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14th Biennial Conference of Science and Management for the Colorado Plateau and Southwest Region

September 11–14, 2017 High Country Conference Center, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona

Oral and Poster Abstracts

Abstracts are ordered alphabetically by first presenting author, whose name is indicated in bold type.

Survey of contaminants in harvested rainwater from a southern Arizona pilot study

ABRELL, L.1,4, M.D. Ramirez-Andreotta,1 A. Kilungo,3 J.E. McLain 1,2, and R. Root1

1University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, abrell@email.arizona.edu; 2University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, 3University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ 85724 USA and 4University of Arizona, Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA

ABSTRACT: Two southern Arizona active roof top rainwater harvesting systems, one urban and one rural, were investigated in a pilot study during the monsoon season of 2013, to determine levels of prioritized organic and inorganic chemical contaminants. Sixteen (including eight RCRA; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) metal species and two organic perfluorinated species were targeted in harvested rain water from four separate cisterns. A single elastomeric rooftop material, and two cistern materials (fiberglass and galvanized steel with concrete) were included. None of the target analyte species were detected at concentrations considered unhealthy for drinking (none of the harvested was used for human consumption). Zinc measurements were the highest between 0.1 and 10.0 ppm. Interesting correlations between other metals and rain subtotals were observed. These data have informed a new, larger active roof top harvested rain water contaminant survey that has just been launched as a NSF-funded citizen science project, which will be introduced.

Production frontiers and socio-ecological tradeoffs for restoration of fire adapted forests

AGER, A.A.1 and K. Vogler2

1USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Pendleton, OR 97801 USA, aager@fs.fed.us; 2Oregon State University, College of Forestry, Forest Engineering, Resources & Management, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA

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ABSTRACT: Large-scale forest restoration programs initiated on western US national forests under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act aim to improve the health and resiliency of the dry forest ecosystem. Fire resiliency objectives are achieved through fuel management projects that use forest thinning, prescribed fire, and a range of other techniques aimed at returning fire frequent forests to pre-settlement conditions. Key outputs from the restoration program include commercial wood supply to private entities to offset restoration treatment costs and increased employment in rural economies. An important component of forest restoration planning is the prioritization of projects under finite budgets and a large backlog of areas that need treatments. Current prioritization frameworks consists of ad hoc synthesis of regional assessments and do not consider potential tradeoffs among different priorities to generate economic services versus address forest heath and ecological objectives. In this study, we analyzed economic and ecological tradeoffs within four US national forests designated as national priorities for restoration. We modeled four restoration objectives: (1) forest departure from historical conditions, (2) insect and disease risk, (3) wildfire hazard, (4) wildfire exposure to the urban interface, and (5) financial valuation of restoration treatments. The analysis revealed sharp tradeoffs among different restoration objectives, and substantial spatial variation in production possibility frontiers among and within national forests. We found that optimizing revenue to help finance restoration projects led to a sharp reduction in the attainment of other socioecological objectives, especially reducing ecological departure. Production frontiers were highly variable among planning areas and revealed opportunities to achieve specific restoration goals. The restoration tradeoffs resulted from past management, biophysical setting, and wildfire disturbances. This analysis framework facilitates implementation of restoration policies on US public lands and attainment of long-term social and ecological goals.

Investigating the combined impacts of climate change and exotic species invasion on a foundation southwestern riparian tree and its dependent communities

ALLAN, G.J.1,2, H.M., Bothwell1,2, H.F. Cooper1,2, L. Andrews, J. Hull1,2 & A. Keith1,2, J. Parker1,2, C.A. Gehring1,2, K.C. Grady2,3, K. Hultine4, S. Cushman5 , and T.G. Whitham1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, and Environmental Genetics & Genomics Facility, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Gery.Allan@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 4 Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Phoenix, AZ USA; 5U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: As the Southwest continues to warm and experience encroachment by invasive species, the interactions between native foundation plants and their biological communities constitute a topic of primary concern. Riparian ecosystems are especially vulnerable to these impacts as they support high levels of biodiversity, including many listed species. In this NSF-funded project, we use molecular genetics, modeling and common garden experiments to examine how climate warming and tamarisk invasion affect genetic variability and landscape connectivity in Fremont cottonwood, a dominant riparian tree of the American Southwest. Specifically, we ask: (1) How do changes in climate and tamarisk invasion impact genetic connectivity across the range of Fremont cottonwood? (2) Does the loss of genetic connectivity in Fremont cottonwood affect dependent community connectivity? Answers to these questions are in the initial stages of development, but preliminary genetic and common garden data have identified specific eco-regions that coincide with climatic variability, community composition and performance-related traits in this long-lived tree species. Ultimately, our study seeks to integrate

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results from a variety of data sources that can be brought to bear on strategic, policy-making decisions and conservation management of dominant southwestern tree species and associated ecosystems.

Settlement history on Little Baullie Mesa

ALLISON, J.R.1

1Brigham Young University, Department of Anthropology, Provo, UT 84602 USA, jallison@byu.edu

ABSTRACT: The archaeology of the Bears Ears National Monument has long been known for its highly visible, and often spectacular, rock shelters, cliff dwellings, and rock art sites. However, thousands of less visible sites cover the mesa tops and canyon bottoms. These sites are part of an archaeological landscape that provides evidence of complex patterns of human settlement and land use at a variety of different scales. This paper examines patterns of settlement on Little Baullie Mesa, where two BLM-funded archaeological surveys have recorded a total of 155 archaeological sites within an area of approximately 2,000 acres. Many of the sites on Little Baullie Mesa have been damaged by a 1960s era chaining project, by looting, or by the dirt roads that traverse the mesa top. Still, the remote location has limited visitation and casual collection, and more than 50 Ancestral Pueblo habitations retain robust surface ceramic assemblages that allow them to be dated with good precision. These habitations date to various times between the A.D. 500s and the 1200s, and they range in size from scattered single-household farmsteads to small villages home to ten or more households. Together these sites provide evidence of population fluctuations and variation in settlement patterns, including times when farmsteads were dispersed across the mesa, other times when the mesa’s inhabitants clustered into a few larger villages, and periods when no one lived on the mesa top. Comparable data are only available for a few other nearby areas, which display different, though equally complex, histories of land use and settlement.

An introduction to archaeological research in the Bears Ears National Monument

ALLISON, J.R.1 and B.A. Bellorado2

1Brigham Young University, Department of Anthropology, Provo, UT 84602 USA, jallison@byu.edu; 2University of Arizona, School of Anthropology and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA

ABSTRACT: Until the late 19th century, the archaeology of the Bears Ears Monument was known only to the relatively few Native Americans who lived in or visited the area that is now included in the monument. That changed in the 1890s, as professional and avocational collectors became aware of the abundant, well-preserved traces left by the ancient inhabitants. Artifacts and human remains excavated from the monument were displayed in diverse settings including the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, Salt Lake City’s Temple Square, and various museums in the eastern United States. Since these early, uncontrolled, explorations and the publicity that followed, the scientific, aesthetic, and spiritual values embodied by the archaeological sites in the monument have been widely recognized. But real archaeological research, dedicated to understanding the lives of the ancient inhabitants, was rare until the last several decades. Since the 1970s, archaeologists have dedicated increasing attention to the area. As archaeological research has increased in intensity and sophistication, archaeologists have focused on diverse interests. Recent work attempts to better understand and contextualize the work of the early collectors; to repatriate the human remains and associated artifacts they collected; to better document and stabilize the fragile architectural remains preserved in sheltered sites; to document and protect the archaeological landscape that includes thousands of less visible sites found throughout the

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monument; to understand the history and social life of ancient peoples; and to understand the lineal, spiritual, and emotional ties that connect modern Native peoples to the ancient inhabitants and landscape of the monument. This paper serves as an introduction to the symposium on archaeology in the Bears Ears National Monument by briefly recounting the history of archaeological research and providing an overview of the archaeological resources found there.

Micro to macro-scale erosion of rock art at Wupatki National Monument: contexts for conservation

ANDERSON, K.C.1

1Museum of Northern Arizona, Archaeology Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, kanderson@mna.mus.az.us

ABSTRACT: Many of the rock art elements that we investigated were created at the same time, ~A.D. 1150-1300. While most of the glyphs are in good to excellent condition, many exhibit extreme weathering, and some are located on large blocks of sandstone that have fallen since the glyphs were created. There is a distinct weathering gradient where the southernmost mesa, Horseshoe Mesa, has the best preserved glyphs, Middle Mesa has the next best preserved, and Crack-in-Rock Mesa to the north, exhibits the poorest glyph preservation. All glyphs were pecked into the same sandstone substrate, and the environmental conditions are the same at all three mesas. We analyzed the possible reasons for these weathering differences, including macro-scale geomorphic processes along the Black Point Monocline influencing joint formation, and micro-scale salt weathering along those joints. While aspect certainly influences glyph preservation, this does not explain the north-south weathering gradient. Results from these investigations can help inform decisions that cultural resource managers and rock art conservationists will have to make, particularly regarding potential negative influences from future climate change.

The influence of density on forest response to soil moisture and its implications for drought

ANDREWS, C.A.1, J.B. Bradford1, and K.E. Gleason1,2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 USA, candrews@usgs.gov; 2Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512 USA

ABSTRACT: Managing forest density is widely recognized as a strategy to mitigate the negative effects of increasingly severe ecological droughts due to climate change. However, most evaluations of these effects focus on forest response to periods of known drought, or to measures of climate alone, instead of considering the impact of water that is readily accessible to these communities within the soil profile. We simulated site-specific, multi-layer, soil moisture using a proven ecosystem water balance model, taking into account density specific effects on hydrological processes (i.e., interception, transpiration). These simulations were paired with dendrochronological data from four, long-term (multi-decadal), pine, forest management experiments with replicated levels of density, that are located across the US (Arizona, South Dakota, Minnesota), to evaluate the relationship between the quantity, timing, and location of soil moisture on growth response in different environments and at different densities. Overall, arid forests sites saw a stronger relationship with soil moisture, while wetter sites may be controlled by interactions between air temperature and soil moisture. The time of year that soil moisture is important to forest growth varies between different experimental forests, and in some sites, varies across different density treatments. In forests where soil moisture is important, higher density treatments rely on stores of water for longer periods of time and at depths deeper in the soil profile

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than low density treatments. These results provide insight into the interactions between growth, density, and the availability of water, and agrees with previous findings that reducing plant density in water-limited forested ecosystems increases accessibility of moisture and subsequently growth.

Biocrust common gardens on the Colorado Plateau demonstrate climate adaptive and climate sensitive species

ANTONINKA, A.1 and M.A. Bowker1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, anita.antoninka@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Drylands, ~40% of Earth’s terrestrial surface, rely on biocrusts (a consortium of bacteria, cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses) for key ecosystem functions including soil stability, biogeochemical cycling, and water capture. Climate change is expanding drylands and land use practices are rapidly degrading them. Very little is known about community and species-level adaptability to novel climates. To elucidate this subject, we set up three transplant common gardens arrayed along an elevational-climate gradient within the Colorado Plateau (1200, 1600, and 2000 m) with fence protection from grazing. Mature biocrusts (15 cm x 15 cm by 5cm deep) were collected intact from each site and reciprocally transplanted at all three gardens. We tested three non-exclusive hypotheses: (1) Biocrust transplants planted at their home site would be more productive and resistant to change than in a novel environment. (2) Biocrust transplants in a novel environment would perform better at elevations higher than their origin, and worse at elevations lower than their origin. (3) More ruderal and/or more cosmopolitan biocrust taxa would be more adaptable to novel environments than later successional species and/or species restricted to more mesic sites. We measured species composition and cover over two years in the field in spring and fall. Support for hypothesis one was only found at the mid-elevation garden where home transplants performed best. Hypothesis two was also not supported in that transplants did not perform better when moved up in elevation. Hypothesis three was supported: ruderal mosses (Byrum sp.), early colonizing lichens (Collema), as well as early colonizing light and dark cyanobacterial cover increased, and later successional lichens (Peltula and Placidium), and species restricted to more mesic sites (Syntrichia ruralis and Fulgensia) decreased. These results suggest that biocrust communities, but not all community members are resilient to climate change.

14,000 year lake sediment dust record from the San Juan Mountains, CO

ARCUSA, S.H.1 and N.P. McKay1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, sha59@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Millions of people in the arid Four Corners region depend on the timeliness of spring snowmelt from the San Juan Mountains, Colorado. Not only are warming temperatures inducing earlier snowmelt, but studies have shown the deposition of dust on snow decreases albedo and contributes to an even earlier snowmelt. Dust and drought are linked in the US Southwest and climate change is projected to exacerbate aridity, likely influencing atmospheric dustiness in the process. However, few dustiness records exist for the Colorado Plateau to provide context for modern dustiness levels, or how climate variability affects dust flux under natural conditions. Here, we present a high resolution, 14,000-year-long dustiness record produced from grain size analysis of sediment from a high elevation lake in the San Juan Mountains. We use end-member modelling to estimate the dust proportion in the sediment, and its variability through time. This reconstruction provides context to modern dust levels derived from instrumental observations of visibility and particulate geochemistry over the last decades in the Four Corners region. Dust flux was highest during the Late Glacial Interglacial Transition (LGIT; ca.

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14-11 ka), lowest during the mid-Holocene (ca. 8-5 ka), and has steadily increased since then. High dustiness levels were common during the Medieval and Roman Periods when megadroughts plagued the Colorado Plateau. However, 20th century dustiness levels are the highest since the LGIT. These results highlight the role of drought on dust flux, as well as the large impact human activities have the production of dust, both directly and due to climate change.

Assessing socioecological adaptive capacity to facilitate climate adaptation planning

ASLAN C.1,2, B. Petersen, P. Beier3, D. Stuart3, S. Stortz1, L. Samberg4, B. Dickson1,2, M. Gray2, and D. Theobald2

1Northern Arizona University, Landscape Conservation Initiative, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA Clare.Aslan@nau.edu; 2Conservation Science Partners, Truckee, CA 96161 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 4University of Minnesota, Institute on the Environment, Minneapolis, MN USA

ABSTRACT: Planning for climate impacts with the goal of sustaining functioning socioecological landscapes requires understanding when systems are inherently resilient to climate impacts and when they will require active adaptation management. The adaptive capacity of a particular system measures the combined ecological and social factors that can permit adaptation. Such factors may thus include both ecological resilience components and the capacity of a social system to successfully carry out adaptation measures. Socioecological assessments can enable identification of (a) systems where resilience is high and interventions unnecessary, (b) sites where interventions are likely to be successful due to social adaptive capacity, and (c) sites where socioecological challenges indicate high climate vulnerability. As a collaborative group, we are working to define and test such socioecological assessments to assist resource managers and stakeholders confronting novel threats. Here, we illustrate the importance of this framework with two southern Arizona case studies to which we have applied our conceptual work: the sky island region of southeastern Arizona and the Sonoran Desert ecoregion of southwestern Arizona.

The North Rim Ranches program of the Grand Canyon Trust: A case study of science-based collaborative resource management

AUMACK, E.1

1 Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, eaumack@grandcanyontrust.org

ABSTRACT: To build a program of collaborative, science-based resource management on the North Rim Ranches, the Grand Canyon Trust worked with a ranching family, federal partners, and scientists from NAU and other institutions to find common ground on multiple, complex issues. This partnership designed, funded, and implemented a long-term scientific baseline assessment across 830,000 acres of this working landscape. We invested in a program of research on key management issues in grazing, wildfire, wildlife connectivity, and more. We built long-term relationships with a host of stakeholders that led to a research and stewardship partnership for the ranches to provide an ongoing forum for ranching, management, and research partners to discuss and resolve issues. Over time, we learned how to navigate barriers and build bridges to better incorporate science into management decision making. We will share lessons learned over the last decade so that other groups may engage in successful public/private partnerships to close the gap between science and resource management implementation.

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Economic value of angling and whitewater boating on the Colorado River: using revealed and stated preference methods to inform adaptive management

BAIR, L.S.1, C.J. Neher2, D.L. Rogowski3, J.W. Duffield2, D.A. Patterson 2, and K. Neher4

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, lbair@usgs.gov; 2Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT USA; 3Arizona Game and Fish Department, Research Branch, Phoenix, AZ USA; 4Bioeconomics Inc., Missoula, MT USA

ABSTRACT: Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) on the Colorado River in northern Arizona provides water storage, flood control, and hydropower benefits to approximately 40 million people who rely on water and energy resources in the Colorado River Basin. Downstream resources in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA) and Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) are impacted by the operation of GCD, including recreational angling in GCNRA and whitewater boating in GCNP. To monitor and research the effects of dam operations on the downstream environment the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) was established in 1997. We utilized secondary and primary survey data and revealed and stated preference methods to estimate the net economic benefit of angling in GCNRA and whitewater boating in GCNP. This information not only provides the economic value of these recreational activities but also highlights attributes of importance to the different recreational groups. These attribute preferences and economic values provide insight into how timing of GCD operations affects recreationists and the value of information obtained through monitoring and research in the GCDAMP, aimed at improving multiple downstream resource conditions in GCNRA and GCNP.

Enhancing endangered species population abundance via cost-effective invasive species control strategies: adaptive management in the Grand Canyon

BAIR, L.S.1, C.B. Yackulic1, M.R. Springborn2, M.N. Reimer3, C.A. Bond4, and L.G. Coggins5

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, lbair@usgs.gov; 2 University of California, Davis, CA USA; 3 University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK; 4 RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA; 5 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bethel, AK

ABSTRACT: Recovering endangered species populations when confronted with the threat of invasive species is an ongoing natural resource management challenge. While eradication has been possible in some situations, and is often the optimal economic solution, it may not be a feasible nor desirable management action in other cases. We developed a bioeconomic model incorporating population abundance goals and cost-effectiveness analyses to identify optimal control strategies for invasive rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) conditional on achieving endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) adult population abundance goals in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Our model considers population level dynamics, species interaction, and economic costs to provide a solution to long-run management of invasive and native species. Model results indicated that the most cost-effective approach to achieve target adult humpback abundance, given moderately high rainbow trout population abundance (~600–2300), requires an average of four to six annual rainbow trout removal events. When rainbow trout population abundance is lower than ~600 or greater than ~2300 removal is not cost-effective. Future work includes assessing the economic value of reducing parameter uncertainty in our bioeconomic model to assist in the prioritization of monitoring and research. Our bioeconomic framework can be applied to different social-ecological systems to assess cost-

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effectiveness of management actions and provide a foundation for prioritizing monitoring and research in adaptive management.

Mountain lion, Puma concolor, response to wildland and prescription fire in the southwestern United States

BAKER, B. 1,2,3, K.E. Ironside3, B. Holton4, D. Hall5, T. Arundel3, and C. Drost3

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, bab454@nau.edu; 2 Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 4National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Center, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA; 5National Security Technologies, LLC, Nevada National Security Site, Las Vegas, NV 89193 USA

ABSTRACT: From 2003 till present, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Southwest Biological Science Center, the National Park Service, and Department of Energy have been studying mountain lions, Puma concolor, using GPS tagging across the southwestern United States. During this time frame several wildfires and prescribed burns have occurred in the study animals’ home ranges. The objective of this research was to study the effect of fire on mountain lion movements (traveling, hunting and caching of prey) within their home range. This was accomplished by using Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) fire mapping products produced by a joint USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) and the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) program that utilizes the NASA-USGS Landsat satellite image archive. Using this information on the spatial location, burn severity, and timing of fire events, pre and post fire movements of mountain lions were quantified for changes in behavior. Seasonal changes in mountain lion home range use due to changes in weather and prey availability can also be factors in how home ranges are utilized over time. Therefore a comparison was made between changes in utilization distributions for mountain lions who had a fire event within their home-range to those who did not. Preliminary results suggest responses are dynamic over time and depend on burn severity.

Plant functional traits and local climate variables predict restoration outcome across the Colorado Plateau

BALAZS, K.1, S.M. Munson.2, A. Kramer3, and B.J. Butterfield1,4

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, krb453@nau.edu;2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL 60022 USA; 4Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Using a restoration treatment database for the Colorado Plateau spanning from 1999 to present we analyzed average species functional traits and local climate variables to predict success. This data was from the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), the USGS Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL), as well as data from projects occurring within the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Success was evaluated for each species as an increase in cover or density from pre-treatment monitoring to the most current year of post-treatment monitoring. Testing several alternative hypotheses, results provide consistent support for interactions between environment and functional traits, indicating the need to match traits of species to suitable environments. The end goal of this research is to provide species lists tailored to environmental conditions at specific restoration sites across the Colorado Plateau.

