "recovery" process. More importantly, how will the hydrologic budget differ between a now "recovered" grassland watershed and a "recovered" redcedar woodland watershed There is legislation pending in the Oklahoma state House of Representatives to create a complete redcedar abatement infrastructure, citing extravagant water use by redcedar as one of the justifications. This research is a field-based, multiple-year collaborative research effort between Oklahoma State University and the USGS Oklahoma Water Science Center. The overall objectives are to develop an improved understanding of the effects of redcedar encroachment in tallgrass prairie on water supply. Insights gained from research during this reporting period have substantially improved our understanding of the water use strategy of redcedar and the canopy rainfall interception estimate among different vegetation functional types in the tallgrass prairie, leading towards more realistic estimate of water budget associated with the grassland watershed and heavily encroached watershed. Dissemination of results from this project is starting to contribute to change in knowledge both in the researchers and layman. As a result, a collaborative research proposal with Texas A & M University to compare the hydrologic effect of woody plant encroachment on Edwards plateau and the Rolling Red Plains and the tall grass prairie is recently submitted to NSF. Our research and extension activities have generated extensive interests and actions from individual ranch owners. Phone calls and email inquiries on water use of redcedar have been increasing.
Publications
- Miller GR, Cable JM, McDonald AK, Bond B, Tyler AP, Franz TE, Wang LX, Zou CB. 2011. Using a system dynamics model to assess how ecohydrological connectivity affects ecosystem responses to environmental presses and pulses: A case study in savanna ecosystems. Ecohydrology. DOI:10.1002/eco.245 Wang LX, Zou CB, ODonnell F, Goods FT, Milller GR, Caylor KK, Cable JM, Bond B. 2011. Characterizing ecohydrological and biogeochemical connectivity across multiple scales: a new conceptual framework. Ecohydrology. DOI:10.1002/eco.187.
- Field JP, Breshears DD, Whicker JJ, Zou CB. 2011. On the ratio of wind to water driven sediment transport: Conserving soil under global change type extreme events. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 66:51A-56A. Field JP, Breshears DD, Whicker JJ, Zou CB. 2011. Interactive effects of grazing and burning on wind- and water-driven sediment fluxes: rangeland management implications. Ecological Applications 21:189-199.
- Wine ML. 2011. Streamflow relations with increasing riparian woody cover in north-central Oklahoma. MS Thesis. Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University.
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: Research activities during this reporting period have centered on implementing the project "Eastern redcedar encroachment and water cycle in tallgrass prairie" funded by USGS/National Water Research Institute at the OSU Cross Timber Experimental Range (CTER) and summarizing and interpreting the preliminary results. Substantial effort has been made to implement and revise canopy interception design for both grass and redcedar encroached watersheds, sapflow measurement instrumentation, construction of watershed flumes for four watersheds, and continuous evaluation of suitability for employing eddy covariance technology for plot level ET measurement on CTER site. Analysis and interpretation of continuously measured soil water content and preliminary canopy interception data. Teaching and mentoring activities were integrated into this program as evidenced by participation by graduate students, visiting scholars and interns in research activities. Events: CTER research site was used as a training and demonstration location for class related field tour offered in OSU campus including Ecohydrology (NREM 5030) and Remote Sensing of Water Resource (GEOG 5393). Services: I participated in three panel meetings including Comprehensive Water Plan meeting (CDM), Oklahoma Conservation Commission meeting, NRCS and OSU water related faculty meeting to communicate our preliminary research findings. I participated in the Oklahoma Governor's Water Conference and presented a poster on potential effect of eastern redcerdar encroachment in Oklahoma rangeland which generated significant discussion among conference participants. Products: Research during this reporting period has substantially improved our understanding of the water use strategy and the canopy rainfall interception estimate among different vegetation functional types in the tallgrass prairie, leading towards more realistic estimate of water budget associated with the grassland watersheds and heavily encroached watersheds. In addition to the new knowledge acquired, permanent research facility such as watershed flumes were installed which will likely contribute to further research opportunities for years to come. This research project also facilitated visiting of faculty from other department and other universities. Such site visiting and interaction have positively contributed to cross disciplinary interactions and collaboration opportunities as evidenced by the development of a proposal involved OSU and OU faculty that was submitted to NASA A30 program. Dissemination: Our research results were disseminated through participation of panel meeting with governmental agencies, conference presentation to our target audience as described in the following section. Conference abstracts and fact sheets as resulted from this research project were distributed through the conference website, printed conference proceedings and also through the lab website. Our research and research findings were directly disseminated to extension educators, governmental agencies by hosting field tours. PARTICIPANTS: Don Turton, faculty, NREM, OSU Rod Will, faculty, NREM, OSU Sam Fuhlendorf, faculty, NREM, OSU David Engle, faculty, NREM, OSU Jianjun Ge, faculty, Dept of Geography, OSU Kim Winton, Scientist, Oklahoma Water Science Research Center, USGS Elaine Stebler, Senior research specialist, NREM, OSU Michael Wine, GRA, NREM, OSU Jenny Hung, GRA, NREM, OSU Giulia Caterina, GRA, NREM, OSU Shujun Chen, research specialist, Northwest A&M University, China Jiangan Yuan, faculty, Sun Yat-sen University Vinicius Guidotti, intern, Sao Paulo State University, Brazil TARGET AUDIENCES: I have identified Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (OWRRI), Oklahoma Water Science Center, Oklahoma Governor Water Resource Board, NRCS and USDA as my primary audience. Water resource is a public service, effective approach is to focus on water and land management related federal and state agencies and provide them the most updated research and synthesis information to guide the policy and long term land and water management plan. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
There are increasing concerns of drought and shortage of water in many of the Great Plains states. The most recent and heated debate is whether we should and how to control woody plant encroachment into rangeland to increase water supply to non-ecosystem water users. The State of Oklahoma legislators are debating using tax incentives to encourage business and industry activities that will curtail eastern redcedar proliferation in state rangeland. There is legislation pending in the Oklahoma state House of Representatives to create a complete cedar abatement infrastructure, citing extravagant water use by eastern redcedar as one of the justifications. This research is a field-based, multiple-year collaborative research effort between Oklahoma State University and the USGS Oklahoma Water Science Center. The overall objectives are to develop an improved understanding of the effects of eastern redcedar encroachment in tallgrass prairie on water supply. Insights gained from research during this reporting period have substantially improved our understanding of the water use strategy of eastern redcedar and the canopy rainfall interception estimate among different vegetation functional types in the tallgrass prairie, leading towards more realistic estimate of water budget associated with the grassland watershed and heavily encroached watershed. Dissemination of existing results from this project is starting to contribute to change in knowledge, leading to actions from individual ranch owners. Phone calls and email inquiries on water use of redcedar have been increasing. Several land owners expressed their willingness to participate redcedar control programs as a result of direct outreach of this research.
Publications
- Zou CB, Ffolliott PF, Wine M. 2010. Streamflow responses to vegetation manipulations along a gradient of precipitation in the Colorado River Basin. Forest Ecology and Management 259:1268-1276.
- Zou CB, Shi PL. 2009. Ecohydrological effects of woody plants encroachment into grassland and savanna in the USA. Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies. Southwest University Press.
- Zou CB, Turton D, Engle D. 2010. How eastern redcedar encroachment affects the water cycle of Oklahoma rangelands. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Fact Sheet NREM 2888.
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