Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research project is the Dine College staff, faculty and students. The research opportunity increases the capacity of individuals involved in the project by participating in applied research and strengthen research opportunities and experiences. Inadvertently, this project also shares forestland best practices to land users, tribal government and tribal departments. Changes/Problems:The approval process to establish the research site took much longer then anticipated due to mulitple governmental protocols, approvals, and the COVID 19 shut down of government agencies and departments. However, the approvals were completed and the research site was established and fully fenced as in inclusure. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Several colloborative training were conducted and established throughout the duration of the grant periond. Last year, September 29 to October 1 , 2022, NAU students came out to the Dine College Tsaile Campus Research site to train Dine College Land Grant Office interns to take Herbaceous inventory. Four students from NAU School of Forestry and three students from the Land Grant Office spent the week together to learn these concepts. This allowed the Dine College LGO students completed the inventory on their own throughout the summer. Annually, the cross visitation between the campuses and introducing students to both Dine College and NAU serves as a benefit to students. Shared learning space allow for peer mentoring and coaching of research methodology. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been desiminated through presentation at conferences and to the local community. The research had been shared via Webinars and online platform. Each year students intern use the research to also educated the youth during the Agricultural Youth Camp about forest health. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
One of the original goals was to enclose the research site with a fence to protect the research site from encroachment of wood haulers. The fence was constructed during this reporting period. Overall, original goals have been met despite considerable challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pinyon restoration site was established, measured, treated, and remeasured post-treatment. The ponderosa restoration site has been established and measured. Treatment is pending action by the Navajo Forestry Department. The original plan for a juniper restoration site was found to be infeasible early in the project. The project has had wide exposure across the two educational institutions (Diné College and Northern Arizona University) as well in the community and through regional, national, and international conferences. We also have one Dine College Student transfer into the NAU School of Forestry and receive a Bachelors in Forestry Management in May of 2023. We have certainly allowed for Dine College students to become familiar with reserach methods on forest mangement, herbaceous inventory, controlled sites to research paramenter, data collection methods, and presention skills. This research has open the doors to other research parameter and a new research grant to take a look at endophytes in various vegetation was recieved. The grant also allowed for the Dine College Land Grant Office and severla science faculty to collaborate on research opportunities. During the COVID 19 pandemic the Land Grant Office Buidling was transformed into a teaching laboratory and successfully served as the only lab in operation during the pandemic. This allowed for students to continue their research throiugh the transition to online learning and back into face to face learning. Observation include the increase mortality rate of pinyon trees throught the research period. This was due to both drought and infrestation of bark beetle. We anticipate that with the thinning prescription implemented, long term improvement of forestry health can be observed. This can take years and we expect this research plot to be used long term.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Begay, J., L. Whitehair, B. Neztsosie, P. Ful�. 2023. How will trees respond to forest management affecting pinyon cone
production in Tsaile, AZ on the Navajo Nation? Poster presentation at Undergraduate Research Symposium, Northern
Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. April 28, 2023.
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research project is the Dine College staff, faculty and students. The research opportunity increases the capacity of individuals involved in the project by participating in applied research and strengthen research opportunities and experiences. Inadvertently, this project also shares forestlandbest practices to land users, tribal government and tribal departments. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Several colloborative training were conducted and established throughout the duration of the grant periond. Last year, September 29 to October 1 , 2022, NAU students came out to the Dien College Tsaile Campus Research site to train Dine College Land Grant Office interns to take Herbaceous inventory. Four students from NAU School of Forestry and three students from the Land Grant Office spent the week together to learn these concepts. This allowed the Dine College LGO students completed the inventory on their own throughout the summer. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Continued relationship with the Navajo Nation Forestry Department is important to improve lines of communication and sharing valuable information and data. A part of this final year, a two page update progress was sent to Alexis Becenit - Navajo Nation Forestry Department (NNFD). Unfortunately, we (NAU and LGO) have not had much feedback from the NNFD. We will continue to reach out via email. Desseminating the research progress and results to the public has also been a goal of the projec. Although we were still on campus closure, we (NAU and LGO) held two webinars: The topics were 1) Forestry Project and NAU's forestry program. 2) The utilization fo drones in Forestry. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