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Following ancestral footprints: establishing Hopi cultural affiliation in Bears Ears National Monument

BALENQUAH, L.1

1Independent Hopi Archaeologist, Flagstaff and Bacavi, AZ USA, lyle.balenquah@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Identifying the presence of Hopi Ancestors within the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) is key to the continued preservation of Hopi culture and history outside of modern Hopi Reservation boundaries. This research also aides the long-term management goals of the Inter-Tribal Coalition that is working to preserve the cultural and natural resources of the BENM. Through the use of ethnographic work with Hopi, in conjunction with previous and current archaeological fieldwork in the region, new research is aiding in establishing baseline data for determining Hopi cultural affiliation within the BENM. This presentation discusses the ways in which Hopi will be a part of the research and how that information will be used in the development of management plans for the BENM. Current and previous cultural affiliation studies conducted by Hopi will also be examined.

Glen Canyon Dam management and the resources of Grand Canyon National Park: new Record of Decision, new direction

BALSOM, J.R.1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA, janet_balsom@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Since 1996, Glen Canyon Dam has been operated under a Record of Decision (ROD) and annual plans of operations in consultation with a Federal Advisory Committee called the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). This group of 25 stakeholders provides advice to the Secretary of the Interior on Glen Canyon Dam operations and represents a range of interests and expertise from power and water to conservation and recreation. With overarching direction from the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act (GCPA), the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service, completed a new ROD for the next 20 years of dam operations. The recently completed "Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan" ROD was signed by Secretary Jewell in December 2016 and ushers in a new era of adaptive management. While annual water allocations remain unchanged, monthly allocations, daily flows, and experimental treatments are identified, along with explicit direction for management of endangered species, National Historic Preservation Act compliance, and experimental vegetation treatment. This presentation will focus on implementation of management priorities for Grand Canyon National Park.

The Cross Watershed Network: the peer-to-peer knowledge sharing network (you’ve probably never heard of)

BASTIAN, D.1

1Utah State University/Utah Conservation Corps, UT USA, dave.bastian@usu.edu

ABSTRACT: XWN is a facilitated peer-to-peer, knowledge-sharing network that connects practitioners across watershed boundaries around a variety of shared watershed management challenges. Through innovative programs, such as practitioner-driven workshops, field-centered cross-visits, virtual sharing venues, and an online Practitioner Directory of resource experts, XWN makes it easy to build a network of peers that span various geographies in the arid West. This poster will demonstrate how watershed

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partnerships and practitioners can get connected with XWN and broaden the scope of their professional network.

Inclusive conservation work

BASTIAN, D.1

1Utah State University/Utah Conservation Corps, UT USA, dave.bastian@usu.edu

ABSTRACT: The Utah Conservation Corps has always had a strong commitment to serving a diverse array of participants. Since 2007, Utah Conservation Corps has operated mixed-ability crews, arranging for project work that is inclusive, making conservation work an option for individuals with physical disabilities. In 2017 The Utah Conservation Corps and the US Forest Service ran three four-person field crews completing accessibility surveys on Forest Service sites. Our partnership with the US Forest Service furthers Utah Conservation Corps goals of inclusion by having our mixed-ability crews conduct accessibility surveys that will lead to more accessible recreational facilities on US Forest Service sites. This presentation will give the history of these crews, what they were able to accomplish in 2017, and our plans for further work in 2018 funded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

Riparian habitat, Tamarix biocontrol, and indirect effects on reptiles and amphibians

BATEMAN, H.1

1Arizona State University, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Phoenix, AZ USA, Heather.L.Bateman@asu.edu

ABSTRACT: Riparian forests provide important provisions to wildlife. I will use examples from southwestern riparian systems focused on the ecology of amphibian and reptile communities to explore how habitat modification by invasive species, biocontrol, and ecological restoration can directly and indirectly affect wildlife communities. Riparian vegetation, habitat structure, microclimate, and reptile and amphibian communities were measured from the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico, the Virgin River in Nevada, and the San Pedro in Arizona. Habitats can influence wildlife via several processes and I will provide examples of how changes in vegetation and changes in the thermal quality of habitat can explain lizard assemblages. Predictive models of these southwest systems linked vegetation-soils-habitat structure to herpetofauna; whereas, temperature during summer and spring were good predictors of hatchling (young-of-the-year) lizards. This research has implications for identifying the vulnerability of some wildlife species that can be sensitive to temperature increases caused by foliar defoliation during biocontrol.

Rapidly evolving responses to photoperiod cues allow phenology shifts and southward range expansion in Diorhabda carinulata, a biocontrol agent for Tamarix spp.

BEAN, D.1, T. Dudley2, F. Grevstad3 and L. Coop4

1Colorado Department of Agriculture, Palisade Insectary, Palisade, CO 81526 USA, dan.bean@state.co.us; 2Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA; 3Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA; 4Oregon State University, Integrated Plant Protection Center and Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA

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ABSTRACT: Introduced populations of the northern tamarisk beetle, Diorhabda carinulata, originated from two collection points in central Asia, one in western China, and one in southern Kazakhstan. Initial releases of D. carinulata failed to establish at more southern locations in western North America due in part to seasonal mistiming of dormancy (diapause) linked to shorter day lengths encountered by the northern-adapted beetles at more southern latitudes. Since their introduced in 2001, beetles have evolved to enter diapause using shorter day length cues, enabling them to remain reproductively active later into the season. This phenology shift has allowed them to move southward. Population response to photoperiod is expressed as critical day length (CDL) which is the day length at which 50% of the population enters diapause. At the outset of the tamarisk biocontrol program the CDL for diapause induction in D. carinulata was approximately 14 hr 40 min. As beetles have moved southward, the CDL has decreased by as much as an hour in a dramatic display of rapid evolution. Shorter CDLs have extended reproductive activity later into the season. Linking CDL to voltinism (number of generations per year) is critical for understanding population dynamics along a latitudinal gradient but, surprisingly, traditional models for determination of voltinism do not take photoperiod into account. A recently developed degree-day phenology model combines detailed spatial climate data, latitude- and date-specific photoperiods, and development and photoperiod response parameters to determine voltinism in newly introduced species. We use this model to link evolution of CDL in D. carinulata to shifts in voltinism and phenology at specific locations in the southwestern US.

Ten years of revegetation on abandoned agricultural lands in Arizona: a demonstration project retrospective

BEAN, T.M.1, M.M. Karpiscak.2, and S.E. Smith.2

1University of California, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Riverside, CA 92521 USA, travis.bean@ucr.edu; 2University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA

ABSTRACT: We coordinated and implemented the revegetation of over 5000 acres of abandoned agricultural land west of Phoenix, Arizona, over a period of ten years, developing a successful strategy for returning severely disturbed arid landscapes to native plant communities. Revegetation efforts were prompted by agricultural land acquisition for water rights by new natural gas energy generating facilities and mitigation requirements imposed by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Efforts began in 2002 and were completed in 2009, while monitoring continued through 2012, when the majority of the revegetated land began conversion to solar energy generation. Land had lain fallow for 10 to 20 years, and was previously thought to have been occupied by creosotebush and white bursage, desert saltbush, or mesquite xeroriparian plant communities. We found that supplemental irrigation through the first summer was sufficient to establish plants from seed or container stock, and established plants successfully spread to increase cover and density without further intervention. Revegetation attempts on adjacent lands focusing on forming water capturing features with heavy machinery and seeding without supplemental irrigation failed, likely due to low annual precipitation (4 to 6 inches) and naturally slow motion plant population dynamics in the area and in the relatively short time frame of the monitoring period. Ours was a unique study with unusual resource inputs, but the long active implementation and monitoring period may provide useful insights for other attempts in similarly disturbed arid environments.

Remote sensing of tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) impacts along 400 km of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

BEDFORD, A.1, T.T. Sankey1, J.B. Sankey2, L.E. Durning1, and B.E. Ralston3

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1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ, ab256@nau.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Science Quality and Integrity, Flagstaff, AZ

ABSTRACT: Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) is an invasive species that is rapidly expanding along arid and semi-arid rivers in the western United States. A biocontrol agent, tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata), was released in 2001 in California, Colorado, Utah, and Texas. In 2009, the tamarisk beetle was found further south than anticipated in the Colorado River ecosystem within the Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Our objectives were to classify tamarisk stands along 412 km of the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam through the Grand Canyon National Park using 2009 aerial, high spatial resolution multispectral images, and then quantify tamarisk beetle impacts by comparing pre-beetle images from 2009 with 2013 post-beetle images. We classified tamarisk presence in 2009 using the Mahalanobis Distance method with a total of 2,500 training samples, and assessed the classification accuracy with an independent set of 7,858 samples across 49 image quads. A total of 214 ha of tamarisk was detected in 2009 along the Colorado River, where each image quad, on average, included 8.4 km section of the river. Tamarisk detection accuracies varied across the 49 image quads, but the combined overall accuracy across the entire study region was 74%. Using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2009 and 2013 with a region-specific ratio of >1.5 decline between the two image dates (2009NDVI/2013NDVI), we detected tamarisk defoliation due to beetle herbivory. The total beetle-impacted tamarisk area was 32 ha across the study region, where tamarisk defoliation ranged 1-86% at the local levels. Our tamarisk classification can aid long-term efforts to monitor the spread and impact of the beetle along the river and the eventual mortality of tamarisk due to beetle impacts. Identifying areas of tamarisk defoliation also enables managers to plan restoration and tamarisk removal efforts.

Design and implementation of a wildlife corridor in metropolitan Tucson

BEIER, P.1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, paul.beier@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: I describe the design and implementation of a wildlife corridor connecting the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tortolita Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. The corridor was designed to serve the needs of 20 focal species; the optimum design included three broad strands. One of the three strands—1 km wide and 8 km long and including two highway crossing structures—is being conserved by actions of the Arizona State Land Department, Pima County, the town of Oro Valley, Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, and the regional and state transportation agencies. The other two strands are being lost to urban development. I illustrate how science helped lead to a good compromise, but I emphasize the crucial importance of bureaucrats and other non-scientists. In my experience, scientists contribute little to conservation by traditional modes of (one-way) “outreach and communication” to decision-makers. Effective contribution to conservation occurs when scientists engage with managers, policy makers, and other stakeholders over the long term to identify specific decisions to be informed by science, jointly define the research questions, methods, and outputs, and co-produce scientific inferences and strategies for the appropriate use of science.

Geochemistry of groundwater discharging from springs north of the Grand Canyon, AZ, 2009–2016

BEISNER, K.1, F.D. Tillman1, J.R. Anderson2, R.C. Antweiler3, and D.J. Bills2

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1U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, kbeisner@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO 80309 USA

ABSTRACT: A geochemical study was conducted on springs discharging from the Toroweap Formation, Coconino Sandstone, Hermit Formation, Supai Group, and Redwall Limestone north of the Grand Canyon near areas of breccia-pipe uranium mining. The majority of the 37 spring sites had uranium values less than 10 µg/L, but six springs discharging from all of the geologic units above the Redwall Limestone had uranium values greater than 10 µg/L (Cottonwood in Tuckup Canyon; Grama, Pigeon, Rock, and Willow in Hack Canyon; and Snake Gulch Springs). The geochemical characteristics of these six springs with elevated uranium include Ca-Mg-SO4 water type, circumneutral pH, high specific conductance (greater than 2350 µS/cm), correlation and multivariate associations between U, Mo, Sr, Se, Li, and Zn, low 87Sr/86Sr, low 234U/238U activity ratios, detectable tritium, and carbon isotopic interpretation indicating that these springs may contain a mixture of modern and pre-modern waters. The springs with elevated uranium concentrations and the aforementioned geochemical compositions are observed at sites located both up and downgradient from sites of uranium-mining activities in the present study. Therefore, mining alone does not appear to explain the presence of elevated uranium concentrations in groundwater at these six springs. Fence and Rider Springs located on the eastern end of the study area near the Colorado River have distinctly different geochemical compositions compared to the other springs of the study. The 87Sr/86Sr data likely indicate that water discharging at Fence Spring has interacted with Precambrian basement rocks. Rider Spring had the most depleted delta values of stable isotopes δ18O and δ2H, indicating that recharge, if recent, occurred at higher elevations or was recharged during previous cooler climate conditions.

Wall decoration, weaving technologies, and site documentation at cliff dwellings in the Southern Bears Ears: results of the Cedar Mesa Building Murals Project

BELLORADO, B.A.1

1University of Arizona, School of Anthropology and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, bbellorado@email.arizona.edu

ABSTRACT: Visitors have been drawn to the majestic cliff dwellings of the Bears Ears area for decades, but surprisingly little archaeological research has focused on these sites. This situation is unfortunate, as many of these sites still contain important features and well preserved perishable materials, including wall murals and artifacts associated with cotton-textile production. In this presentation, I will discuss the preliminary results of a five-year study aimed at ameliorating this situation in the Cedar Mesa area of the southern Bears Ears National Monument. The Cedar Mesa Building Mural Project was conducted to establish baseline archaeological documentation of some of the most at-risk cliff dwellings in the area, and identify, document, and date intact but fragile structures with exposed building murals at these sites. This collaborative project combined efforts of the School of Anthropology and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona, and the Monticello Field Office of the BLM. With the help of more than 40 volunteers, cliff dwellings in the canyons and alcoves across the Cedar Mesa area were surveyed, more than 110 plaster murals at 76 sites were identified, and three styles of wall murals were recognized. Over 450 tree-ring samples were collected from the wooden roof and wall beams of 28 structures with examples of the murals. Analysis of the tree-ring data allows us to date the major construction and remodeling episodes of the buildings and establish the spatiotemporal frameworks during which each style of mural was popular across the area. Evidence of textile production also appears in the rooms and the themes of the murals, allowing us to date the spread of weaving

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technologies and mural styles in the region. Unfortunately, their enigmatic nature has also made cliff dwellings the targets for looting, vandalism, artifact collectors, and increased visitation, a problem that will also be discussed.

New biocrust research directions: exploring the devilish details

BELNAP J.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA, jayne_belnap@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: The research into the structure and function of biocrust communities has exploded in the last 10 years, opening up numerous opportunities for future studies. However, whereas there are many new directions to pursue, it is also essential that we loop back and examine assumptions we have long held concerning the role of biocrusts in dryland ecosystems. For instance, it has long been stated that biocrusts affect nutrient cycles in surrounding soils and thus the nutrition of associated vascular plants. More specifically, because most biocrust communities fix nitrogen, it has been stated that the nitrogen fixed by biocrusts are a main source of this nutrient for plants. But this link has never been conclusively demonstrated; rather, it has only been assumed to be true. In addition, there are many details to be filled in regarding the role of biocrusts in soil stability and hydrologic cycles. In this talk, I will discuss these and other places where current assumptions need verification by future research.

The Southwest Desert project: an overview

BELNAP J1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah 84532 USA, jayne_belnap@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Dryland regions face many future challenges. As these ecosystems are strongly resource-limited, they have low resilience and resistance to abiotic perturbations, meaning small environmental changes often have disproportionally large ecological effect. This sensitivity to climate change, combined with large pressure from land use changes, exposes these systems to profound and widespread impacts on plants, wildlife and humans. Accordingly, drylands globally have been identified as one of three regions most vulnerable to climate change. The SW Desert project (SWEDD) will be addressing issues in the low elevation landscapes found in UT, CO, NM, AZ, and CA. This region is replete with oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and sites for solar, wind, and geothermal energy production. In the past, many of these resources have been too expensive to exploit or develop, but increased demand and unstable international oil prices have changed the situation. Consequently, there is an urgent need for new science and technology to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of energy extraction and to rehabilitate drylands in its aftermath. In addition, severe droughts are threatening many resources in this region, as well as slowing restoration efforts. In this talk, I will provide an overview of SWEDD, its accomplishments, and future goals.

Dust from breccia pipe uranium mines in surrounding soils: solubility and mobility

BERN, C.R.1, K. Walton-Day1, and D. Naftz2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA, cbern@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Helena, MT 59601, USA

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ABSTRACT: Breccia pipe uranium (U) deposits, located in the Grand Canyon region, are estimated to contain a U endowment of 1.2 metric tons of U3O8. In addition to U, these deposits are enriched in other trace elements, including As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, V, and Zn. The environmental effects of mining these types of deposits are not well understood. Ore is sometimes stored on the surface at mine sites for years, allowing potential off-site mobilization via dust deposition. We examined potential for dust deposition to surface soils at three sites at different stages of mining (pre-, during, post-) using both spatially integrated, large-area samples (across ~5,000 to ~30,000 m2) and small-area samples (~10 m2). Ore dust was detectable in soils as elevated concentrations of U, As, Cu, Mo, and possibly Se, relative to background. We leached selected soils with water (20:1 water-solid ratio) to assess solubility and mobility of uranium and other trace elements in ore dust. Ranges of concentrations in water extracts for elements associated with ore dust were U (0.02–250 µg/L), As (0.8–110 µg/L), Cu (1.7–32 µg/L), Mo (0.35–26.6 µg/L), and Se (0.12–6.9 µg/L).Comparing the relatively concentrated soil leaches to Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards, simply as means of reference, only 3 of 36 samples for As, and 4 of 36 samples for U, were notable, relative to standards of 10 µg/L and 30 µg/L, respectively. All but one came from small-area samples, as opposed to large-area soil samples, illustrating the limited spatial extent of dust accumulation in soils surrounding mines. That limited spatial extent suggests that dust in soils is a minimal source of such elements to either shallow groundwater or surface water.

Changing landscapes in the American West and the role of anticipatory science and management

BETANCOURT, J.L.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192 USA, jlbetanc@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: In the American West, earlier and warmer growing seasons, biological invasions, and historical land use are rendering landscapes vulnerable to abrupt and synchronized disturbances, die-offs, and ecosystem transformations. Land managers increasingly face novel ecological change and outcomes, and are challenged by conflicting objectives to preserve the past (keep things the way they were) while fostering resilience for an uncertain future in anticipatory and proactive ways. Historically, management of the region’s protected areas has been assumed that ecosystems develop predictably along a single successional pathway. Confronted with novel ecosystem change, land managers now have to consider multiple stresses (climate, land use, biological invasions), as well as multiple successional pathways. Our understanding of the genesis and dynamics of novel ecosystems, however, is still in its infancy. These challenges will require rethinking the way we perceive, study, and manage land and natural resources, and for what purpose. More focused strategies will be needed to rely on triage, prioritization, regional coordination across multiple jurisdictions, constant monitoring and updating to guide highly-targeted actions, and ecological forecasts at all timescales. The scientific challenge to meet a growing list of management needs will entail how to monitor, forecast, and engineer the products of succession, on a subcontinental scale and under a changing climate. The principal objective should be to regionally desynchronize ongoing succession from recent disturbances to make ecosystems more resistant to the effects of additional warming (and drying) over the long term. A necessary step towards these larger and necessary objectives might be an interagency effort to refocus and coordinate science and resource management across key institutions and programs around the implementation of anticipatory science and management at relevant temporal and spatial scales in the American West.

Field restoration based on nursery production of native biocrusts: temporal considerations and the feasibility of nursery-grown inoculum recycling

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BETHANY, J.1, Giraldo Silva, A.1, Nelson, C.J.1, Penfold, C.1, McClintock, S.1, Barger, N.2, and Garcia-Pichel, F.1

1Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA, jabethan@asu.edu; 2University of Colorado, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO 80309 USA

ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are important mitigators of erosion and aerialized soil particles, and they perform key nutrient cycling functions in arid landscapes throughout the world and specifically in the southwestern United States. Damage and destruction to these biocrusts comes in the form of urbanization, agriculture, and livestock grazing of the land, etc. To combat increasing levels of disturbance, new forms of assisted restoration services have been developed in our labs. One such method utilizes a small amount of remnant biocrust from a disturbed area and provides optimal growth conditions in a greenhouse, or biocrust “nursery,” to produce large quantities of biocrust inoculum to be used for restoration of field sites. Nursery growth conditions provide inoculum that remain species specific for restoration location and conditioned to native environmental factors. By adding native, environmentally conditioned inoculum to field sites, reestablishment of the biocrust community can be principally sped up. While the basic methodology and early trials have been published, when inoculum biomass peaked or reached that typical of field biocrusts remained uncertain. Because small amounts of biocrust must be removed from the disturbed area, it was also important to determine whether nursery grown inoculum could be reused to seed recurrent inoculum production. For both questions, maintaining native community structure as much as possible was paramount. Biocrusts in two types of soil (sandy and silty), were collected from two sites: hot deserts from the Chihuahuan Desert in southern Texas and New Mexico and cold deserts from the Great Basin Desert in Utah. We found that achieving peak biomass was environmentally dependent and, in some cases, soil dependent. The ability to maintain native community structure in inoculum recycling was also environmentally dependent.

Terrestrial carbon balance in a drier world: the effects of water availability in the Southwest region of North America

BIEDERMAN, J.A.1, R.L. Scott, M.L. Goulden, R. Vargas, M.E. Litvak, T.E. Kolb, E.A. Yepez, W.C. Oechel, P.D. Blanken, T.W. Bell, J. Garatuza-Payan, G.E. Maurer, S. Dore, S.P. Burns, D.R. Bowling, P. Krishnan, T. P. Meyersf, W.K. Smith, J.A. Arnone III, R.L. Jasoni, M.T. Moreo, S.A. Papuga, G.E. Ponce-Campos, A.P. Schreiner-McGraw, and E.R. Vivoni

1USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southwest Watershed Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA, Joel.Biederman@ars.usda.gov

ABSTRACT: Recent global carbon cycle studies suggest that semiarid regions such as the US Southwest dominate the increasing trend in magnitude and interannual variability of the land CO2 sink. However, the regional terrestrial biosphere models (TBM) and remote sensing models (RSM) (collectively “models”) used in large-scale analyses are poorly constrained by ecosystem exchange measurements in semiarid regions. Here we address this observation gap with eddy covariance data from 28 ecosystems across the Southwest, with observed ranges in annual precipitation of 100 – 1000 mm, annual temperatures of 2 – 25 °C, and records of 3 – 10 years each (150 site-years in total). Biomes included deserts, grasslands, shrublands, savannas, woodlands, and seasonally dry forests. We found that due to hydrologic losses during the wettest summers, when intensive, convective storms are likely, evapotranspiration (ET) was a better metric than precipitation of water available to drive ecosystem CO2 exchange. We found a wide range of long-term carbon sink/source function, with annual net carbon uptake varying from -350 to +330 gC m-2 across the 28 sites, contrasting with typical carbon sink function in wetter, more-studied regions (i.e., forests). Interannual variability of net uptake was larger than for wetter regions, and half the sites pivoted between sinks in wet years to sources in dry years. We found

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region-wide precipitation anomalies (e.g., related to El Niño Southern Oscillation) drove net uptake anomalies across the Southwest demonstrating a regional response to climate oscillation. Meanwhile, CO2 exchange was suppressed in warmer years and at warmer sites, in contrast to positive temperature effects commonly reported elsewhere. Models poorly represented measured spatial variability in water and CO2 exchanges. Significantly, models captured only 20-30 % of measured interannual variability, suggesting that the impact of semiarid regions on the variability of global CO2 may be up to 3 – 5 times larger than current estimates.

Effectiveness of restoring resiliency in frequent fire forests with climate adaption

BIENZ, C.1

1The Nature Conservancy, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 USA, cbienz@tnc.org

ABSTRACT: We tested the effectiveness of four fuels reduction treatments: harvest, harvest and prescribed fire, and harvest and repeat prescribed fire, and fire only in a frequent fire pine forest stand type in south central Oregon. Fuels were treated in 2005, with one prescribed fire in 2006 and a second in 2013. Harvest in 2015 and 2016 had prescriptions based on effectiveness monitoring the previous two years, and incorporated climate adjustments. Health and vigor assessments were conducted in 2014 through 2017, where 2014 and 2015 were extreme drought years. Whole tree and canopy attributes measured from the ground can be used to assess the level of tree drought stress and health in the current year. We found that: (1) fuels reduction treatments, not followed by prescribed fire, had a greater proportion of trees in poor health than unmanaged stands; (2) harvest followed by prescribed fire eliminated all poor health trees; (3) harvest followed by two prescribed fires at 7 year intervals resulted in 75% of the population in an above-average status; and (4) trees in upland sites had greater whole tree and canopy vigor and health during severe drought than trees in lowland sites acclimated to a high water table. Forest resiliency prescriptions based on data from climate analog reference sites provides an empirical basis for integrating climate adaptation with ecosystem restoration and can provide ecologically based targets for resilience, response, or realignment adaptation strategies.

Managing aspen under variable and changing disturbance regimes in the Southwest U.S.

BIGGS, J.R.1

1New Mexico Highlands University, Department of Natural Resource Management, Forestry Program, Las Vegas, NM 87701 USA, jrbiggs@nmhu.edu

ABSTRACT: The effects of natural disturbance regimes on aspen plant community structure, composition, and persistence can vary considerably in regions susceptible to frequent drought such as the Southwest U.S. Ungulate browsing and wildfire are two such disturbance regimes that can have potentially significant effects on aspen regeneration and long-term viability in the Southwest. Fire is a both a key disturbance regime in Southwest montane ecosystems and a potential management tool that can lead to extensive aspen regeneration in sites that currently experience encroachment and overgrowth of conifer species. As a management tool, fire can be used to assist in regenerating aspen stands that are suppressed from conifer overgrowth if treatment size criteria are available that can help “swamp” the effects of ungulate herbivory. Additionally, fire could help offset use of aspen via the production of other early successional preferred forage species. Regardless if natural or prescribed fire occurs, regeneration of aspen can be significantly retarded by ungulate overbrowsing as ungulates may increase use of these communities during early growth stages. Although the effects of ungulate

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herbivory are of concern in regenerating aspen forests, few studies have assessed browsing effects following wildfire and few criteria exist for determining potential effects of ungulate browsing on aspen forests following wildfire. We report thresholds of approximately 35% twig browsing levels following a large wildfire in northcentral New Mexico with potentially decreasing use of aspen and other woody species as increased use of graminoids took place. We also report increased use of burned areas by large ungulates where fire took place within their existing home range. Recognizing ungulate browsing thresholds between viable and declining aspen stands following natural disturbances as well as identifying minimum fire size to maximize aspen stand regeneration are critical to ensuring long-term persistence of this biologically important plant community.

Documenting rock art in three borderland national parks: Carlsbad Caverns, NM, Guadalupe Mountains, TX, and Big Bend, TX

BILLO, E.1 and R. MARK1

1Rupestrian CyberServices, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 USA, rockart@infomagic.net

ABSTRACT: Museum of Northern Arizona Research Associates Robert Mark and Evelyn Billo have conducted detailed baseline photographic documentation of rock art at three national parks in the southwestern borderlands region since 2015. Ten rock art sites considered endangered by the National Park Service were recorded using iPads for mug board and field data entry with interactive acrobat files. Nikon 5500 DSWLR cameras were used to create gigapixel panoramas (‘gigapans’) and 3D-models. A brief overview of the rock art styles, techniques, and motifs provide a comparative database to other regional traditions, with a particular focus on the Ancestral Puebloan rock art of the Colorado Plateau.

The Aspen Next Generation (ANG) project

BINKLEY, D.1, W. Romme2, and C. Taggart3

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, dan.binkley@alumni.ubc.ca; 2Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA; 3Trinchera-Blanca, Tercio, & Sheep Camp Ranches, Fort Garland, CO 81133 USA

ABSTRACT: Aspen trees and forests are especially important in the Rocky Mountains. Aspens add beauty to landscapes, foster high diversity and productivity of understory plants, provide for the habitat needs of many species of animals, and moderate fire behavior. There is a perception that aspen trees and stands are not regenerating well in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico; cohorts of trees younger than a few decades are scarce, at least in some areas. The future of aspen forests in the southern Rockies will be influenced by land use decisions, including harvesting, fire policy and management, and browsing by livestock and wildlife. The Aspen Next Generation (ANG) Project is being developed with the Western Landowners Alliance to foster the future of aspen by pulling together insights from land owners, agency personnel, and scientists across southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. This first stage will be a compilation of insights and concerns about the condition of aspen regeneration from a broad range of people throughout the region. These insights will provide a foundation for a workshop to identify what is known, and what are key areas of uncertainty. The workshop will identify areas where more evidence might be needed, and begin to develop a strategy for actions that will shape the future of aspen at a regional scale.

Variation in canopy architecture and leaf economic traits in a dominant riparian tree species (Populus fremontii) along its thermal distribution

BLASINI, D.E.1,2, D.F. Koepke1, K.C. Grady3, K.R. Hultine1

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1Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Phoenix, AZ 85008 USA, dblasini@asu.edu; 2 Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Desert riparian ecosystems and the foundation tree species they support, including Populus fremontii are valued because they host an exceptional biological diversity and enhanced watershed protection. However, projected climate change threatens the fitness and foundational capacity of this species and consequently the ecosystem structure and function it supports. Thus, the primary questions we are addressing include (1) are P. fremontii populations adapted to local temperature regimes? and (2) if so, will climate change result in populations that will become locally maladapted in the coming decades? To answer these questions, an experimental common garden was constructed using genotypes of 16 Populus fremontii populations sourced across this species thermal distribution. The experimental garden was placed at the approximate mid-point in P. fremontii’s thermal distribution. Temporal changes in radial growth and canopy architecture were measured with a broad suite of leaf functional and structural traits. We observed a high degree of variability among populations in trunk basal diameter and growth rate. Simultaneously, we observed negative relationships between provenance elevation and specific leaf area (SLA), and stomatal density, indicating that high elevation genotypes have a greater investment in leaf biomass with reduced maximum stomatal conductance and carbon gain per leaf tissue investment. Alternatively, a higher SLA coupled with a higher stomatal density suggests a suite of leaf traits associated with rapid utilization of resources. Canopy volume normalized for differences in trunk diameter was positively related to elevation, suggesting that low elevation trees, from warmer climates, had a denser canopy and consequently, potentially a higher canopy boundary layer resistance. These results indicate that P. fremontii possess a set of intraspecific traits adapted to different climate conditions. By identifying these different traits and their correlation with local conditions, we will be able to predict how climate change will affect this species across its geographic distribution.

Tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda spp.) spread and distribution across the Colorado River Basin

BLOODWORTH, B.1

1Tamarisk Coalition, bbloodworth@tamariskcoalition.org

ABSTRACT: Presentation will focus on the 2017 distribution of tamarisk beetles within the Colorado River Basin (CRB), with a focus on newly populated areas on the lower Colorado River and within the Gila River Basin. Talk will also discuss the Diorhabda species present within the CRB and how this could affect future spread within southern Arizona. Talk will conclude by postulating on widespread and long-term impacts the new beetle distribution may have on the ecosystem as a whole.

Climate change adaptation: Implementation of traditional ecological knowledge in natural resource in the indigenous community of Cochiti Pueblo

BLUE-SKY, K.L.V.1

1Cochiti Pueblo, Department of Natural Resources & Conservation, Cochiti Pueblo, NM USA, blue-sky@pueblodecochiti.org

ABSTRACT: Traditional ecological knowledge is understood as evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous and local peoples over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment. The incorporation of indigenous philosophical world view is paramount to understanding the perspective of communities and their relationship to the environment. Knowledge shared by

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community members relative to the environment reflects the lessons learned through time and are passed down through a cultural calendar. This formulates the gifts of knowledge as they relate to land, language, way of life, laws and customs, governance, family, and community. These gifted ideas on life are further validated throughout cyclic ceremonial calendar and reaffirm the core values of love, respect, compassion, faith, spirituality, balance, peace, and empathy. Cochiti Pueblo Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) has been tasked with numerous duties relative to environmental impacts and impositions from outside entities such as water rights, watershed management, water allocation and water contamination. Wildfires have had major impacts to Cochiti Pueblo through flooding, sediment load, and contamination from up-river communities. Development of Cochiti Pueblo DNRC has focused on hazardous fuels reduction to reduce the possibilities of catastrophic wildfires in the Cochiti area. HFR program activities have been instrumental in developing the capabilities of DNRC through empowering of staff through training and their attainment of skills necessary to make aspirations a reality. Cross training with a multitude of governmental and non-governmental agencies has afforded working relationships to foster mutual agreements for projects that have common goals and aspirations relative to landscape and watershed management. Wildlife have been instrumental to addressing landscape and watershed management as jurisdictional boundaries are explored for cooperation and mutual aspirations. Reintroduction efforts of culturally significant wildlife species has been instrumental to developing management concepts and exploring the philosophy of traditional ecological knowledge, while intricately entwining deductive logic and reasoning of western science.

Enduring a decade of drought: Patterns and drivers of vegetation change in a semi-arid grassland

BODNER, G.S.1 and M.D. Robles1

1The Nature Conservancy, Center for Science and Public Policy, Tucson, AZ, 85719 USA, gbodner@tnc.org

ABSTRACT: This study evaluated patterns and drivers of vegetation change in a semi-arid grassland in southern Arizona across eleven years of extended drought and high temperatures, 2004-2014. Changes included declines in C4 perennial grass basal cover with patchy grass mortality, leaf litter increases, shrub declines, and increases in non-native grass Eragrostis lehmanniana. Linear mixed-effects models identified precipitation during January-June “extended spring” as the best predictor of grass basal cover, especially when plots were grouped by soil and topographic features. Models showed that a decrease in extended spring precipitation from 150 to 50 mm was associated with loss of one-quarter to one-half of plots' total grass cover. Association of grass declines with this novel season of drought is especially relevant because global circulation models predict steep declines in spring rainfall. Increasing E. lehmanniana dominance was also associated with native grass declines. There was little support over this time for predicted effects of livestock grazing or shrub encroachment. This study demonstrated how monitoring data from working landscapes can improve ecological understanding of drought. Findings also suggest managers could improve chances for sustaining resilience by responding to rainfall in multiple seasons, monitoring for mortality events, and establishing contingency plans for various types of drought.

Aspen management lessons and needs on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in northern AZ

BOEHNING, M.1

1U.S. Forest Service, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Springerville, AZ 85938 USA, mboehning@fs.fed.us

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ABSTRACT: From 1987 to 2011, younger age classes were deficit on many of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ aspen acres. Major causes are believed to be fire-exclusion, advanced conifer succession, and abundant wild ungulate browsing/tooth-barking. Most aspen management focused on vegetative regeneration using stand-size cuts removing all aspen and all conifers, usually followed by ungulate-exclusion fencing. This treatment has good initial results, but success depends more on long-term funding and ability to maintain tall fencing. Effects of other management actions on aspen health and regeneration have been empirically observed, recorded, and/or photographed, including: removal of all conifers only, wildlife/livestock drinker proximity to aspen, conifer thinning and prescribed fire within a designated wildlife quiet area closed to public vehicle travel, and Mexican wolf reintroduction starting 1998. Where livestock have not grazed for several years, wild ungulate (primarily elk) aspen browsing has continued. Prescribed fire following logging across an unfenced area resulted in loss of the aspen clone there. Impacts appear to be higher where these animals are encouraged to stay close to aspen and/or are less exposed to regular disturbances. Published research indicates that a wolf-elk-aspen “trophic cascade” has not yet developed. Within a 2007 wildfire, aspen suckering occurred from a pre-burn healthy aspen clone, but no suckers resulted from another clone that suffered aspen decline pre-burn. Wildfires in 2003-04 produced good aspen regeneration, but the 2011 Wallow wildfire re-burned across the same areas resulting in loss of that regeneration with other woody/plant species now dominating. Elsewhere post-Wallow aspen regeneration is plentiful, apparently receiving less ungulate pressure due to the vast acreages involved. Aspen management and monitoring is emphasized as an ecological indicator species in the 2015-revised Forest Land Management Plan, with data collection efforts to verify if such observations are accurate. The opportunity for a permanent aspen Research Natural Area is also introduced.

Best practices for managing genetic resources in the face of climate change

BOTHWELL, H.M.1, G.J. Allan1, and T.G. Whitham1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Genetics & Genomics Facility, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Helen.Bothwell@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Climate change is a major driver of ecological and evolutionary change, requiring species to adapt, migrate, or go locally extinct in response to warming and drying environments. As individual species, communities, and ecosystems shift across the landscape, managers are faced with the challenge of developing strategies to conserve these moving targets. Here we address pros and cons from both sides of the assisted migration debate and suggest 'best practices' guidelines for managing genetic resources under global change. Considering a variety of scenarios (e.g., panmictic populations, geographic barriers, rare endemics), we demonstrate how an integrated, three-pronged approach incorporating (1) population genetic structure, (2) landscape genetic connectivity, and (3) functional diversity can be utilized to support key management decisions. For example, when is assisted migration versus place-based conservation appropriate? How local is local when selecting 'locally adapted' restoration stock? As our regional climate changes, populations that are locally adapted may become locally maladapted. How do we ensure that restoration projects will be successful both today and into the future? We present emerging landscape genetic tools that can be utilized to help answer these questions, demonstrating their application with case studies from riparian cottonwood throughout the Southwest. When properly applied, assisted migration can be a powerful strategy for supporting species resiliency in the face of climate change by conserving the underlying processes (e.g., gene flow) that maintain evolutionary potential (i.e., genetic variability that natural selection can act upon). The landscape genetic approach we present here provides land managers with safe and ethical guidelines for utilizing assisted migration to support conservation of genetic resources under global change.

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Complementarity and facilitation can promote production in biocrusts

BOWKER, M.A.1, A.J. Antoninka1, R. Durham2

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ USA, Matthew.Bowker@nau.edu; 2MPG Ranch, Missoula, MT USA

ABSTRACT: Community ecology theory has largely been based on the study of vascular plants. Dryland ecoregions frequently have the potential to support biological soil crusts (biocrusts – a soil surface community of cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens, and other organisms), which present an underutilized alternative model system for the investigation of community ecology. Ecological theory would predict: 1. Communities with greater diversity are more likely to be more productive, 2. Facilitative interactions among community members is likely to enhance community productivity. In multiple greenhouse experiments, we attempted to grow a total of 6 moss species and 8 lichen species alone and in various combinations to test these predictions. We monitored percentage cover of all species, and their summed cover as an index of total productivity, through time. We were able to grow all moss species to some extent, but all lichens but one failed to grow. In one experiment, we found that two related moss species discouraged one another’s growth, relative to monocultures of the species. However, the addition of a third species, a lichen with a fundamentally different set of traits including N-fixation, produced the greatest growth rates of all three species. These findings suggest either that intentional maximization of trait diversity (indirectly inducible by increasing species richness) will increase productivity, or that certain taxa may act as universal facilitators. Another experiment grew 5 moss species in all possible 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 species combinations and produced very different results. We found that species richness of the sample was a weak positive predictor of total biomass produced. However, the most influential factor was the presence of the two best growing species. We conclude with a set of working hypotheses: (1) diversity may generally have a positive relationship with productivity in biocrusts; (2) both competitive and facilitative interactions occur in biocrusts; (3) competitive interactions may be more likely when species share traits or are more closely related (less trait diversity in community), whereas facilitative interactions may be more likely in less related species with contrasting traits (more trait diversity in community); and (4) diversity is more likely to enhance productivity when community members possess complementary traits that facilitate other species.

Anticipatory natural resource management for a dynamic future

BRADFORD, J.1,3, J.L. Betancourt2, B.J. Butterfield3, S.M. Munson1,3, T.E. Wood1,3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, jbradford@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Water Mission Area, Reston, VA USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA

ABSTRACT: Directional trajectories, including changes in the mean and the variance of many climatic variables and the associated ecological responses, represent a fundamental challenge for natural resource managers. Advances in climatic predictability could offer novel pathways to some remedies, but are not yet being anticipated and linked systematically to planning and decisions in land and resource management. Anticipating multi-decadal climate trajectories can help managers identify species and communities likely to remain viable throughout the 21st century. Likewise, short to near-term forecasts can help managers mitigate land degradation with anticipated unfavorable conditions, or capitalize on both estimated and forecasted probabilities for favorable (unfavorable) conditions that maximize (minimize) treatment success (failure) to facilitate desired ecological conditions. Such “anticipatory management” could significantly bolster current natural resource planning and management, but demands development and implementation of user-friendly and spatially-explicit

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decision-support tools that can enable coordinated management that anticipates climate dynamics at regional scales.