One of the original goals was to enclose the research site with a fence to protect the research site from encroachment of wood haulers. The fence was constructed during this reporting period. Overall, original goals have been met despite considerable challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pinyon restoration site was established, measured, treated, and remeasured post-treatment. The ponderosa restoration site has been established and measured. Treatment is pending action by the Navajo Forestry Department. The original plan for a juniper restoration site was found to be infeasible early in the project. The project has had wide exposure across the two educational institutions (Diné College and Northern Arizona University) as well in the community and through regional, national, and international conferences. Additionally, we have built upon this research and secured a new research grant to continue to use the research site for other research area.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Begay, J., L. Whitehair, B. Neztsosie, P. Ful�. 2023. How will trees respond to forest management affecting pinyon cone production in Tsaile, AZ on the Navajo Nation? Poster presentation at Undergraduate Research Symposium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. April 28, 2023.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research project is the Dine College staff, faculty and students. The research opportunity increases the capacity of individuals involved in the project by participating in applied research and strengthening tribal college research opportunities and experiences. Inadvertently, this project will allow for the opportunity to share best practices of forest lands to the land users, tribal government and departments. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?NAU graduate students Lionel Whitehair, Emma Sautter, Erin Todd, and Leo O´Neill, along with undergraduate student Jared Begay, participated in field data collection activities at the pinyon and ponderosa pine. Lionel, Leo, and Jared continue to work on analysis of the data in the laboratory. Through this collaboration, Lionel Whitehaircontinues to serve as a mentor for students. March - Removal of the debris after thinning in plots 4,5, and 6 of the research site which was approximately 7.5 acres. This effort was a collaboration between NAU faculty and interns (Dr. Fule', Lionel Whitehair, Samuel Ebright, and Christopher Leonard Oneill) and Dine College inters (Josephine Bitsui, Takeshi Brown, Kasey Sorrell, and Kaeden Russell). March to May 2022 - Dine College interns continue to clean the debris by chipped the slash piling. May 2022 - Over a 3 weeks period the re-measurement of all 10 pinyon plots were made. A new research plot was identified and the installation of 10 new ponderosa pine plots were developed Wheatfields, AZ. This incorporates 3-treatment area. NAU student was able to utilize the drone to collect aerial images of the site. NAU collaborates assisting were iDr. Fule', Lionel Whitehair, Emma Sautter, Gabe Sensibar, Serena Felix, Leo O´Neill and Jared Begay. September 2022 - Plant Inventory data collection were conducted after thinning and cleaning of debris treatment of Pinyon site located on the Dine College Campus. NAU students Lionel Whitehair was the team leader and Erin Todd and Gabe Traver and Jared Begay assisted with data collection. Participating Land Grant interns were Kasey Sorrell, Kaeden Russell, Nicole Harvey, Kirsten Begay and Lorin Gorman. The Dine College Land Grant interns were trained and completed the plant inventory. The Interns were taught the intersect method by NAU Forestry - Gabe Traver and Erin Todd. Dine College Interns also learned to identify the plants and the common and scientific names. The LGO interns completed five intersect (plots 8,9,10,1,2) after training was provided by NAU students. The Land Grant Interns also experienced calculating the inventory data to begin analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentation are shared with the Wheatfield and Tsaile Chapter during one of the monthly chapter meetings. This allows the community to learn about the forest they live in. Students have shared their research at conference across the country and sharing experiences with other higher education institutions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A No Cost Extension was granted therefore, continuing to conduct one more year of data and being able to add to exisiting data.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our partnership with faculty, staff, and students from the Diné College Land Grant Office has resulted in the successful completion of field collection for the pinyon woodland site on Diné College (DC) campus in Tsaile, AZ and we are currently processing data from the field site.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The intended target audience is the Diné College Land Grant Office staff, faculty and students. The students will have an experiential learning opportunity through their involvement in applied research. The Diné College staff and faculty will strengthen research capacity through the development of experiments in ecological restoration and creating new partnerships with tribal agencies and departments. Indirectly, the community members who live and ranch in the forestlands on the Navajo Nation will gain knowledge about their forestlands. The research, methodology and results shared with the community members will allow them to learn about the ecological surroundings. developed a field experiment of ecological restoration at a forest site and a woodland site within the Tsaile/Wheatfields/Blackrock Chapter surrounding Diné College´s Tsaile campus on the Navajo Nation. The research framework is based on two 10-acre research sites, one in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest and the other in a pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) woodland.? Changes/Problems:The largest challenge has been the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on both institutions. The need to reduce travel and personal contact slowed progress on research goals. Treatment implementation was delayed in the pinyon site. The ponderosa site had to be relocated due to treatment scheduling conflicts. Recruitment of students was delayed as well. Fortunately, the situation appears to be improving in Fall, 2021. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training was provided to both NAU and Diné College students during three reciprocal visits: Diné College visit to NAU, Mar. 8, 2019 NAU visit to Diné College, Nov. 8, 2019 NAU visit to Diné College, Oct. 27, 2021 In addition, there were field data collection activities with students from both institutions in 2018, 2019, and 2021. All of these events involved training such as plot setup, tree marking, identification and measurement of plants, and tree thinning. NAU students were provided with additional training in woodshop and laboratory skills: preparation of wood samples, crossdating tree rings, developing tree-ring chronologies. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We intend to continue to recruit students at both Dine College an Northern Arizona University. Within the research site, thinningn of the pinyon site andcarrying out post-treat ment measurements. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, the dalay in recieving a thinning permit until summer 2021 had also delayed the thinning activity. We were able to secure a second ponderosa thinning plot throught the Navajo Nation Forestry program therefore our activities will includeanalysis of understory. We will also transition to support new activities under the recent funded follow-up research activity utilzing the same research sites.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Althought the COVID 19pandemic resulted in minimal activity on the projectand may have contributed to not havingmuch to report. The most recent year of the grant (2020-2021) overlapped completely with the Covid-19 pandemic. The Navajo Nation was an epicenter of the illness and Diné College operated online for an extended period. NAU was online, with limited lab work and no field work, for much of the year. However, project activity has resumed in Fall, 2021, with two visits from NAU to Diné College. Executive Director of the NAU School of Forestry, Dr. Yeon-Su Kim, traveled with co-PI Fulé to Tsaile in August, 2021, and Fulé returned in October, 2021, to meet with Diné College staff and interns and resume collaborative field activities, described below. The permit for thinning was finnaly approved allowing the DIne College team to begin establishing the thinning prescriptions. In January, 2021, PI Litson, co-PI Fulé, and several colleagues from Diné College submitted a new TCRGP grant proposal building upon the foundation established in the current project. The new proposal, titled "Forest and woodland dynamics supporting food and agriculture on the Navajo Nation", has been funded and research is currently underway.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research project is the Dine College staff, faculty and students. the research opportunity increases the capacity of individuals involved in the project by participating in applied research and stregthening tribal college research opportunities and experiences. Inadvertently, this project will allow for the opportunity to share best practices of forest lands to the land users, tribal government and departments. Changes/Problems:The COVID 19 pandemic has hindered our project in many ways, restricting students and staff to work on campus in groups, all Navajo Nation department and entities were on a stay at home order resulting in cease to all paperwork such as the NEPA analysis and Dine College Land Lease. In addition, the seasonal data of spring was not collected and trainings were cancelled. As we continue into the fall, we are looking at virtual events to engage student interns and presentations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations have been made during local farmer and rancher trainings with at least 22 participants. Additionally, update to local community of the status of the research through social media, flyers, brochures, and presentation during local gathering hosted by Dine College Land Grant Office programs. Presentations were conducted by Alisha Betony at the 2019 First American Land Grant Consortium (FALCON) Annual Conference in Denver, CO. Additionally, poster presentations were conducted by Alisha Betoney and Jared Begay at the 2020 Society for Rangeland Management Annual Conference. ? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, plans are to finalize an additional research site and to conduct prescribed thinning. Continue to gather data of existing research site and addition site to create an analysis over time. A thinning prescription will be scheduled upon the receipt of the NEPA final clearance. Schedule presentation to be conducted in the communities on update and status of the project. Recruitment and hiring of new interns is needs as we have one previous intern transfer to Northern Arizona University and another transfer to New Mexico State University.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Year two has been a challenging year for many. This year posed setbacks to proceed with scheduled training for students, seasonal data collection for each research site, and getting data plots for new research plots identified. The collaboration with NAU School of Forestry and Dine College continues to strengthen resulting in one student transferring from Dine College into NAU School of Forestry. The continuation of communication between collaborators amidst the circumstance and challenges developed throughout the pandemic. Site one herbaceous inventory was conducted by the 2020 Dine College student interns. Meeting between NAU faculty, Dine College staff and faculty and the Navajo Nation Forestry Department was facilitated and site two of the research was secured. New faculty at Dine College were introduced to collaborators and planned NAU college visit for training was developed, however was not successful. Many cancellation of activity and events were cancelled during the pandemic. ?