The Rio Grande Water Fund: a collaborative partnership to restore healthy forests, ensure water security for farms, industry, and communities and address the climate change impacts in the upper Rio Grande watershed

BRADLEY, A.1 and D.F. Gori1

1The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM 87501 USA, abradley@tnc.org

ABSTRACT: In 2011, the Las Conchas Fire burned 158,000 acres, 54% of this at high to moderate severity. When rain began falling in burned watersheds, post-fire flooding, sedimentation, debris flows, and poor water quality impacted downstream communities. In response to these ongoing threats to water security, a diverse set of stakeholders came together to form the Rio Grande Water Fund (RGWF). The Fund is a payment for ecosystems services project whose goal is to restore resiliency to 600,000 acres of forest in the next 20 years. We discuss the RGWF in the context of climate-driven trends in wildfire size and severity and the outcomes of four landscape-scale climate adaptation planning workshops organized by the Southwest Climate Change Initiative in 2009-2010. The Water Fund currently has 57 diverse signatories to its charter and has implemented a monitoring-adaptive management framework to ensure that Water Fund investments are having their anticipated ecological, economic and social impacts. By 2016, the Water Fund had quadrupled the number of forest acres restored in the watershed (12,000 acres/yr), introduced over 500 students and adults to the relationship between forest health and water supply, doubled the number of jobs at two lumber mills, and sustained the 68 forest industry jobs created in 2015. This year, the RGWF will receive multi-year funding from Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and Middle Rio Grande Conservancy to treat source watersheds in the Navajo and Blanco basins. The Fund is also catalyzing collaborative restoration planning in three focal landscapes, applying new tools to assess fire risk and community values at risk and identify treatment priorities. We end by discussing some of the challenges and lessons learned from the project, as well as the continuing role that science plays in support of the RGWF’s efforts to implement climate-resilient actions.

Tree mortality and forest die-off: triggers and consequences of ecological drought

BRESHEARS, D.D.1 H.D. Adams2, G.A. Barron-Gafford3, J.B. Bradford4, N.S. Cobb5, E.S. Garcia6, J.P. Field1, J.B. Fontaine7, G.E.St.J. Hardy7, D.J. Law1, M. Ng1,8, A. Martínez Yrízar9, K.X. Ruthrof7, and A.L.S. Swann10

1University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, daveb@email.arizona.edu; 2Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Stillwater, OK 74078 USA; 3University of Arizona, School of Geography and Development, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA; 4U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 5Northern Arizona University, Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 6Seattle Public Utilities, 98124, Seattle, WA USA; 7Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Western Australia 6150, Australia; 8Hampshire College, School of Natural Science, Amherst, MA 01002 USA; 9Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ecología, Hermosillo, Sonora 1354, Mexico; 10University of Washington, Department of Atmospheric Sciences and Department of Biology, Seattle, WA USA

ABSTRACT: Broad-scale tree mortality events driven by drought and heat, as well as associated pests and pathogens, have emerged as a key ecological vulnerability driven by climate change. More

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specifically, hydrological drought resulting from precipitation deficit and atmospheric drought due to increased temperatures and associated greater atmospheric demand, are working together to establish increasingly potent conditions of ecological drought. We highlight here a progression of ecological drought considerations from hydrological drought, to effects of atmospheric drought accounting for warming temperatures and associated increases in atmospheric demand to the compounding effects of heat waves that can accompany warmer droughts. We highlight three aspects of this progression. First, experimental results reveal how increases in temperature and associated atmospheric demand can trigger tree mortality under less extreme hydrological conditions and also continue to hasten mortality as temperature progressively increases. Second, observations indicate heat waves have strong potential to trigger mortality events in trees and similar demographic shifts in other biota, and related experiments are needed to further assess these effects. Third, recent tree mortality have approached regional scale, so we highlight how the effects of tree loss in one location could potentially alter atmospheric circulation patterns and thereby ultimately effect vegetation in another location. Collectively these examples highlight the increasing important of ecological drought in restructuring the land surface from local to global scales.

Sediment core analysis at Staley Spring, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah

BRIEM, C.1

1University of Utah, School of Social and Behavioral Science, Geography Department, cedartrees28@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: This project includes analysis of a ~14,000 year old sediment core obtained from Staley Spring on Dugway Proving Ground in the West Desert, Utah. The focus of the study is on reconstructing paleoenvironments in the Bonneville Basin and to provide a better understanding of the biological and geomorphological changes in this area during the Latest Pleistocene and Holocene. Magnetic susceptibility, loss and ignition, and charcoal are the primary methods used as indicators of climate and disturbance. Magnetic susceptibility identifies iron-bearing sediments and can be indicative of depositional events. Loss on ignition shows percentages of carbonate and organics pertaining to wetland environments. Charcoal analysis provides a regional fire record. All of these analyses can be looked at cumulatively to identify past trends in climate and disturbance. Staley Spring is important because it is a localized water source in the Bonneville Basin, which is an extremely arid environment. There is interest in this region of Utah with regard to its archaeological significance and because the project pertains to time periods when humans were occupying the area. The research for this project is part of a larger study working with other paleoecologists and archaeologists that will provide insight to the paleoenvironmental conditions and climate change in this region.

Long-term environmental variability in wetland ecosystems of the desert Southwest

BRUNELLE, A.1 and T. Minckley2

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, andrea.brunelle@geog.utah.edu; 2University of Wyoming, Department of Geography, Laramie, WY USA

ABSTRACT: Substantial landscape change has occurred in the western United States in the last 200 years as a result of human activity and climate change, including the ecosystems of the desert Southwest. This study presents the results of paleoenvironmental reconstructions from desert wetlands (ciénegas) in the borderlands region of northern Sonora, Mexico, southern Arizona and New Mexico for the last 8000 years to present, with an emphasis on changes since the arrival of Euro-Americans. These

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reconstructions examine changes in fire, erosion, vegetation, woody plant encroachment, and saturation of the soils. Hypothesized controls on the changes include long-term and recent climate change including ENSO and the monsoon, resulting changes in groundwater hydrology, changes in fire regime, changes in CO2 concentrations, and fire suppression. The paleoecological data are being used by land management agencies, private land owners, and non-profits for restoration of these critical desert habitats.

Condition of natural resources in small- to medium-sized national park units: an assessment synthesis for the southwestern and south-central U.S.

BRUNSON, M.W.1, L. Baril, K. Struthers1, and P. Valentine-Darby1

1Utah State University1, Department of Environment and Society, Logan, UT 84322-5215 USA, Mark.Brunson@usu.edu

ABSTRACT: Natural Resource Condition Assessments (NRCAs) provide National Park Service (NPS) managers with an evaluation of current conditions for a selected set of resources and resource indicators in their park units. Resources chosen for analysis depend on a park’s setting, specific management challenges, and availability of data and expertise to assess conditions. Managers can use results to identify critical data gaps, develop conservation strategies and priorities, develop new research proposals or solicitations for funding, and inform reports of performance/accountability measures. Since 2012 we have conducted NRCAs for 19 NPS units in 8 states including parks in the Colorado Plateau, Sonoran Desert, and southern Great Plains. The parks included one national park (Saguaro) and various national monuments, national battlefields, national historic sites, and national recreation areas. A combined total of 223 resource topics have been assessed. For each assessment we examined park-supplied data and reports as well as peer-reviewed literature to identify current conditions and (where possible) trends, then compared current conditions to reference conditions derived from scientific literature and professional expertise. Each resource was then assigned a condition of Good, Moderate Concern, Significant Concern, or, if data were insufficient, Undetermined. By synthesizing results from these assessments we can offer a snapshot of the condition of NPS units across the region. Overall, 31% of resources were found to be in Good condition, 37% Moderate Concern, 16% Significant Concern, and 16% Undetermined. The resources most likely to be in Good condition were bird communities (82.4%) and viewsheds (66.7%). The resource issues of greatest concern were invasive non-native plants (53.3% Significant Concern; 33.3% Moderate Concern) and air quality (26.3% Significant Concern; 73.7% Moderate Concern). Every park assessed had at least one resource in Good condition, and all but three had at least one resource of Significant Concern.

Managing for visitors at natural and cultural monuments in the desert Southwest: preliminary findings from a visitor study

BUDRUK, M.1 and M. Sampson1

1Phoenix State University, School of Community Resources and Development, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA, Megha.Budruk@asu.edu

ABSTRACT: The Flagstaff Area National Monuments consist of Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments. Managed by the National Park Service, these monuments protect ancient archeological and natural sites, including several pueblos that spread over 3,000 acres of high desert. This study reports on an on-going visitor study conducted during the summer of 2017 at the monuments. Sampling was designed to represent a random sample of summer visitors to the monuments. Using an onsite, digitized exit survey, visitors were asked about their experiences including

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motivations for visiting, perceptions of crowding, connections to the monuments, authenticity of experiences during their visit, and intention to return to the monuments. Findings provide monument managers an understanding of who their visitors are, why they are visiting, and the kind of experiences visitors have at the monument. Such findings will allow managers to better plan for and manage visitors while also protecting the natural and cultural resources that form the monuments.

Understanding spatiotemporal relationships between plant production and water balance across dominant communities and deserts of the southwestern U.S.

BUNTING, E.1,2, S. Munson2, J. Bradford2

1Michigan State University, Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, ebunting@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: Climate variability and change acting at broad scales can lead to divergent changes in plant production at local scales due to plant, physical, and biogeochemical characteristics of a site. To improve our understanding of the heterogeneity in plant production responses to climate, we compared how the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI; a proxy for production), derived from Landsat imagery, responded to seasonal climate across plant communities and deserts in the southwestern U.S. from 1988 to 2014. We also compared “climate pivot points”, indicators of plant drought resistance. Consistent with a seasonal climate gradient, production was most related to climate variance during the cool-season (October – March) in the Great Basin, Sonoran, and Mojave Deserts, during the warm-season (July – September) in the Chihuahuan Desert, and equally related to both seasons in the Colorado Plateau. Communities dominated by grasses and deciduous trees displayed large production responses to an increase in wetness and low resistances to water deficit, while shrublands and evergreen woodlands had variable responses and high drought resistances. Communities that spanned multiple deserts responded differently to seasonal climate variability in each desert. For example, the production of creosote bush shrublands was more responsive to warm-season wetness and less resistant to water shortages in the Chihauahuan compared to the Sonoran or Mojave Deserts. Response of a community within a desert also varied; for instance, grassland responsiveness to warm-season precipitation increased from north to south on the Colorado Plateau. These divergent sensitivities to climate have large implications for carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and the future vulnerability of ecosystems in the southwestern U.S.

Behind the Bears Ears: climate, environment, and human occupation in the early Pueblo era on Elk Ridge, southeast UT

BURRILLO, R.E.1

1SWCA Environmental Consultants, Inc., rburrillo@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The Pueblo I period was a time of tumultuous change throughout the Four Corners region. Long regarded as an era of gradual transition, it is now recognized by most authors as a discrete and decisive turning point in North American prehistory. While this topic has been studied extensively in the central Mesa Verde area of southwestern Colorado, very little formal research has occurred for the early Pueblo era in southeast Utah. The high uplands area of Elk Ridge contains probably the greatest concentration of Pueblo I sites in this region. Cultural resource inventories on Elk Ridge itself, and an extensive published literature on nearby landforms like Cedar Mesa, comprise a useful dataset for investigating the early Pueblo archaeology of southeast Utah. This paper presents a synthetic analysis of Pueblo I settlement patterning in the Elk Ridge area in terms of climatic and environmental factors.

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Genetic variation in Gunnison’s prairie dog after 80 years of plague on the Colorado Plateau

BUSCH, J.D.1, K.J. Califf1, N.E. Stone1, L.C. Sidak-Loftis1, L.C. Sackett1, and D.M. Wagner1

1Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Joseph.Busch@nau.edu; 2University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 USA

ABSTRACT: Plague (Yersinia pestis) was first reported in Arizona in 1932 and since then has caused significant reductions in Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) in the Four Corners region. All prairie dog species are considered to be highly susceptible to Yersinia pestis, with ≥90% mortality estimated during plague epizootics. Given the severe declines in C. gunnisoni populations owing to plague and other factors (e.g., poisoning and habitat reduction), we expect that genetic diversity should be higher in populations sampled before 1930 compared to modern samples. We addressed this hypothesis with a genetic comparison of museum samples collected before 1930 (n=60) and contemporary samples (n=480). We sequenced a short segment of an immune system gene (MHC-DRB1) that may play a role in plague survival. We found four major allelic lineages of DRB1 present in both historic and contemporary samples, suggesting that the overall diversity of this gene has been maintained despite heavy population declines. However, some alleles from these major lineages appear to have been lost. We also compared the level of modern genetic structure in the DRB1 locus versus 16 neutral microsatellite markers, and found that DRB1 in contemporary samples was significantly less structured across the range of C. gunnisoni (FST = 0.14 for DRB1 and 0.23 for microsatellites). These findings suggest that selection pressure from plague (or another disease) has acted on the MHC-DRB1 gene and is consistent with the possibility that this locus contributes to plague survival. Selection might also explain why allelic diversity has been maintained at this locus despite rangewide population declines in C. gunnisoni.

Grass transfer functions for restoration in a changing climate

BUTTERFIELD, B.J.1,2 and C.M. Roybal1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA, Bradley.Butterfield@nau.edu; 2 Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Seed transfer zones are increasingly being used to guide application of native plant materials in restoration efforts. Species-specific transfer zones have been developed from intensive common garden experiments and patterns of neutral genetic variation, while more recently, generalized transfer zones have been developed based solely on climate space. We present an alternative, high-throughput approach that seeks to blend species-specific patterns with more generalized patterns of local adaptation. We grew 10 populations each of 8 perennial grass species commonly used in restoration on the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin, and identified (1) the extent to which leaf, root and whole plant functional traits exhibited broad sense heritability (i.e., local adaptation), and (2) how heritable trait variation covaried with source climate. We then used these data to construct species-specific seed transfer zones and test how they deviated from more general models. The general models performed poorly, but the species-specific deviations were predictable based on variation in functional traits within and among species. We also assessed how these transfer zones influence the ability to “prestore”, i.e., the ability of specific seed sources to establish now and persist into the future. Incorporation of local adaptation into these models resulted in narrower windows of opportunity for prestoration, but can greatly improve initial establishment success by more accurately matching seed to site. Our results indicate the potential for high-throughput, trait-based analysis of native plant populations to provide

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the right balance between species-specific and generalized patterns of local adaptation. We conclude by discussing the development and expansion of functional trait-based research facilitated by the Colorado Plateau Native Plants Program and opportunities for researchers to collaborate on this synthetic project.

Uranium exposure in spring outflows within Grand Canyon National Park

CAIN, D.1, M.-N. Croteau1, C. Fuller1, D. Barasch1, K. Beisner2, and E. Schenk3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, 94025 USA, djcain@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, 3National Park Service, Grand Canyon, AZ

ABSTRACT: Field studies are being conducted to provide a perspective of U exposures in natural surface waters in the Grand Canyon region to support U.S. Geological Survey research on the ecological risks of uranium (U) mining, and to inform modeling of U bioaccumulation. Site selection is guided by existing water chemistry data from springs issuing from shallow groundwater and spring outflow streams. The study was initiated in 2016 with sampling of 7 sites situated along the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park which exhibited a range in dissolved U concentrations. Water chemistry, U (and other associated trace elements) in sediment (from active channels and pools), periphyton, and invertebrates (larval aquatic insects) were collected. Among sites, U concentration ranged from 2 to 31 µg/L in filtered water, from 2.1 to 9.1 mg/kg in sediment, and from 0.4 to 4.4 mg/kg in periphyton. Sixteen aquatic insect taxa were collected and all bioaccumulated U. Although no taxon was collected at all sites, Limnephilus sp. was sampled at most sites and used to examine relationships between its U body burden and U in the other media. Site rankings based on U concentration were generally consistent among sample types. U concentrations in Limnephilus correlated most strongly with sediment, which may reflect indiscriminate ingestion of sediment associated with the insect’s food sources. Aqueous U and U in Limnephilus were not correlated. Chemical speciation modeling showed that these waters were dominated by uranium carbonate complexes that experimental studies indicate are not bioavailable. To summarize, aqueous U concentrations were relatively indicative of site-specific exposures, but were not highly predictive of U bioaccumulation, which may reflect the influence of water chemistry on U bioavailability. Additional data are being collected from these and other springs to further characterize U exposure and to better understand geochemical and biological variables affecting U bioaccumulation.

Populus tremuloides and Drepanopeziza: patterns, phytochemistry, and phenology

CALL, A.C.1 and S.B. St. Clair1

1Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Provo, UT 84602 USA, anson.call@byu.edu

ABSTRACT: Pathogen/host relationships in wild plant communities are influenced by many biotic and abiotic factors, making them difficult to study in the field. Climate change could further complicate matters by altering host susceptibility, pathogen virulence, or shifting the phenology of either actor. Studies of outbreaks enabled by unusual weather conditions could provide insight into how these interactions might behave in future climate regimes. However, documented studies of this type are rare. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is a keystone species of montane ecosystems in the Southwest. In recent decades, region-wide aspen decline has sparked conservation concerns. One key to successful management is understanding the relationship between aspen and its pathogens, especially in the context of climate change. In 2015, an unusually warm, wet spring enabled a widespread outbreak of the fungal pathogen Drepanopeziza. Because of aspen’s clonal nature, trees growing in the same stand are often genetically identical (these stands are called clones) - and equally susceptible to

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Drepanopeziza. Surprisingly, some clones completely avoided infection, while nearby clones were badly infected. We used this unique opportunity to conduct an observational study using pairs of adjacent healthy and diseased clones. Our primary objectives were to quantify the effects of the disease on aspen vigor, and to search for clues in foliar defense chemistry and phenology that could explain why some clones were apparently resistant to the disease. Our results show interesting associations between chemistry, phenology, and immunity. Susceptibility was likely determined by a combination of weakly defended leaves and unusual rainfall that coincided with early budbreak in the spring of 2015. Climatologists predict that the weather patterns we observed in 2015 may become more common in the future; this could alter the dynamics of this pathogen-host relationship and increase biotic stress on aspen, which is already declining in large portions of the Southwest.

Novel seed treatments to reduce the risk of sagebrush post-fire seeding failure

CALL, R.S.1 and M.D. Madsen1

1Brigham Young University, College of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. Provo, UT 84602 USA, ryan.s.call14@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The sagebrush steppe is undergoing rapid ecological change and the loss of sagebrush rangelands contributes to more than 350 species of animals and plants being listed as species of conservation concern, as well as, a decrease in recreational activities, reduced forage production, degraded water resources and an increase in fire frequency. In the sagebrush steppe, success rates for seeding are notoriously low. Current seed strategies do not address the potential limiting factors inhibiting the progression from seed to mature plant. Isolating and understanding these variables will allow us to focus on enhancement strategies designed to specifically target the issue. We propose the idea to find and address these limiting agents through seed enhancement technologies. Seed enhancement technologies allow for the physical manipulation and application of materials to the seed that can influence germination, emergence, and/or early seedling growth. Seed enhancement strategies with sagebrush present a difficulty amongst themselves due to the small size of sagebrush seeds. We proposed the idea of agglomerating sagebrush seeds to improve their delivery through standard seeding equipment and for applying different seed enhancement strategies. We will present on strategies for controlling seed germination timing using plant regulatory growth hormones. The potential outcomes of these strategies can have significant impact on future seeding attempts by increasing overall success rates, which in turn can reduce overall costs.

Complexation with dissolved organic matter affects aqueous uranium speciation and adsorption

CAMPBELL, K.1, C. Fuller2, J. Schaper3, M.-N. Croteau2, and D. Repert1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO USA, kcampbell@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA USA; 3University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, and Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany

ABSTRACT: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in controlling metal mobility in surface and ground water due to metal-organic matter aqueous complexation, competitive adsorption on mineral surfaces, and participation in abiotic and biotic redox reactions. Uranium interactions with DOM remains relatively unknown, even though it is clear that U-DOM binding affects mobility of U in natural waters. We investigated the nature of U(VI) and U(IV) binding to a variety of hydrophobic organic acid (HPOA) isolates of DOM from aquatic sources with a range of chemical composition and specific UV absorbance (SUVA) to understand how U-DOM complexation affects aqueous

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concentrations, speciation, and adsorption onto amorphous iron oxide. Uranyl binding to DOM was quantified using conditional equilibrium constants derived from a modified equilibrium dialysis ligand exchange method. The effects of pH, organic aromaticity (as SUVA), and inorganic carbon were evaluated. The effect of calcium was investigated using Ca stable isotopes. Using conditional constants derived from experiments, geochemical aqueous speciation was calculated using PHREEQC, demonstrating that U(VI)-DOM interactions are strong and can dominate U aqueous speciation in conditions relevant to DOM-rich natural waters. Enhanced dissolution and mobilization of dissolved U was observed when various DOM isolates were equilibrated with biogenic uraninite (UO2) under anaerobic conditions, suggesting that dissolution of solid U(IV) phases may be increased in the presence of DOM even in the absence of oxygen. Additional experiments tested the effect of DOM on the adsorption of U(VI) onto ferrihydrite. Organic matter substantially decreased the adsorption of U(VI) by competing for aqueous U and by occupying surface sites for adsorption. This work provides a systematic evaluation of U-DOM binding that will inform geochemical modeling efforts, field-scale studies of natural waters, and bioavailability studies.

Setting conservation priorities in a changing climate: new tools for identifying and connecting climate refugia in the southwestern US

CARROLL, C.1

1Klamath Center for Conservation Research, Orleans, CA 95556 USA, carlos@klamathconservation.org

ABSTRACT: In the coming decades, much of the Earth’s biota will experience climatic conditions that are outside the range to which they are adapted. Although many organisms will be able to persist in place in climatic refugia within their current range, persistence of other populations will hinge on their ability to disperse and colonize habitat which has become newly suitable for their climatic requirements. Opportunities for such dispersal and range expansion may be foreclosed unless “climate corridor” areas that facilitate dispersal under climate change are identified and protected from land-use changes that may impede movement. Identifying such key climate corridors is challenging given the multi-faceted nature of biotic response to climate change, uncertainty as to the pace and pattern of change, as well as the diverse topography and climate of the Southwest. I describe several new data sources that can help conservation practitioners identify networks of macrorefugia (areas where broad-scale climate is suitable for persistence), microrefugia (small areas with locally favorable environments), and climate corridors in landscape- and regional-scale conservation plans that maximize both transient and long-term resilience to climate change. The inherent uncertainties in predicting future climate can be addressed in planning by integrating approaches that span a range of model complexity and spatial scale to match the range of ecological and physical processes influencing persistence of biodiversity under climate change.

Utilizing NASA Earth observations to delineate riparian corridors and evaluate invasive species cover in the Verde River Watershed

CARVER, D.1

1Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA, carver.dan1@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Riparian corridors in the semiarid Colorado River Basin act as an interface between terrestrial and aquatic systems, play an important role in maintaining biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and contribute to controlling erosion and buffering pollutant and nutrient runoff. However, the proliferation of invasive species such as Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) within these corridors disrupts biodiversity and essential ecological and hydrogeomorphic processes, including water balance and

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sediment and nutrient loads. This project utilized terrain data from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), spectral and thermal indices derived from NASA’s Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8, and multispectral imagery from Sentinel-2 to map the current maximum potential riparian corridor area, riparian vegetation, and invasive Tamarisk cover in the Verde River watershed, which feeds major Colorado River tributaries in the lower Colorado River Basin. Potential riparian corridors and Tamarisk cover were mapped for both 2006 and 2016 to enable partners at the Walton Family Foundation to prioritize future ecological restoration areas as well as to evaluate the efficacy of previous management efforts in the Verde watershed. In addition, the team produced a tutorial detailing project methodology that can be replicated by partners to support their efforts to manage riparian habitat and invasive species across the entire Colorado River Basin in future years.

Automating the mapping and measurement of geomorphic response to regulated river flows: a case study in Grand Canyon, Arizona

CASTER, J.1, A. Kasprak1, and J.B. Sankey1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, jcaster@USGS.gov

ABSTRACT: Quantifying the effects of flow alteration on river channel and valley geomorphology is often difficult given the highly connected nature of fluvial and non-fluvial geomorphic processes. For geomorphologists, geomorphic change detection using high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) provides a tool for quantifying the relative contributions of sediment transport processes to local or valley-scale geomorphic change. Professional judgment is often used to discern the mechanism(s) of change in DEMs-of-Difference (DoDs), though this method is inherently subjective and may lead to significant differences in interpretation between researchers. Here we present an automated, two-part method for attributing geomorphic processes to apparent surface changes in DoDs that is both reproducible and computationally simple. Part 1 employs a landscape-based approach (LBA), wherein we use topographic characteristics from repeat surveys to predict primary and secondary geomorphic transport mechanisms for an area of interest. Part 2 uses spatial dimensions, orientation, and location of geomorphic change in a DoD-based approach (DBA) to predict a single geomorphic mechanism. The results of both methods are then evaluated for commonality to assess our confidence in each prediction. We evaluated this approach at 114 discrete sample points within seven field sites undergoing a combination of fluvial, aeolian, and hillslope geomorphic processes along the Colorado River within Grand Canyon, Arizona. We found that where the results of the LBA and DBA agreed, the common geomorphic mechanism was correctly predicted in > 95 percent of sample points. Overall performance for geomorphic attribution was strong, though additional refinement of the process will likely improve accuracy for both the LBA and DBA independently as well as increase agreement between these methods. We anticipate that this approach will provide a technique for geomorphic process attribution from repeat topographic data that is both rapid and reproducible at multiple spatial scales (e.g., 101 – 105 m2) within the project area and is adaptable to other geomorphic contexts.

Genetic identification of bat diet in Nicaragua

CHAMBERS, C.L.1, D. O’Rourke2, J.T. Foster2,4 , J.G. Martinez-Fonseca3, A. Medina-Fitoria3, M. Chavez-Velasquez3, and F.M. Walker1,4

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Carol.Chambers@nau.edu; 2University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 USA, 3Program for the Conservation of Bats in Nicaragua (PCMN), Managua, Nicaragua; 4 Northern Arizona University, Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

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ABSTRACT: With more than 1,300 species, bats represent 20% of all classified mammals worldwide. Bats occur on almost every continent and provide important ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal, and consumption of insect pests. Diet is diverse, with species feeding on plants, insects, fish, frogs, birds, other bats, and blood. Investigating diet can be problematic when studying animals that are cryptic, uncommon, or difficult to observe, so biology for many species remains largely undescribed. Genetic tools provide new opportunities to identify aspects of natural history, including a better understanding of diet. In 2015 and 2016, we collected guano samples from 21 bat species from 6 families in Nicaragua. We used an amplicon-based sequencing approach of the COI gene to identify arthropod diet items to taxonomic order and family. Our data suggested that bats ate a variety of insects; we detected 29 arthropod families from 12 orders. We identified, on average, 3 arthropod orders per bat species (range 1–6). Lepidoptera (moths), Coleoptera (beetles), and Diptera (flies and mosquitoes) were the orders most frequently identified in bat diets. In addition, genetic approaches broaden our knowledge of individual bat species. Previous studies for Miller’s mastiff bat (Molossus pretiosus), for example, described diet as comprised of insects, including beetles and moths, using visual identification of undigested insect parts from fecal pellets. Our genetic analyses for this bat species also included Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas), Isoptera (termites), and Diptera as diet items. Genetic approaches can thus identify taxa that would be underrepresented by visual inspection of fecal pellets such as soft-bodied insects. Although we targeted insects in this analysis, additional genetic analysis can uncover other diet items including plants and other animals. Feces are an incredible source of information to better understand ecology of bats and can be easily applied to other animal taxa as well.

Plant-pollinator interactions on the San Francisco Peaks

CHESSHIRE, P.1 and N.S. Cobb1

1Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA, prc43@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Insect pollinators provide vital ecosystem services for 86% of flowering plant species. The degree of generalization and network connectedness in plant-pollinator communities is important for community resilience to perturbations. We tested whether pollinators may act as opportunistic generalists with increasing elevations, to compensate for less predictable associations with their preferred host plants. The study was conducted on the San Francisco Peaks and addressed two main questions: (1) Does the number of generalist species in a pollinator community increase with increased elevation? (2) Is network connectedness greater in high elevation communities? At four life zones, from pinyon-juniper woodland to spruce-fir forests, plant-pollinator associations were documented and flower-visiting insects were collected and classified as generalists, specialists, or intermediates, based on the number of distinct plant species visited. The degree of plant-pollinator generalization was quantified to evaluate network connectedness. At the highest life zone, Spruce Fir (3200 m), the number of generalist pollinators was greater than that of the three lower elevations. Similarly, generalist pollinators at this high elevation had increased overlap of the flowering plants they visited, indicating higher network connectedness. The degree of connectedness in a pollination system is important for predicting community robustness to withstanding unpredictable abiotic factors; a highly-linked core of generalist pollinators may buffer the loss of a specialist species, while networks with low connectedness may be at greater risk for community collapse. On the other hand, loss of one of these highly-linked generalist species may cause a rapid decline in species diversity, putting the community at a higher risk of collapse. Community level pollination studies on local scales are needed to predict how robust a network is to withstanding ecological perturbations.

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Tangling with time's arrow: an overview of site conservation on Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge

CHUIPKA, J.P.1

1Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants, Inc., Cortez, CO 81321 USA, jason@woodscanyon.net

ABSTRACT: The concept of "time's arrow" frames history as an irreversible sequence of events that moves in one direction. As Robert Ascher pointed out more than 50 years ago, all human dwellings move from an "inhabited phase" where places are occupied and being continually renewed, to a final "archaeological phase" where the material remains of those same places are observed and interpreted by archaeologists. An intermediate "ghost" phase was used by Ascher to describe sites that are no longer inhabited or being renewed, but are also not entirely disconnected from the ethnographic present. This is an important but often overlooked concept that has relevance to conservation practices. The spectacular prehistoric ruins of the Bears Ears National Monument occupy the latter two phases of Ascher's schema -- while not occupied, they are locations that remain known and relevant to a variety of groups including descendant Native American communities, recreationalists interested in experiencing the past, and archaeologists who seek to understand broader cultural processes by studying these well-preserved locations of prehistoric activity. These ruins receive thousands of visitors each year, with numbers expected to increase in the decades to come. As a consequence of this increased visitation, many of these fragile archaeological remains are now under greater threat of impact by human agents. These impacts are often irreversible. All conservation measures used at prehistoric sites need to address deterioration caused by natural and cultural forces while at the same time be designed in such a way as to not adversely affect scientific, aesthetic, or cultural values. Several recent projects initiated by the Bureau of Land Management in the greater Cedar Mesa area illustrate current approaches to site preservation and the management of cultural resources for all groups visiting the Bears Ears National Monument.

Challenging paradigms to build a representative and equitable conservation field

CIOCCO, A.1

1Conservation Legacy, Southwest Conservation Corps, Ancestral Lands Programs, Gallup, NM 87301 USA, Chako@conservationlegacy.org

ABSTRACT: While most of us involved in the natural resource sector, specifically in conservation work, would agree that inclusion of diverse communities is a positive goal, what are the potential impacts to these communities? Rather than inviting folks to join conventional paradigms of conservation, what greater benefit could come from expanding those paradigms to a more mutual exchange of knowledges, worldviews, and ownership? This presentation will explore these questions drawing from the experience of the burgeoning Ancestral Lands Program that conducts conservation corps crews with native youth and young adults throughout the Southwest and nationally. We will consider program successes, recurring challenges, and goals for advancing the conversation on indigenous involvement in conservation work.

Human impacts of Tamarix invasion control in Southwest U.S.

CLARK, L.B.1, E. González1, R. Lave2, N. Sayre3, and A. Sher1

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1University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO USA, lisa.clark@du.edu; 2Indiana University, Department of Geography, Bloomington, IN USA; 3University of California, Department of Geography, Berkeley, CA USA

ABSTRACT: Riparian Tamarix control projects vary widely in their success at meeting project goals. Researchers have investigated the role of the environment, direct weed-removal methods, and biocontrol to explain this variability, but the human component has rarely been explored. Our NSF-sponsored research asks the following questions: (1) How has restoration changed the plant community structure? (2) How does a manager’s background explain attitudes toward nature and science and management approach? (3) Are there environmental factors that explain managers’ attitudes? (4) Do managers’ attitudes correlate with restoration outcomes? To address these, we have vegetation data from 416 sites in the Southwest U.S. and survey data from 44 corresponding managers (373 sites). Previous research to address question 1 has found that Tamarix cover is reduced and native plant cover is starting to increase over time in Tamarix removal sites. Preliminary analysis has also shown that the backgrounds and attitudes of managers are variable, especially in information sources and project goals. We will be using multivariate analyses to address both intra-system interactions (question 2) as well as interactions between human and ecological systems (questions 3 and 4). Of particular interest is testing the assumption that managers who use scientifically-sound resources and practices and collaborate more frequently will have better project outcomes (as defined both by managers and scientists) because they draw on more than just personal experience. Through this project, we will be able to give insight into how best to improve future human intervention on ecosystems, particularly invasive species control.

Assessing landscape vulnerability to drought and a changing climate in national parks of the western United States

CLAYTON, A.1

1NASA Langley Research Station, Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199 USA, Amanda.l.clayton@nasa.gov

ABSTRACT: Increased surface temperatures and a trend towards more severe drought in the western United States can impact the vulnerability of vegetation across the region. With semi-arid regions typically becoming warmer and dryer, knowledge on how to identify shifts in vegetation productivity, which are early warning signs of changes in ecosystem stability, are of great interest to national park land managers. Guided by project partners from the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, this project utilized a climate pivot point framework to estimate the threshold at which ecosystems begin to lose productivity due to environmental stressors. NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite provides the necessary data to monitor vegetation response over a 15-year period at a regional scale. The Colorado Plateau mixed low sagebrush shrubland ecosystem in Colorado and Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument were analyzed to determine how bioclimatic variables have impacted vegetation trends for the park. These relationships were analyzed by the use of a stepping window written in R. The stepping window evaluated a five-by-five pixel matrix to correlate annual change in vegetation with precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration. Based on the strength of the correlation, a multiple linear regression model was implemented using mean temperature and precipitation from PRISM and the MODIS evapotranspiration datasets. Results found that the sagebrush shrubland ecotype is less vulnerable to changes in temperature and evapotranspiration, but is more prone to experience damaging effects by precipitation changes. Combining a moving window approach with NASA Earth observations data yielded a robust methodology for determining climate pivot points for western park units over space and time. The

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availability of historical data allows researchers to place observations in context, while broad swath widths expand knowledge from plot to park level.

Accounting for imperfect detection of groups and individuals when estimating abundance

CLEMENT, M.J.1,2, S.J. Converse1,3, and J.A. Royle1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 20708 USA, mclement@azgfd.gov; 2Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ 85086 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Science (SEFS) and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA

ABSTRACT: When an abundance estimate is desired for grouped animals, the standard approach is to account for imperfect detection of groups, while assuming that individuals within detected groups are all detected. If the assumption holds, unbiased estimators include double-observer models, distance sampling models, and combined double-observer and distance sampling models (known as mark-recapture-distance-sampling models; MRDS). In some surveys, however, some individuals may go undetected. Here, we introduce an abundance estimator for grouped animals when detection of groups is imperfect and group size may be under-counted. The estimator combines an MRDS model with an N-mixture model to account for imperfect detection of individuals. The new MRDS-Nmix model relies on the same data as an MRDS model (two detection histories, an estimate of the distance to transect, and an estimate of group size), plus a second estimate of group size provided by the second observer. We simulated 12 datasets and used Bayesian methods to compare the performance of the new MRDS-Nmix model to an MRDS model. Abundance estimates generated by the MRDS-Nmix model exhibited minimal bias and nominal coverage levels. In contrast, MRDS abundance estimates were biased low and exhibited poor coverage. Many species of conservation interest reside in groups and could benefit from methods to account for imperfect detection of individuals. We believe the proposed estimator is feasible because the only additional field data required is a second estimate of group size.

How do ecological and climatic changes of the earliest Anthrozoic compare to the prior half million years?

COLE, K.L.1

1School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, ken.cole@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Holocene, recent, and future changes of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Deserts can be viewed in a wider topographic context of the western United States. Regional topography controls the flow of air masses, which are changing through time. Hemispheric cycles in temperature, carbon dioxide, and solar insolation generate regional shifts in precipitation amount and seasonality. These changes reorganize biomes, causing migrations, expansions, and contractions of individual species. One of the most abrupt and well-documented changes in these records occurred at the end of the Pleistocene climate era, 11,700 years ago, when the climate suddenly warmed about 4oC

(≅7oF) in a change that is similar in pace and magnitude to the climate shift of the twenty-first century. Future climates are being modeled through the application of General Atmospheric Circulation Models (GCMs). These GCM model results are especially robust for temperature changes as demonstrated by both model-to-model comparisons as well as demonstrated predictive success over the last 20 years. However, changes in precipitation are far less certain as individual models differ greatly in total

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precipitation projections, rainfall seasonality, and year-to-year fluctuations are high. These past and future projections have great effects on western plant biogeography as demonstrated by changes in individual plant species such as creosote bush, Joshua tree, pinyon pine, and ponderosa Pine.

An overview of Walnut Canyon National Monument rock imagery

COMSTOCK, J.1

1Comstock.jana@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: During 2012-2013 the Northern Arizona University Anthropology Lab undertook a baseline documentation and condition assessment of 12 of the 20 known rock art sites in Walnut Canyon National Monument in Flagstaff, Arizona. These 20 sites represent only 3.9 percent of the 511 known archaeological sites in the monument, but contain 51 panels and as many as 500 elements. Ten of the sites were previously documented and two are newly recorded sites; eight known sites were not revisited. Documentation involved completion of narrative forms for each panel and for the elements, preparation of scaled drawings, and digital photographs. The rock images represent three periods of Native American occupation: Basketmaker and Ancestral Puebloan (before A.D. 1250), Protohistoric (A.D. 1250-1750), and Historic (A.D. 1750-1950). Historic Euroamerican rock art was not examined by this project. Walnut Canyon rock art consists of petroglyphs (typically found on Coconino Sandstone) and pictographs (most commonly found on Kaibab Limestone). Pictographs are mostly solid forms painted with fingers in colors of red, brown, orange, and yellow, although outlined, sprayed, and stippled images are also documented. Petroglyphs were abraded, incised, pecked, and scratched. Almost none of the elements are superimposed on older images. Cupules, grinding slicks and incised grooves are also present. Geometric motifs are the most common type of element, with anthropomorphs and zoomorphs also documented in styles attributable to the Sinagua, Protohistoric Pai and/or Apache, and possible Basketmaker traditions. Rock art panels in Walnut Canyon exhibit a wide range of conditions, with most in fair or good condition.

Evidence for the occurrence of biocrusts across the Great Basin and Mojave ecoregions

CONDON, L.A. 1 and D.A. Pyke1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR 97331USA, lcondon@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Although biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are known to occur globally in arid and semi-arid environments, the question arises as to if they occur in the Great Basin ecoregion. Most studies looking at these organisms in the Great Basin occur on the edges of region, with minimal work being done within the state of Nevada, the geographic core of the Great Basin. For this reason, we assess the presence of biocrusts in both the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions, addressing the unstudied area of Nevada in its entirety. We mapped the presence and absence of mosses and lichens across both regions using Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Strategy data (AIM) from 3655 plots. AIM data is collected by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to provide consistent data on core quantitative indicators of rangeland health on BLM lands, including basal ground cover provided by lichens and mosses. The observed occurrences of both organisms were mapped by Major Land Resource Area (MLRAs). Preliminary results show that mosses were observed on a greater proportion of plots within the more northern to easterly MLRAs: the Malheur High Plateau, Owyhee High Plateau, Snake River Plains, and Great Salt Lake. Lichens were observed on a greater proportion of plots within the more centrally located MLRAs: the Central Nevada Basin and Range, Fallon-Lovelock, and Humbolt Areas. The

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Mojave Desert and Southern Nevada Basin and Range MLRAs had the greatest proportion of plots without mosses or lichens. Globally, work on ecosystem function and recovery from disturbance incorporates the presence of biological soil crusts. Given our demonstration of the presence of biological soil crusts across the Great Basin and Mojave ecoregions, we hope to call attention to the need to include them in studies on ecosystem function, recovery from disturbance and restoration in these regions.

Potential impacts of overlapping high intensity land-use and aridity trends on the Colorado Plateau

COPELAND. S.M.1,2, J.B. Bradford2, M.C. Duniway3, and R.M. Schuster4

1Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research & Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, scopeland@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA; 4U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA

ABSTRACT: The combination of co-occurring climate change and increasing land-use are likely to affect future environmental and socioeconomic conditions in drylands; these hyper-arid to sub-humid landscapes are limited by water resources and prone to land degradation. We characterized the potential for geographic overlap among land-use practices and between land-use and climate change on the Colorado Plateau – a dryland region experiencing rapid changes in land-use and facing aridification. We characterized spatial patterns and temporal trends in aridification, land-use, and recreation at the county and 10 km2 grid scales. Increasing trends and overlapping areas of high intensity for use, including oil and gas development and recreation, and climate drying, suggest areas with high potential to experience detrimental effects to the recreation economy, water availability, vegetation and wildlife habitat, and spiritual and cultural resources. Patterns of overlap in high intensity land-use and climate drying differ from the past, indicating the potential for novel impacts, and suggesting that land managers and planners may require new strategies to adapt to changing conditions. This analytical framework for assessing the potential impacts of overlapping land-use and climate change could be applied with other drivers of change or to other regions to create scenarios at various spatial scales in support of natural resource planning efforts.