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research project is the Dine College staff, faculty, and students. This research opportunity increases the capacity of individuals involved in the project by participating in applied research and strengthening tribal college research opportunities and experiences.Inadvertently, this project will allow fort the opportunity to education best practices of forest lands to the land users, tribal government and departments. Changes/Problems:One change will include identifying the Juniper dense site. Due to the approval process of this site, this site will be changed to another ponderosa site located in the Tsaile Wheatfields area. We will still have three research sites only change the juniper site. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?November 16, 2018 - A training was conducted for the Dine College Land Grant Staff and Student Interns. The topic included the development of data sheets, inventory assessment, tagging trees (desired and undesirable), and covering various methods to inventory forest (tree age and health, tree height, understory vegetation, creation of transects, site assessment). During this scheduled training a total of ten student interns and two staff received the training. The trainers include one NAU School of Forestry faculty and graduate student. March 8, 2019 - Staff, Faculty and student training held with Northern Arizona University Faculty in Flagstaff, Arizona. Students were introduced to reading tree core information for age determination. Student also visited the Ecological Restoration research site at the G.A. Pearson Natural Area Fort Valley Experimental Forest - Rocky Mountain Research Station sharing multiple research (fire, seedling, thinning, etc.) May 13 - 16, 2019. Plant inventory on site hands-on training was conducted on the Dine College campus, study site area in Tsaile, AZ. A total of ten student interns and two staff participated in the three day training on site conducting understory evaluations. A total of three professors and two graduate students conducted the trainings. The training was divided into three parts, two teams (one lead by Dr. Fule and the other by NAU graduate student) and one team to do the plant inventory. Each of the interns rotated duties learning the process for forestry site inventory. Dr. Fule led the training on locating the center of the plot by using the GPS points. Following the instruction, participants names were recorded, Date, site name and other information. Each intern participated in finding the North direction first then East and all the rest. The Northern direction is marked with three flags and the other directions have one flag representing the direction. A reference photo were taken from the North and East direction. Which is every tree beginning on the North going clockwise is recorded for height and diameter. Part Two Training lead by NAU faculty covered measuring understory and overstory, fuel, canopy and litter were all taken. Understory inventory and vegetation inventory was collected through developing a line transect and identifying vegetation found in each plot along each transect. Additional date included names of all the plants found in that area. July 11, 2019 - The research was shared with the Mini Camp participants. There were several illegal trash dump sites found on the research site on campus. Camp participants assisted with cleaning up each of the Illegal dump site and has transformed the site completely. This activity involved approximately, 38 youth between the ages of 9-17, 3 Dine College Land Grant staff, and eight Land Grant student interns. Potential Training in the future: Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) by U of A and Dr. Fule. However the course and training was not budgeted into the research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1) Complete the inventory of research sites two and three. 2) Implement thinning prescription to each research sites and its individual plots. 3) Acquire all necessary permits and approval to conduct all the research at each of the three research sites. 4) Develop addition training for staff, student interns, students and faculty. 5) Strengthen faculty relationship to utilize the research in part to their existing curriculum. Year one faculty who was involved in the research has left the institution. This allows for the opportunity to share and use the research with new faculty members.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our goal is to create research opportunities for the Dine College Staff, Students, and Interns. To create these experiences, a collaboration with the Northern Arizona University School of Forestry has been developed to research the understory or forest lands on the Navajo Nation. The following activities have been conducted to ensure the success of the research. 1) Coordination and planning of collaboration to begin the research was conducted with Northern Arizona University. During this time, a general schedule of events throughout the year was develop along with the necessary training needed for Dine College staff, faculty and student interns. Introductions were made of other NAU Faculty and Graduate students who will participate in the funding and training. 2) A meeting with the Navajo Nation Forestry Department was conducted to re-inform them of the research implementation and methods. Going into the research we had identified several research sites, however some new policy changes were developed that will create challenges of getting the research started on the timeline anticipated. During this meeting we were able to change the site of two of the anticipated sites due to the challenges expected through permitting. Results: The Navajo Nation Forestry Department already has fully approved permitted thinning sites near the anticipated study area and will designate 10 acres at each of those site to allow us to conduct the research. This approval process is very complex and must include multiple necessary permits. The process includes the following, Community Chapter government support and resolutions, Natural Resource Divisions, Navajo Nation Forestry (thinning, wood hauling, and cooperative agreements), Bureau of Indian Affairs NEPA approval. 3) All three of the sites for research implementation were identified. However, progress of mapping, tagging, creating inventory, development of thinning regimens or treatments, understory evaluation were made to one of the three sites. Challenges for this site as we started to implement the thinning regimens we were quickly reminded that local community awareness of projects is necessary and now resulting the project to be placed on a halt. As a result of this event, a meeting has been conducted with Navajo Nation Forestry to ensure all permits are up to date. The Navajo Nation Forestry were also able to request the approval of a NEPA analysis to be completed by the Navajo Regional Bureau of Indian Affairs area office. This is currently still in review. 4) We have increased our staff, faculty and student interns research capacity through year one activities that are shared under the opportunity for Training and professional development section of this report. Four training events occurred for staff, faculty and students. Three of those events were held at Dine College and one was held on the Northern Arizona University campus.
Publications
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