Long-term trends in restoration and associated land treatments in the Southwest United States

COPELAND, S.M.1,2, S.M. Munson2, D.S. Pilliod3, J.L. Welty3, J.B. Bradford2, and B.J. Butterfield1,4

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, scopeland@usgs.gov; 2 U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3 U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise ID 83706 USA; 4

Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Restoration treatments, such as re-vegetation with seeding or invasive species removal, have been applied on United States public lands for decades. Temporal trends in these management actions have not been extensively summarized previously, particularly in the southwestern U.S. where invasive plant species, drought, and fire have altered desert ecosystems. We assessed long-term (1940–2010) trends in restoration using approximately 4000 vegetation treatments conducted on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands across the southwestern U.S. We found that since 1940, the proportions

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of seeding and vegetation/soil manipulation (e.g., vegetation removal or plowing) treatments have declined, while the proportions of prescribed burn and invasive species treatments have increased. Treatments in pinyon-juniper and big sagebrush communities declined in comparison to treatments in desert scrub, creosote bush, and riparian woodland communities. Restoration-focused objectives increased relative to resource-extraction objectives. Species richness and proportion of native species used in seeding treatments also increased. Inflation-adjusted cost per area rose 750% for vegetation/soil manipulation, 600% for seeding, and 400% for prescribed burn treatments in the decades from 1981–2010. Seeding treatments were implemented in wetter and warmer years, relative to several years before and after the treatment, and warmer and drier years when compared to the climate conditions of the entire study period. These results suggest that treatments over a 70 year period on public lands in the southwestern U.S. are shifting towards restoration practices that are increasingly large, expensive, and related to fire and invasive species control.

Tribal resilience and traditional ecological knowledges (TEKs) in the face of climate change

COOLEY, N.1

1Northern Arizona University, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), Tribal Climate Change Program, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Nikki.Cooley@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: In the southwestern United States, specifically the Colorado Plateau, there are over eight Native American tribes who have and still make their way of life on the mostly hot and arid landscape. Tribes have long practiced their culture while adapting to the constant changes of the environment, surviving in conditions that many people would consider hard and at times, impossible. In the Colorado Plateau, as well as across the country, Native people have an innate and deep spiritual, emotional and physical connection to the land, waters, animals and sky, which are often embedded in oral histories including prayers, ceremonies and songs. Since time immemorial, tribes have documented environmental changes through their stories and cultural practices, many of which are still evident today. This unique connection is one factor that makes tribes more vulnerable to the impacts that stem from changes caused by humans and the climate. In addition, many tribes still live in small, close-knit communities within government mandated reservation boundaries that have created geographic isolation from and decreased access to basic infrastructures and services. This also creates increased vulnerabilities to the challenges that climate change brings upon affected people and communities. The western, contemporary reaction to addressing climate change impacts would be to use science to solve problems, but for centuries, Native people have been using their long-documented knowledge for physical and cultural survival. In academic circles, this is referred to as traditional ecological knowledge(s) (TEKs) and references the innate, spiritual, and physical connection to the environment and animals that is a part of tribal culture. TEK has long informed how the people prepared for and survived in difficult environmental conditions, but has long been ignored or set aside by western academics and professionals involved in tribal and/or multi-jurisdictional land management. In the last century, Native and non-Native academics, organizations, and tribal citizens have been pushing to include TEKs in academics, research, management plans, and decision-making practices to inform a holistic process. TEKs can be used as baseline data that can inform climate change initiatives on tribal lands and at the same time, employ the tribal citizens who are the caretakers of this knowledge. In short, combining TEKs and western knowledge can set the foundation for meaningful collaboration among diverse groups, and to create an inclusive planning process to conserve culturally significant natural resources and TEK.

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Replicated common gardens inform genetic and plastic trait variation of Fremont cottonwood in response to environmental change

COOPER, H.F1, T.G. Whitham1,2, K.C. Grady1,2, G.J. Allan1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, hfc5@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Species faced with rapidly shifting environments must be able to persist and adapt in order to survive their new ecological reality. One mechanism plants may use to meet this challenge is through phenotypic plasticity, which alters the expression of traits important to survival in a new environment. In particular, plasticity in phenological traits is critical for balancing optimal growing season length with avoidance of damage due to unfavorable environmental conditions, timing that is essential for growth, reproduction, and ultimately survival in rapid climate change events. Using replicated genotypes reciprocally transplanted across three common gardens within the Southwest Experimental Garden Array (SEGA), we present evidence for significant among and within population variation in fitness and phenology traits and show how phenotypic plasticity can enable adaptive shifts in these traits depending on the environment. We identified the following: (1) There is significant among and within population variation for growth, fall bud set, and spring bud flush within all three common gardens, exhibiting significant correlations to fitness. (2) Similarly, we found phenotypic plasticity varied among populations and genotypes across the common garden gradient. Within populations, the effect of plasticity is greater than that of genetics for both phenology traits. (3) The magnitude of plasticity is correlated with home site climate, where hotter-adapted, southern populations exhibited higher levels of phenotypic change compared to colder-adapted populations. Whether the plasticity observed is adaptive, leading to higher fitness, or non-adaptive, depends on both the source population and the climatic distance that population is transferred from, relative to its home site. This insight into trait variation and the magnitude and adaptive nature of phenotypic plasticity provides a predictive framework to understand population level differences when managing and restoring riparian ecosystems as climate change continues to impact southwestern landscapes.

Building a sound library from 10,000 hours of recordings

CORONEL, C.1

1Southern Utah University, Department of Psychology, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, cesarcoronel@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: Capturing the uniqueness of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) through the extraction, processing, and cataloging of sounds was another phase of this project. In addition to the acoustic metrics collected at each site, a 24-hour a day digital recording was made at each monitored location. To date, 17 sites have been acoustically monitored and digitally recorded, each for one-three months. Using spectrogram and sound sampling analysis, individual sound sources have been extracted from over 10,000 hours of recorded data to create a sound library of GSENM. The sounds of the monument provide an insight into a unique environment and complex ecosystem. Sounds range from the American rancher tending their livestock, to the outdoor adventurer exploring Utah’s beautiful scenery, from coyotes singing their songs, to a mating pair of Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) calling out into the night. Our sound library provides a snapshot of the diversity of wildlife within GSENM, provides a sampling of the immensity of sound resources, and sets a baseline which can be compared by future sound recordings.

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Using listening kiosks to communicate the importance of sound

CORSER, G.1

1Southern Utah University, Department of Psychology, Chair, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, corser@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: Visitors to protected natural areas come seeking respite and the tranquility found in such unique places. Soundscapes are important for visitors, ecosystem health, and the welfare of non-human species who reside in protected natural areas. Ambient natural soundscapes are resources to be experienced, protected, and managed using the best available scientific knowledge and procedures. Sound recordings from sites across the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument were edited and paired with visual scenes from the same locations to produce an interpretive soundscape program. The soundscape program was then created using an iPad and software to create a physical and virtual soundscape listening center kiosk available to the public in visitor centers of GSENM. Pilot testing of the soundscape kiosk received favorable reviews and provides visitors with innovative interpretive information about the soundscapes of actual places they can visit in GSENM. Several key findings have also revealed challenges and modifications that need to be implemented for the kiosk to be a successful addition to a visitor center experience. The listening center kiosk provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience sound as well as the potential for many future research endeavors.

Spatial and habitat selection response of black bears (Ursus americanus) to the Wallow Fire wildfire in the White Mountains of Arizona

CRABB, M.1, K. Bristow1, and S. Boe 1

1Arizona Game & Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ 85086 USA, mcrabb@azgfd.gov

ABSTRACT: Previous research in Arizona has documented changes in habitat selection and movements of black bears for several years following wildfires, however, the Wallow fire, the largest wildfire in Arizona history encompassing more than 538,000 acres, provided a unique opportunity to examine movements of black bears during and immediately following wildfire. We monitored 8 bears equipped with GPS collars programmed to collect 3-5 locations/day before, during, and after the fire. Marked bears did not appear to flee from the approaching fire line, and most stayed within their home ranges. Immediately post fire containment, marked bears seemed to select lower intensity burned areas. Post re-vegetation some marked bears appeared to select higher severity burned areas with aerially seeded barley while others moved out of the fire perimeter. We had no documented mortalities of marked bears, though there was one unmarked bear found that had been burned in the fire and was subsequently euthanized. We captured 6 bears after the fire was contained; none showed signs of injury that could be attributed to the wildfire and 5 of them were in good body condition.

Evidence for carbon transfer between biocrust cyanobacteria and plants in multiple dryland ecosystems using natural abundance δ13C

CRAIN, G.M.1, E. Dettweiler-Robinson2, A. Darrouzet-Nardi1, J. Rudgers2, and R. Sinsabaugh2

1 University of Texas at El Paso, Department of Biological Sciences, El Paso, TX 79902 USA, gmcrain@miners.utep.edu; 2 University of New Mexico, Department of Biological Science, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA

ABSTRACT: In dryland ecosystems, interactions between biological soil crusts and plants are important drivers of productivity. Specifically, biocrusts have been found to reflect the δ13C signatures of nearby C3 and C4 plants. We investigated this pattern across multiple sites to discover if the pattern holds across

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drylands. Using the natural difference in δ13C signature between photosynthetic pathways (C3 average -28‰ and C4 average -14‰), we hypothesized that biocrusts near C3 plants would be relatively more depleted, and biocrusts near C4 plants would be relatively more enriched. We collected leaf and paired biocrust samples at multiple distances: under the plant (0cm) to the interspace (10 and 25cm) from plants in the Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Plateau. Sites vary in temperature, precipitation, and dominant vegetation. Cyanobacterial filaments were removed from biocrust samples under a microscope using forceps and were analyzed for their δ13C isotopic signature using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The δ13C of cyanobacterial filaments collected near C3 plant species (Guiterreza sarothrae, Achnatherum hymenoides) were depleted by ~2‰ under the plant in comparison to the interspace (P= 0.0009, P=0.0008 respectively). The δ13C signatures of cyanobacterial filaments near C3 plants is consistent with the hypothesis that carbon is shared between biocrust communities and plants, though we are careful to note that we cannot propose a specific mechanism. The δ13C of cyanobacterial filaments collected near C4 plant species (Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii) did not differ between distances (P=0.81, P=0.34, P=0.17 respectively), consistent with previous findings. If the mechanisms can be shown using more detailed tracer studies and isotope source/sink analyses, natural abundance data could provide a means for quick assessment for C cycling in dryland ecosystems.

An ecological drought framework to help identify vulnerabilities and link them to effective strategies

CRAUSBAY, S.D.1, S.C. Carter2, M.S. Cross3, K.R. Hall4, and A.R. Ramirez1

1 University of California, National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 USA, crausbay@gmail.com; 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, Reston, Virginia 20192 USA, 3Wildlife Conservation Society, Bozeman, MT 59715 USA, 4The Nature Conservancy, Lansing, MI 48906 USA

ABSTRACT: As global temperatures continue to rise, drought is intensifying and increasingly exacerbated by human water use, leading to a wide range of social and ecological impacts. Thus, ecosystems are more vulnerable to drought, and we have seen a rise in drought-driven tree mortality globally and an increased anticipation of ecosystem transformations from one state to another. More and more, managers are seeking information on proactive, preparedness strategies to reduce the vulnerability of natural resources to ecological drought impacts. But specific strategies for such proactive management are not well developed. We recently formed a Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) working group to develop a definition and framework for ecological drought, to guide researchers and decision-makers toward more proactive strategies to address the rising risk of drought in the 21st century. The ecological drought framework is organized along two dimensions—the components of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) and a continuum from human to natural factors. Using this framework, we can better understand the multiple roles that both people and nature play as drivers of ecological drought impacts, and link that understanding to a suite of on-the-ground strategies for reducing the vulnerability to ecological drought in the future. For example, the ecological characteristics that most influence drought sensitivity and adaptive capacity, as well as how proactive and anticipatory resource management can target these traits to reduce drought vulnerability ahead of a drought needs to be more fully investigated. Our framework can guide researchers to develop questions and conduct research that determines where the greatest vulnerability lies in a given system, and therefore which strategies may be most effective. Advancing ecological drought research in these directions will help identify proactive strategies that can directly lead to effective, place-based management for reducing vulnerability to droughts of the future.

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Tracking drought in a changing climate across the Southwest U.S.

CRIMMINS, M.A.1

1University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, crimmins@email.arizona.edu

ABSTRACT: Tracking and characterizing drought conditions across the southwest U.S. is a challenging task. The Southwest’s seasonal-transitional climate coupled with steep topo-climatic gradients and high levels of inter-annual variability in precipitation conspire to create a complex pattern of potential drought impacts across the region. Temperatures have also been steadily increasing, but their role in driving changes in drought frequency and intensity also appear to be complex. In this presentation, I will highlight some of the main drivers of regional climate variability, their connection to multiple types of drought (short-term seasonal to longer-term multi-decade events), and associated information sources and tools that can be used to track these different types of drought. I will also share findings from a recent study pertaining to the performance of several drought indices and recommendations on optimal indices for different drought types.

Grand Canyon springs: Baseline monitoring and application of natural hydrochemical tracers

CROSSEY, L.J.1, K. Karlstrom1, and C. McGibbon1

1University of New Mexico, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA, lcrossey@unm.edu

ABSTRACT: Springs and associated riparian environments provide critical habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife in the Grand Canyon region. Springs also provide drinking water for Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). Grand Canyon springs are fed by world-class karst aquifer systems (both shallow and deep) on the Colorado Plateau, but increasing pressure on groundwater resources from climate change, mining, and other development activities pose major challenges to resource managers. The shallow and deep karst systems of the region interact in ways that are not well known. Ongoing work by several groups is helping to understand these complex relationships using multiple methods. A robust monitoring and geochemical sampling program can provide data for understanding the sustainability of spring-fed water supplies for anthropogenic use. Our ongoing geochemical studies of spring waters (including dissolved gases) have identified the importance of tectonic activity in contributing CO2 and dissolved salts to the regional aquifer systems from deep levels along faults providing important controls on water quality. Quantitative forecasting of the effects of climate change on water quality depends on our understanding of these deep inputs, as well as aquifer recharge flowpaths and quantities. Two integrated datasets on river corridor springs are useful in understanding hydrologic flow paths: traditional ‘campaign’ water sampling utilizing major and trace element geochemistry as well as stable isotope analysis, and the deployment of continuous sensors for temperature, salinity, and water depth. Results from several spring systems monitored from 2012-present are discussed (Fence Spring, Lava Warm Spring, Beecher Spring, and Pumpkin Spring). The increased flow during the High Flow Experiments in 2013, 2014, and 2015 provided useful hydrologic pulses for several of these springs directly in the river corridor. Combined, these results indicate the need for a wider application of environmental sensors in hydrologic systems to inform water management decisions.

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Understanding the biogeochemical controls of U bioavailability in a model aquatic invertebrate species: how can modeling assist ecological risk assessments of uranium mining and ore processing

CROTEAU, M.-N.1, C.C. Fuller1, and D.J. Cain1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA, mcroteau@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Bioaccumulation models have proven valuable in providing insights to the key biogeochemical processes governing contaminant accumulation from different exposure pathways. This mechanistic knowledge informs risk assessment which in turn strives to understand contaminant exposure pathways leading to accumulation in receptors, and toxicological risk. Here we investigated pathways of U exposure and biogeochemical controls on U bioavailability in a model species, the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Experiments were specifically designed to parameterize the processes controlling U bioaccumulation. Following the completion of aqueous U exposure studies (Croteau et al. 2016), we investigated the dietary bioavailability of U by exposing our model organism to benthic diatoms pre-exposed to a range of dissolved U concentrations, as well as to diatoms mixed with different forms of particulate U. We inferred U bioavailability from calculations of U assimilation into tissues. U assimilation efficiency (AE) ranged from 25 to 70%, indicating that U is bioavailable when ingested with food. Uranium was most bioavailable from diatoms with sorbed U and least bioavailable from leached contaminated soils collected near active breccia pipe U mine sites situated within the Grand Canyon withdrawal area. Results also showed that exposure to increasing concentrations of dietborne U did not affect U AE, but did trigger food avoidance, which is of significance to higher level processes like growth and reproduction. Under the most environmentally relevant exposures (i.e. < 10 µg/l), we predicted that dietborne exposures contribute to most of the bioaccumulated U. Modeling based on accurate site-specific geochemical data can constrain U bioaccumulation and help explain spatial and temporal patterns of U concentrations in endemic species. Modeling can also forecast U bioaccumulation under contrived scenarios, for example, changes in aqueous and sediment concentrations resulting from expanded resource extraction or remediation of contamination.

Using simulation modeling to predict population connectivity and gene flow of Mexican spotted owl in the Southwest

CUSHMAN, S.A.1 and H.Y. Wan2

1U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, scushman@fs.fed.us; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT. The Mexican spotted owl is a federally listed Threatened species associated with mature forest and canyon habitats in the American Southwest. There is concern about how changing fire regimes and climatic conditions may affect habitat suitability for this species. To explore possible effects of landscape structure and change on population connectivity of the Mexican spotted owl we used synoptic landscape connectivity modeling to identify core areas, corridors and barriers for the Mexican spotted owl population in northern Arizona. We used the UNICOR connectivity simulation tool to predict resistant kernel and factorial least cost path connectivity across resistance layers derived from a transformation of habitat suitability maps we previously developed using empirical nest and roost location data. The models predict the existence of several large population core areas which are connected by multiple possible corridors. Several important connectivity bottlenecks and barriers are were also identified.

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Using common gardens across an elevational gradient to evaluate southwestern white pine responses to warming

DABELL, J.1 and BUCHOLZ J.1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA, jad495@nau.edu, eb692@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: The southwestern United States is projected to become warmer which has the potential to threaten southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis, PIST) in its native range. Using common gardens with individuals from across the entire range of PIST (the American Southwest and Mexico), allows us to examine population level differences in important traits. Replicating the common garden design in three sites across an elevational gradient, we are able to study PIST responses to warming by planting them outside their current environmental ranges. We will present first year baseline results from these common gardens including carbon isotope discrimination, stomatal density, and seedling mortality. Carbon 13 isotope discrimination was significantly greater at the low elevation garden under non-water stressed conditions. Stomatal density was significantly lower at the lowest elevation garden. Across all three gardens, seedling mortality correlated positively with source environmental spring/summer precipitation balance. Under projected climate change, species are expected to adapt, migrate, or become extinct. With anticipated warming in the southwestern United States, increased amounts of summer precipitation may both select those populations that can best regulate their water use during more prolonged dry periods, possibly force migration to more amenable climates, and threaten certain populations. Selecting populations currently planted in these common gardens across environmental gradients within these source environmental parameters among others may yield useful insights into the adaptive capacity to abiotic stress across the entire range of PIST, and help land managers determine conservation priorities in a changing climate. Detecting any source environmental variables that are contributing to the amount of population level variation in these traits can help us make predictions of PIST responses under climate change. Applying a drought treatment to the common gardens will allow us to make further predictions, and rain-reducing shelter construction is underway.

Creating tomorrow's archaeologists through internships and collaborative research

DEAN, E. 1

1Southern Utah University, Department of History, Sociology & Anthropology, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, deane@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: By partnering with local landowners and developers, regional non-profit organizations, and federal land agencies, Southern Utah University (SUU) anthropology students gain access to valuable experiential learning opportunities, build their professional resumes, practice service learning, and help educate the public about the importance of preserving the past. This presentation focuses on SUU’s forays into community archaeology and public private partnerships in the Colorado Plateau region, specifically discussing our past archaeology field schools in Kanab and New Harmony, UT, and our ongoing collaborative work with the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and Nine Mile Canyon. In addition to contributing to our understanding of the ancient inhabitants of the region, we find that these projects help foster friendly cooperation between “the public” and academic and government researchers in a region where local distrust of “government” is not uncommon.

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Establishment of long-lived shrub dominants on recovering oil and gas drill pads on the Colorado Plateau

DEFALCO1, L.A., T.C. Esque1, M.S. Rabinowich1, P.E. Baird1, G.A. Olson1, S.G. Kitchen2, and S.L. Carlson2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson Field Station, Henderson, NV 89074 USA, ldefalco@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT 84606 USA

ABSTRACT: Energy exploration and development has altered shrublands on the Colorado Plateau during the past century, and long-lived community-dominants are particularly difficult to recover. Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramossisima) and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) form stable communities that resist environmental fluctuations but are vulnerable to surface disturbances that remove mature vegetation and alter topsoil. We visited oil and gas drill pads that represent a chronosequence of abandonment (5 – 88 yrs) in blackbrush and sagebrush shrublands of Utah. In both shrubland communities, we measured density of juvenile plants (seedlings, small pre-reproductive, and small reproductive plants) and adult neighbors occurring on abandoned pads and undisturbed reference sites. We also counted annual rings in a sample of stem cross-sections of blackbrush and sagebrush plants (< 50 cm tall) to identify frequency of recruitment across sites. Consistent with other studies, blackbrush colonized open areas as single seedlings or in multiple seedling clumps; establishment was episodic with approximate recruitment events in 1982, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2009, and 2016 (age range = 1 – 44 yrs). Recovery of juvenile densities (defined as the ratio between pad and reference densities = 1) occurred after ~ 55 yrs (blackbrush) and 20 yrs of abandonment (sagebrush). However, these trends in juvenile recovery did not translate into adult densities even on the oldest sites. Our sampling of sagebrush represented young, single-stemmed individuals (age range = 1 – 15 years), so frequency of recruitment on drill pads over a long time frame is inconclusive. Interestingly, high densities of sagebrush juveniles were associated with the abundance of adult conspecific neighbors (particularly on references) and low densities associated with early-colonizing woody shrubs (drill pads), suggesting that facilitation/competition may influence sagebrush establishment. Ongoing studies will evaluate whether ecological restoration can circumvent potential seed and/or microsite limitations for blackbrush and sagebrush on abandoned drill pads on the Colorado Plateau.

Drought may facilitate the recovery of natural temperature regimes downriver of dams across the western U.S., but such changes may not favor native fish species

DIBBLE, K.L.1, C.B. Yackulic1, and T.A. Kennedy1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, kdibble@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Large storage dams alter water temperatures by dampening seasonal variation and shifting peak temperatures, which often has disastrous consequences for native fishes. We modeled water temperature along 2,500 kilometers of river in the Colorado River Basin (“basin”) to examine how future drought and climate change may shift the distribution of native and non-native fish species across the basin. In the upper basin, rising air temperatures combined with lower discharge levels leads to warmer temperatures that will be difficult to manage, in part because storage reservoirs are relatively small. However, water temperatures in the lower basin will be determined primarily by decisions concerning storage levels and the depth of summer withdrawals from Lake Powell, the second largest reservoir in the USA. Although Colorado River native fishes evolved under a highly seasonal and warmer thermal

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regime, they are currently doing relatively well in the cold, highly regulated river below Lake Powell that limits warm-water non-native fish invasion from the upper basin. Although there is little opportunity to manage future water temperatures to benefit native fishes in the upper basin, decisions about Lake Powell storage may ultimately determine the fate of remaining populations of native fishes in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.

Tracking Escherichia coli infections of the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus)

DIKEMAN, A.1,2, D. Sanchez 1,2, V. Fofanov3, F. Walker1,2, and C. Chambers1

1Northern Arizona University School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, ald373@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA;

3Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus) is a riparian-obligate species in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. When listed under ESA as Endangered in 2014, the most significant threat to existing populations was habitat loss owing to livestock grazing, human recreation, and wildfire. In 2015, we identified a new threat: Escherichia coli infections. Most E. coli found in the gut of the jumping mouse is from a pathogenic clade, but the source and risk of disease caused by this infection in jumping mice was unknown. The possibility of disease spillover from livestock, wildlife, or nearby human recreation areas is of particular concern. To evaluate the potential for disease in jumping mice, we screened for the presence of seven toxin-producing genes of E. coli in jumping mouse fecal samples over a 3-year period. To determine the source of E. coli in the jumping mouse we genetically typed and compared bacterial samples of jumping mice, other wildlife, livestock, and water downstream of camping areas. These results will clarify whether jumping mice are threatened by infectious disease and provide useful insight for conservation of an endangered species.

Allometric equations to estimate above ground biomass of young Populus fremontii in experimental gardens

DIXIT, A.H.1, and K.C. Grady1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, ahd42@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Biomass and carbon stock of forests can be estimated using allometric equations. In order to measure the above ground biomass non-destructively, it is necessary to develop allometric equations that can predict above ground biomass using easily measurable parameter such as Diameter at Root Collar. In this study, allometric equations were developed for Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) in three experimental gardens established across the elevation range. The data were collected from experimental gardens established at Mittry Lake, Yuma, AZ (Elevation 50 m, Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) 22.8oC), Agua Fria River, Cordes Junction, AZ (Elevation 1000 m, MAT 17.4 oC) and at Canyonlands National Park, UT (Elevation 1600 m, MAT 11.9 oC). Destructive sampling was used to measure aboveground biomass from a total of 71 trees covering different genotypes and source populations. The allometric equations were developed by establishing the relationship between aboveground biomass and diameter at root collar for the three gardens and for the populations that were grouped based on the source climate. The allometric equations that were obtained for the three gardens had significant (P<0.05) fit for linear model and the r2 values ranged from 0.81 to 0.95. These results show that diameter at root collar can be used to predict the total aboveground biomass in Fremont cottonwood. In addition, the allometric equations can be applied to a broad geographical area and climatic conditions

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because the equations were developed from populations and gardens representing a broad elevation range.

The effects of biocrust community structure on vascular plant germination and growth

DOHERTY, K.1, M. Bowker1, R. Durham2, and A. Antoninka1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, kd498@nau.edu; 2MPG Ranch, Missoula, MT, USA

ABSTRACT: Biocrust communities alter soil stability, water infiltration, albedo, and a host of other physical and chemical properties. These effects may in turn impact the greater vegetation community by modifying the ability of vascular plant species to germinate, persist, and compete. Previous study suggests suppressive effects on invasive plant species, such as the invasive annual grass, Bromus tectorum, and mixed effects on native plant species. We studied the effects of biocrust abundance and composition on a total of 13 native and invasive forbs and grasses in two experiments. In the first experiment, each vascular plant species was seeded individually into mesocosms containing varying levels of cover of moss dominated biocrusts. In the second experiment, mesocosms containing varying functional groups and abundances of biocrust received seeds from all 13 vascular plant species to study establishment and growth under competition. Both experiments incorporated a watering factor, where half of the units received water from ambient precipitation only, and half of the units received supplemental water from a drip irrigation system. We discuss resultant germination rates and vascular plant performance in these ongoing studies. Our findings will inform vascular plant seeding outcomes, management practices by identifying soil communities at risk for invasion, and effects of biocrust rehabilitation on the greater vegetation community.

Matrix porosity and desert seep communities in the R-aquifer; insights from the sequence stratigraphy and diagenesis of the Redwall Limestone, Grand Canyon, Arizona

DOHM, P.W.1, J.R. Weber1, G.L. Gianniny1, and B.W. Tobin2

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Geosciences, Durango, CO 81301 USA, pwdohm@fortlewis.edu; 2National Park Service, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: The Redwall Limestone creates an iconic part of the Grand Canyon landscape and hosts extensive karst aquifers that are critical to water resources in and adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). It is part of the regional R-aquifer, the source of Roaring Spring, the sole source of water for the Trans-canyon Pipe line and the South Rim. Despite the importance of this formation, no studies to date have focused on the origin and control of matrix porosity (vs. karst and fracture) and permeability. Our initial observations of the middle and upper portions of Redwall Limestone (Mooney Falls and Horseshoe Mesa members) near South Canyon suggest that this matrix porosity is facies controlled and thus may be predicted by sequence stratigraphic analysis. Importantly, these dolomitic strata are also the localized source for some seeps and associated seep ecosystem communities. In the Leadville/Redwall Limestone Northeast of GCNP, subsurface fluids and recrystallization (dolomitization) have created intercrystalline and moldic porosities of greater than 35% in rocks identical in many respects to the Thunder Springs and lower Mooney Falls members of the Redwall Limestone in the Grand Canyon. This suggests portions of the R-aquifer hosted in the Redwall Limestone may have significant water storage in more porous dolomitic layers of the aquifer. Also of interest, enhanced porosity and permeability are associated fault conduits for hydrothermal fluids and sulfides in the

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Redwall-equivalent Leadville Limestone in the McElmo Dome CO2 field, and the Lisbon Oil and Gas field of SE Utah. The documented interaction of volcanic associated waters from the deep aquifer system in the Grand Canyon suggests this may also be a factor in the diagenesis and evolution of the porosity system in the R-aquifer. This may have further implications for models of epigenic vs. endogenic karst development.

Floodplain response to large-scale dam release on the Dolores River, SW Colorado

DOTT, C.1, J. Knudson2, and J. Sanderson3

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Biology, Durango, CO 81301 USA, dott_c@fortlewis.edu; 2Restoration Services Consulting, Grand Junction, CO 81505 USA; 3The Nature Conservancy of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80302 USA

ABSTRACT: The Dolores River provides habitat for rare native fish species and supports unique assemblages of native riparian vegetation. McPhee Dam, completed in 1985, reduced spring snowmelt-dominated high flows >50%, from 3000-8000 cfs pre-dam to 800-2000 cfs post-dam. In drought years, no peak occurs and flows vary from 15-80 cfs. Since dam completion, only three years have had sufficient snowmelt to allow releases from McPhee that reach magnitudes of 4000 cfs: 1993, 2005 and 2017. Because of reduced peak flows and multiple years of drought and low flow, the banks of the lower Dolores have become armored by vegetation – primarily willows (Salix exigua) and giant reed grass (Phragmites australis) and also tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima)—with simultaneous losses of bare ground and potential cottonwood seedling germination sites. Given high snowmelt projections for spring 2017, we anticipated 5-7 days of 4000 cfs flows, and we hypothesized that bank scouring and vegetation removal would occur, along with sediment deposition on the floodplain. We re-occupied several sites below the dam to allow us to compare vegetation structure and composition pre- and post-peak flow release. Data collected in 2010 showed average willow stem densities of 34.3/m2 at one site below the dam compared to 1/m2 above the dam. In many reaches, mature cottonwoods have been in decline and new cottonwood establishment is limited. If this year’s high flow was sufficient to emulate pre-dam floods, willow stem densities would decline, cover by bare ground would increase, and cottonwood seedlings would establish. Because of cooler than anticipated spring temperatures, the high flow release was shortened and 4000 cfs flows were maintained for only 3 days. We will report here on the vegetation changes observed after the spring 2017 release, and broader implications of flow management for riparian habitat and riverbank stability.

Hydrogeology of the Hopi Reservation, Arizona

DUFFIELD, J.A.1

1 The Hopi Tribe, Water Resources Program, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039, James.Duffield@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: This talk is intended to familiarize the audience with the Hopi Tribe of Arizona, the complex hydrogeology of the Hopi Reservation, and the water resource issues and challenges currently facing the Hopi. Created in 1882, via Executive Order, the Hopi Reservation consists of approximately 1.8 million acres, of which about 640,000 acres are reserved exclusively for Hopi use. The Reservation is located within the arid Little Colorado River watershed, east of the Grand Canyon. The topography consists of gently folded sedimentary rocks that form broad plateaus, valleys, and canyons ranging in elevation from 4,000 feet to 7,000 feet. Surface water is a scarce and valuable resource with great cultural and ecological significance. Groundwater supports the agricultural, municipal, and industrial needs of the area. With six aquifers and a variety of water qualities the hydrogeologic framework is complex. Water

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related issues with mining, landfills, population increase, climate change, and naturally occurring and man-made contaminants create complex problems that require sophisticated solutions. With a variety of hydrologic environments and problems, the Hopi Tribe’s experiences in dealing with its water issues may prove relevant to other tribes and water managers.

Decision support tools for managing heterogeneous southwestern landscapes

DUNIWAY, M.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, mduniway@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Management of southwestern landscapes is challenged by high heterogeneity in soil-geomorphic attributes, low and variable precipitation, and ecosystem dynamics prone to threshold-type transitions. Although a significant quantity of scientific information exists, applicability of study results to a specific management decision is often unclear due to contextual caveats. I present here an overview of land classification approaches and embedded ecological models that facilitate translation of scientific understanding into site-based decision processes. I introduce the concept of land potential as an approach for classification in which landscape components with the potential to produce similar kinds and amounts of vegetation and respond to management similarly are grouped together. The system relies on abiotic attributes relatively insensitive to disturbance and management for classification—primarily soil type, topographic setting, and climate. These concepts are at the core of Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs), which are developed and maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey program and its partners. Most federal and many state land management agencies have formally adopted an ESD framework as a basis for stratifying and managing their lands. A foundational component of ESDs is the imbedded State-and-Transition Model (STM), which provides descriptions of site dynamics, including putative ecological states, transitions between states, and restoration pathways. However, the ESD system is currently being restructured, with an emphasis on developing hierarchical classification systems with fewer land units; data-driven STMs for each land-unit; and web-based information system to house STMs, associated tabular information, and other ecological site data and descriptors. I also report here results from a workshop aimed at simplifying and adding value and functionality to the current ESD system in southern Utah portions of the Colorado Plateau. Management tools such as ESDs and STMs are particularly important given current intensification of southwestern land-uses, limited agency resources, and forecasts for a warmer, drier future.

Edaphic controls, landscape heterogeneity, and drought in the southwestern U.S.

DUNIWAY, M.1, D. Hoover2, A. Pfennigwerth1, and J. Belnap1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Center, Canyonlands Research Station, Moab, UT USA, mduniway@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Crops Research Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO USA

ABSTRACT: Increasingly severe drought and associated reductions in water availability to plants and ecosystems have emerged as predominant climate characteristics of the southwestern U.S. (SW) at the beginning of the 21st century. This growing aridity and likely changes in precipitation seasonality and intensity represent substantial challenges to SW land managers tasked with sustaining or restoring these important ecosystems. These challenges are further complicated by significant landscape-level heterogeneity in soil-geomorphic properties that mediate vegetation responses to multi-temporal climate drivers. Understanding how broad-scale climate drivers will impact ecosystems at local scales is

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therefore of paramount importance for designing effective management strategies to mitigate and minimize undesired ecosystem changes. The response of SW ecosystems to droughts of the 20th and 21st centuries provides clear examples of variability in climate-plant relationships that are mediated by soil-geomorphic unit vulnerability. Here, we present an overview of the current understanding of dominant controls on SW ecosystem resilience to droughts and results from two ongoing drought experiments near Moab, UT. In one study, we are imposing a chronic but subtle drought (35% precipitation reduction) using passive removal shelters, across a wide geographic region. Over seven years, we have been examining plant cover changes and mortality of four dominant plant functional types: C3 grasses, C4 grasses, C3 shrubs and C4 shrubs. Second, we report results from a more recent study in which we are imposing extreme seasonal drought (66% reductions in the summer or winter) in a grassland system and have found dramatic shifts in species abundance following only two years of seasonal droughts. Taken together, results from these experiments suggests that both chronic and seasonal changes in water availability can alter the structure and function of the Colorado Plateau ecosystem by differentially impacting key plant functional types.

Riparian species classification map derived from May 2013 high resolution multi-spectral imagery within Grand Canyon, Arizona

DURNING, L.E.1,2, J.B. Sankey2, A. Bedford2, and T.T. Sankey1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, 1295 S. Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, AZ USA, ldurning@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ

ABSTRACT: In this study we produced a comprehensive species-level map of vegetation of the Colorado River riparian corridor in Grand Canyon from Glen Canyon Dam to Pearce Ferry; a total 477 kilometers of river. To build this map, we used high-resolution multispectral airborne imagery that was acquired in May 2013, with an approximate ground resolution of 20 centimeters and four spectral bands. In the fall of 2013, we collected training data polygons in the field. In the lab, each polygon was assessed for plant community purity, and individual pixels were collected from pure polygons for training the classification. Additionally validation points were collected at each polygon. The training and validation data were collected from all reaches of the river ecosystem to best represent the entire study area. For the purpose of differentiating vegetation at the species level we calculated and collected many additional bands of information to provide a larger base of characteristics for our training data. For example, we calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and several co-occurring texture matrices at various kernel sizes to capture individual and local community variation. We also used previously published inundation maps that are based on elevation and river stage height at various dam releases. We also used a previously published, highly detailed Tamarix spp. map derived from May 2009 imagery. For each species, training pixel values for each of the available bands and indices were analyzed with Classification and Regression Analysis Tree (CART) methods. Our work focuses on data discussions and evaluation of CART results and how they are interpreted as a final image classification. Understanding the plant community in Grand Canyon will allow managers to make science-driven decisions about dam operations.

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Combining continuous remote detections with traditional sampling to estimate the migratory flux of fish between a main river and a tributary

DZUL, M.1, C.B. Yackulic1, and J. Korman2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, mdzul@usgs.gov; 2 Ecometric Research Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

ABSTRACT: Movement of individuals between habitats is central to the life history of many species and can couple the dynamics of spatially segregated ecosystems. In lotic systems, autonomous passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag detection arrays (hereafter PIT arrays) are often used to characterize movement patterns of PIT-tagged fish between rivers and can be useful tools for detecting rare movements. Although PIT arrays continuously detect individually marked organisms over long time periods, their utility is limited because the detection probability of unmarked individuals is zero and this shortcoming impedes quantification of movement fluxes. Here we develop a model that combines data from mark-recapture efforts (in a large river) and PIT array detections (in a smaller tributary) to quantify how many animals move between rivers. Specifically, we develop and apply a model to estimate abundance of non-native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that move from the Colorado River to the Little Colorado River (LCR), the latter of which is important spawning and rearing habitat for federally-endangered humpback chub Gila cypha. Because rainbow trout negatively impact juvenile humpback chub survival, rainbow trout in the LCR pose a threat to the humpback chub population. The LCR PIT array detected 38 unique rainbow trout entering the LCR between October 2013 and April 2014, and our modeling approach translated these 38 unique detections to a monthly movement probability of 1.2% and an estimate of 259 (95% CI: 134-451) rainbow trout entering the LCR during this period. Our model exhibited minimal bias and was insensitive to most model parameters, with the exception of the monthly movement probability, thus highlighting that rare movements are difficult to estimate accurately and that even small uncertainties in low movement probabilities can greatly reduce precision. We emphasize that further advancement in wildlife conservation science will require innovative statistical methods to integrate multiple data types into population models.

Discussion and capturing lessons learned: understanding the value of partnerships for interdisciplinary conservation work

EASTEP, B.T.1

1Southern Utah University, Outdoor Engagement Center, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, eastep@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: At the heart of these interdisciplinary partnerships is education and planting seeds for the future. To do so, in the last ten minutes of this symposium session participants will hear from two student interns sharing their story and then as a group list the lessons learned from the case study presentations.

The pottery of Beef Basin and its cultural implications

ECKERSLEY, J.M.1

1Brigham Young University, Department of Anthropology, Provo, UT 84602 USA, jacb812@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: I present my thesis research hypothesizing that the chronology and culture of the prehistoric occupation in Beef Basin is reflected in ceramics and architecture. Beef Basin is located west of Monticello, Utah and south of Canyonlands National Park. Archaeologically it is located within the fluid

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boundary space between the Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont archaeological cultures. Although there has been a surge of recent research in the north periphery of the Ancestral Puebloan area, recent research in Beef Basin remains sparse. My research provides the first in-depth analysis of ceramics from this region. My data set includes ceramics analyzed in the field as well as from the archaeological collection at the Natural History Museum of Utah. I discuss the results of my ceramic and architectural analysis within the context of the late Pueblo II period Chaco proliferation.

Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox: project, product, and lessons learned

EDEN, S.1, A. Audrey2, J. Cleveland, and J. Moxley

1University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, seden@email.arizona.edu; 2Water Asset Advisors, Tucson, AZ USA

ABSTRACT: Water harvesting has been identified as a strategy for achieving multiple community goals from water conservation to stormwater management to climate change adaptation. Yet adoption in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States has been hampered by lack of information and entrenched attitudes. For a community to determine the value of implementing water harvesting activities, an assessment tool was needed. The project that resulted in the Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox, available on the Desert Water Harvesting Initiative’s website at https://wrrc.arizona.edu/DWHI, involved extensive engagement and consultation with both expert and non-expert stakeholders. Originally planned as a simple benefit-cost-based decision tool, the toolbox evolved as an answer to the expressed needs of stakeholders and the paucity of benefit-cost data, especially for communities in arid and semi-arid environments. This presentation describes how the project developed, the tools that were created, and some lessons learned from the process.

Changes to naturally recovering Colorado Plateau shrublands on oil and gas well pads through time

ESQUE, T.C.1, L.A. DeFalco1, M.S. Rabinowich1, G.A. Olson1, P.E. Baird1, and M.L. Villarreal2.

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV, 89074 USA, tesque@usgs.gov; 2 U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, 345 Middlefield Rd., CA 94025 USA

ABSTRACT: Energy exploration and development have extensive history on the Colorado Plateau of the southwestern USA. Natural recovery or active restoration of abandoned well sites are priorities for natural resource management agencies. Our research is designed to understand patterns of natural vegetation recovery on oil and gas well pads by studying a chronosequence of sites spanning 88 years, across a range of climate conditions. We compared the development of shrub communities on pads to nearby reference sites. We selected sites that included community dominants: blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) and sagebrush (Artemisia spp. – Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, A. tridentata ssp. tridentata, A. nova, and A. bigelovii), and measured total canopy cover, cover of dominant shrub species, and composition of functional groups on pad and reference sites. Recovery was measured as the ratio between total perennial plant cover on the disturbed well pads to that on the nearby reference sites (ratio = 1 equals recovery). Total cover on well pads in sagebrush shrublands did not recover during the time of the chronosequence (ratio <1), but pads in blackbrush shrublands recovered ~60 y post abandonment. Cover of the dominants - Coleogyne and Artemisia spp. - did not recover during the span of the chronosequence. Specifically, pad and reference sites were distinguished by greater relative cover of short-lived, wind-dispersed woody shrubs on pads and longer-lived woody shrubs on reference sites for both sagebrush and blackbrush shrublands. Our results indicate that total cover in blackbrush

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communities is similar to nearby reference sites after more than a half century, but that sagebrush communities have not matched the cover of nearby reference sites. Furthermore, the species compositions for neither of these dominant communities have reached parity with nearby reference sites. Future research will focus on developing novel methods to increase recovery rates in these vegetation communities.

Innovative efforts to engage volunteers in the protection of Bears Ears archaeology

EWING, J.1

1Friends of Cedar Mesa, Bluff, UT 84512 USA, josh@cedarmesafriends.org

ABSTRACT: The Bears Ears National Monument contains an internationally significant cultural landscape. If fact, it is likely the monument contains more archaeological sites than any other US national park or national monument. These resources are at risk due to high visitation and looting, compounded by a lack of resources for visitor management and law enforcement. Friends of Cedar Mesa (FCM) is partnering with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service to help protect the rich cultural resources of the Monument and surrounding areas. In this effort, FCM is employing innovative new approaches to involving volunteers in citizen science, monitoring, educational outreach, and service projects. These programs aim to leverage skills, passion, and time from non-archaeologists to supplement government efforts and those by professional archaeologists.

Documenting Glen Canyon Dam effects to culturally valued riparian vegetation using repeat photography

FAIRLEY, H.1, and A.H. Fairley1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, hfairley@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Large dams not only impound reservoirs that inundate upstream river corridors, but they can also transform riparian ecosystems downstream by altering the river’s hydrological and disturbances regimes as well as sediment and nutrient supplies. The Colorado River corridor downstream of Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona offers an example of a riparian ecosystem that has changed significantly during the 50+ years since Glen Canyon Dam began operating. Using repeat photography, a method that has been employed for over a century to document landscape-scale environmental change, combined with site-specific field observations, we documented how the abundance and distribution of riparian vegetation changed between 1923 and the second decade of the 21st century. The study specifically focuses on documenting changes in the distribution and abundance of a dozen riparian species that were traditionally used and valued by Native American tribes affiliated with Grand Canyon. For some species, we found that their abundance and distribution had increased significantly, owing to a reduction in flood disturbance following emplacement of the dam. In contrast, other species, such as Gooding willow (Salix gooddingii), have decreased significantly, presumably due to the elimination of annual spring floods in combination with beaver herbivory. One goal of this effort is to characterize changes to culturally valued riparian species in terms of how they may affect the broader suite of cultural values that tribes ascribe to this riverine landscape. A second goal is to acquire sufficient information about the past and current status of culturally valued riparian species to help inform future restoration, monitoring, and management plans. Ultimately, this study seeks to bridge an epistemological divide between western scientific approaches to studying riparian ecosystems and traditional ecological knowledge through linking both knowledge systems to the cultural values that

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affiliated Native American tribes ascribe to this iconic riverine landscape and its changing community of life.

Biological soil crust restoration: understanding community structure and ecosystem function through separate inoculum types and soil stability treatments

FAIST, A.M. 1, A.J. Antoninka2, N.N. Barger1, J.Belnap3, M.A. Bowker2, M.C. Duniway3, A. Giraldo Silva4, F. Garcia Pichel4, C. Nelson4, S.C. Reed3, and S. Velasco Ayuso4

1University of Colorado, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO, akasha.faist@colorado.edu; 2 Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT; 4Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ

ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (‘biocrusts’) are a community of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, and other microorganisms that colonize the soil surface. While important for ecosystem functioning, such as maintaining soil stability and increasing fertility, biocrusts are highly susceptible to compressional disturbances such as those produced by human activities. Because of their importance on the landscape and as anthropogenic disturbances increase, it is vital to identify effective restoration methods facilitating the growth of biocrust. In response to this need, we examine how inoculum types and habitat can be modified through soil stabilization to enhance the potential for biocrust growth and restoration success. To address the potential barrier of propagule limitations, biocrust propagules were amplified in (1) greenhouse and (2) lab settings as well as (3) collected directly from the field, to provide three types of inoculum for field trials. In conjunction with different inoculum types, two primary habitat modifications were employed (1) a polyacrylamide soil tackifier and (2) straw boundaries to slow particle movement. This work was implemented in both cool (Great Basin) and hot (Chihuahuan) desert locations in 2015 and monitored annually. Inoculum amplification methods -greenhouse and lab efforts- were highly successful and provided ample inoculum for the field trials and allowed for comparisons with field collected inoculant. Results showed that one year after field implementation, for most of the sites, soil aggregate stability remained highest in the control plots and trended towards higher in the polymer treatments. Two years after implementation in the Great Basin, site soil aggregate stability, while variable, was improved across all treatments and nearly matched the control plots. Chlorophyll a levels, cyanobacterial communities (Chihuahuan), and other data were collected to better understand biological soil crust recovery across desert types, under different inoculum treatments, and through habitat modification trials.

Influence of evolutionary history and ecology on patterns of genetic diversity in Tamarix populations from the southwestern U.S.

FEHLBERG, S.D.1, D.E. Blasini1, and D. Dehn1

1Desert Botanical Garden, Research, Conservation, and Collections, Phoenix, AZ 85008 USA, sfehlberg@dbg.org

ABSTRACT: Previous studies examining genetic diversity in populations of invasive Tamarix spp. across a latitudinal gradient in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas have shown that invasive Tamarix are hybrids between T. chinensis and T. ramosissima and there is a strong correlation between latitude, hybrid composition, and plant traits. The purpose of this project is to describe genetic diversity in populations of invasive Tamarix spp. across an elevational gradient in the southwestern U.S. Representatives of these populations are part of comprehensive common garden studies and long-term

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monitoring plots. To study genetic diversity, leaf samples were collected from 17 sites across Arizona, one site in Utah, and nine sites along the Virgin River in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, for a total of 554 individuals. Genetic diversity data were gathered for eight microsatellite loci. To determine hybrid composition, genetic data were also gathered for 31 T. chinensis and 38 T. ramosissima sampled from the native range in Asia. Analyses of genetic data reveal that diversity within populations is high and divergence among populations is low. Overall patterns of shared genetic diversity reflect geographic distribution, although correlation between genetic and geographic distances is not statistically significant. Analysis of hybrid composition reveals that populations range from 58.8% to 65.1% T. ramosissima. Some strong correlations are observed between hybrid composition and geographic origin, elevation, or climatic conditions; however, some of these correlations do not fit expectations based on the findings of previous studies. Although gradients for hybrid composition exist across geographic and ecological clines, and evidence for local adaptation in this system is strong, based on a diversity of studies, the precise association between these two factors is unclear. Observed patterns of hybrid composition across the landscape may be influenced not only by local adaptation, but also by the evolutionary and colonization history of populations.

Disentangling the effects of biocrust community state and climate change on dryland soil fertility

FERRENBERG, S.1, C.L. Tucker1, A. Howell1, R. Reibold1, S.C. Reed1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, sferrenberg@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Biocrusts are communities of cyanobacteria, lichens, bryophytes, and heterotrophic microbes that are widespread across the Colorado Plateau and in drylands worldwide. Biocrust communities are considered important in regulating biogeochemical cycling and soil fertility—in particular because they fix CO2 and act as a dominant source of ‘new’ nitrogen via N2-fixation. However, variation in such functions among biocrust community states (e.g., early vs. late successional biocrust communities) and the role of antecedent soil properties in dictating the rates of these functions remain poorly quantified. Focusing on biocrusts and soils from the Colorado Plateau USA, we explored the influence of early-successional biocrust (ESB) vs. late successional biocrust (LSB) community states, and their interactions with warming temperatures, on soil carbon and nutrient cycling. In field settings, soils from under ESB had lower concentrations of phosphorus, organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen (NH4

+ and NO3-), and microbial biomass than soils from under LSB. Comparisons of leachate from

biocrusts (that were separated from subsoils) revealed significantly greater inputs of phosphorus and NH4

+, and greater average inputs of NO3- (which is more easily lost from this system) by ESB, and significantly greater organic carbon and total nitrogen from LSB. To further disentangle influences of biocrust community states on soil biogeochemical properties from antecedent conditions in field settings, greenhouse mesocosms were established with a common soil source and then left as bare soil or covered with ESB or LSB and maintained at ambient vs. warmed (+ 5°C) temperatures for 3 months. Assessments of biogeochemical properties revealed lower concentrations of organic and inorganic nitrogen, higher carbon:nitrogen ratios, and reduced microbial biomass in ESB compared to bare soils or LSB mesocosms. Regardless of cover, warming led to lower concentrations of total nitrogen, greater NO3

-, higher carbon:nitrogen ratios, and reduced microbial biomass compared to mesocosms at ambient temperatures. Collectively, our results suggest potentially negative influences of ESB on components of soil fertility, as well as negative impacts of warming temperatures on soil fertility regardless of community state. These findings combine with reports of climate change-induced mortality of various LSB community members to raise concern over future dryland soil health.

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Incorporating ecosystem health into the Unified Economic Model of Fire Program Analysis

FITCH, R.A.1, and Kim, Y.S.2

1Northern Arizona University, W.A. Franke College of Business, Alliance Bank Business Outreach Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Ryan.Fitch@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Using the optimization of the Unified Economic Model of Fire Program Analysis (Rideout et al., 2008) as a starting point, we expand the decision variable “fuels” (presuppression) to include a measure of ecosystem health and fire resilience (K). With ecosystem health and fire resilience as a decision variable, we delineate two ecosystem states with different returns to scale. The first ecosystem state represents ecosystems outside their historical range of variability in terms of a metric used to measure ecosystem health. The second ecosystem state is an ecosystem within its historical range of variability. The Southwest ponderosa pine ecosystem is used to illustrate the effects of fuels or restoration treatments on the expected loss function from wildfire. We use trees per acre as a metric to evaluate the ecosystem’s health. Using this model, we show why ecosystems outside their historical range of variability cannot be optimized in terms of fire program cost minimization.

Historical fire regimes and shrub persistence in ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Highlands, Arizona

FLOYD, M.L.1, D. Huffman2, D.P. Hanna2, and E. Harrison1

1Prescott College, Department of Environmental Studies, Prescott, AZ 86301 USA, lfloyd-hanna@prescott.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Ecological Restoration Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Highlands in central Arizona are currently characterized by an abundant understory of Madrean shrubs, e.g., Quercus, Cercocarpus, Garrya, Ceanothus, shared with adjacent interior chaparral shrublands. These tall shrubs rapidly re-establish following wildfires or prescribed burns and can be ladder fuels that facilitate high intensity crown-fires such as the 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2013 wildfires on the Prescott National Forest. Yet limited fire scar data from locations near these fires suggest that prior to 1870, low-severity surface fires were common (e.g., composite MFI 1.77 yrs + 1.81, n=127 intervals). Further, a pilot assessment following fuel reduction treatments suggests burn and mechanical treatments enhance shrub vigor; percent shrub cover was highest in single treatments (.49 + .5); multiple treatments reduce shrub cover (.38 + .3) but not to control levels (.11 + .1, F=3.49, p<.05). We consider these apparently contrasting conditions with hypotheses concerning fuel species changes and/or fuel restructuring: (1) High fire frequency required primarily fine herbaceous fuels that no longer occur in the current forest conditions, and due to fire cessation over the last 150 years, shrubs have become increasingly tall and dense, (2) Mixed-severity fire regimes comprised of both surface fire and smaller high-severity patches burned across heterogeneous landscapes, where shrubs persisted on protected microsites and through variations in flammability. To test these hypotheses, we present initial results from two ongoing studies; (1) Reconstruction using stand age structures, fire scars, charcoal and evidence of dead wood, designed to capture both high-severity and low-frequency historical fires, and (2) evaluation of first-order shrub responses and

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flammability following fuel treatments. Our initial data suggest an important role played by chaparral shrubs in disturbance dynamics in ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Highlands.

The role of bats in driving the biodiversity of shallow subterranean habitats (abandoned mines) of the Colorado Plateau

FOFANOV, V.Y.1, D. Sanchez2, C. Sobek2, F.M. Walker2, and C. Chambers2,3

1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Viacheslav.Fofanov@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The American Southwest has the most diverse bat assemblage in North America. Many of Colorado Plateau’s 200,000+ abandoned mines provide stable, long-term roosts. In these shallow mines, bats serve as a foundation species with their nutrient-rich guano supporting diverse ecosystems and food webs that include rodents, reptiles, arthopods, fungi, and microbiota. The biodiversity within these ecosystems is threatened by a variety of sources, including climate change, human encroachment into bat habitats, and disease. Of particular interest is the ongoing and expanding threat of white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is already responsible for ≥ 5.5 million bat deaths in the U.S. and Canada. With the recent cross-continental spread of WNS from east to west coast, its arrival to southwestern U.S. seems imminent. The cascading indirect effects of significant reduction in bat populations are unknown, partially because baseline biodiversity estimates for bat-dependent ecosystems are not available and the existing impact of bats on their subterranean environments are not quantified. We have performed extensive genomic surveys of bat roosts in abandoned mines of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, focusing on microbiota. Our results point to the significant role of bats in driving the microbial biodiversity and composition of the shallow subterranean ecosystems of abandoned mines of the Colorado Plateau. In particular, bat roost species composition was found to be one of the main contributors to the bacterial biodiversity and composition of guano piles, with geographically distant mines exhibiting very similar microbiomes, when similar bat species are present. In turn, bat guano pile microbiota seems to drive gut microbiota of arthropods that live in and around the piles. Here, the old adage of “you are what you eat” definitely holds, particularly for arthropod detritivores. In fact, the composition of guano pile microbiota is the dominant contributor to the composition of microbiota in arthropod gut.

Genomics of an invading fungal pathogen

FOSTER, J.1 and K. Drees1

1Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Jeff.Foster@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has decimated North American bat populations since its emergence roughly a decade ago. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal pathogen causing this epizootic, has exhibited few genetic polymorphisms in previous studies, presenting challenges for epidemiological tracking of the spread of this fungus and for determining its evolutionary history. We used Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) from whole-genome sequencing and microsatellites to construct high-resolution phylogenies of P. destructans. Shallow genetic diversity and the lack of geographic structuring among North American isolates support a recent introduction of the fungus followed by expansion via clonal reproduction across the epizootic zone. Genetic diversity among isolates of P. destructans from Europe was substantially higher than in those from North America. However, genetic distance between the North American isolates and any given European

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isolate was similar to the distances between the individual European isolates. In contrast, an isolate examined from China was highly divergent from both European and North American isolates. Although the definitive source for introduction of the North American population has not yet been found, and may not be conclusively identified, the data support likely origin of the North American invasion by P. destructans from western Eurasia rather than East Asia. Our results indicate that genomic sequencing of pathogens can allow for a greater understanding of disease ecology, basic biology, and evolution in bats.

Ponderosa pine growth responses to climate and restoration treatments at Fort Valley Experimental Forest, Flagstaff, AZ

FULÉ, P.Z.1, A. J. Sánchez Meador1,2, D.P. Normandin2, D.W. Huffman2, M.M. Moore1, W.K. Moser3, W.W. Covington1,2, and R.T. Strahan4

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, pete.fule@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Ecological Restoration Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 4New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute, Las Vegas, NM 87701

ABSTRACT: Restoration of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)-bunchgrass forests in Arizona relies on tree thinning and prescribed fire to reestablish structure and process to create more resilient ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed tree increment cores to investigate 20-year differences in tree mortality and growth between two restoration treatments (thin from below, thin from below plus prescribed burning) and an untreated control at a long-term study site on the Fort Valley Experimental Forest near Flagstaff, AZ. We used tree core samples to examine climate-treatment interactions over the study period (1994–2014), specifically discussing growth patterns observed during four exceptional drought periods. In general, restoration treatments reduced basal area by approximately half and primarily removed small trees. Preliminary long-term results suggest that net stand basal area growth following treatment was around 10% per decade, in contrast to declining basal area due to mortality in the control. We discuss implications for the future of larger (landscape-scale) ponderosa pine restoration and fuels management projects.

Soundscape resources of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

GALE, L.1

1Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Resource Planner, Kanab, UT USA, landersongale@blm.gov

ABSTRACT: The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is the largest and most diverse unit managed for science and research on the Colorado Plateau. Protection of ambient soundscapes has received growing attention over the past four decades, with legislation dating back to the Noise Control Act of 1972. Subsequent nationwide legislation has described the importance of the acoustical environment for resource protection and visitor experience in protected natural areas. Major portions of the GSENM are some of the most remote protected areas in the lower 48 states. Consequently, a program of research documenting the soundscape of GSENM was developed with professors and students from the Department of Psychology at Southern Utah University and the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the National Park Service. Over the past four years, these researchers have worked cooperatively with land managers to produce one of the most comprehensive acoustic monitoring data sets collected in a protected area. Results from this program of research have provided land managers a greater understanding of the importance of the soundscape as a resource.

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Recreation and vegetation assessments in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

GARRETT, E.A.1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, eag292@nau.edu; Northern Arizona University, Department of Geography, Planning and Recreation, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The relationship between recreation and natural resources is a very important and fragile one. Recreation can damage the landscape and create an inhospitable environment for native species to thrive. For this reason, it is important to find the carrying capacity of the ecosystem and use that information to create effective management practices. Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona has adopted a program, called VERP (Visitor Experience and Resource Protection) in order to accomplish those goals within the unique region. Preservation of natural resources is the key consideration of this project as well as related projects in the VERP program. Evaluation of recreation impacts on vegetation took place at two designated trails, two pull-offs, and two “off the beaten path” trails. These sites were also evaluated during the 2016 season and have a high number of visitors. Data were gathered specifically on the location and size of social trails and disturbed areas, as well as the diversity and prosperity of native vegetation species in these areas. This will help determine carrying capacities and improve management practices for native vegetation in these areas. Analysis will take place to highlight relationships between recreation and vegetation loss as well as the intended use of the site and the degree of degradation.

Methods for converting continuous shrubland ecosystem component values to thematic National Land Cover Database classes

GASS, L.1, M. Rigge1, C. Homer1, and G. Xian1

1U.S. Geological Survey, lgass@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) provides thematic land cover and land cover change at a 30-m spatial resolution for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Because stakeholders have requested more accurate and comprehensive vegetation data for the shrublands of the western U.S., the USGS has developed a method to produce an enhanced suite of components that quantify shrubland land cover characteristics. The components include fractional cover of shrub, sagebrush (Artemisia spp), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp.), herbaceous, annual herbaceous, litter, and bare ground, in addition to shrub and sagebrush height. This poster describes the procedures and results of converting fractional cover components to three thematic NLCD classes: barren, shrubland, and grassland. To accomplish the conversion, we developed a series of indices and conditional models using fractional cover of shrub, bare ground, herbaceous, and litter as inputs. Accuracy of the cross-walked product was assessed relative to the most recent NLCD product (2011) at independent validation points (n = 787) across the two study regions. Overall thematic accuracy of the cross-walked product was 0.70, compared to 0.63 for NLCD 2011. The kappa value was considerably higher for the cross-walked product at 0.41 vs. 0.28 for NLCD 2011. These results demonstrate that our continuous cover predictions and models successfully increased thematic classification accuracy in western United States shrublands. We plan to directly implement the more recent product, where available, in the upcoming NLCD 2016 product. The improved NLCD 2016 spatial data will help resource managers and ecological researchers develop more accurate wildlife habitat models, prioritize landscape preservation, and anticipate ecosystem changes under future climate conditions.

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Envisioning a more just and sustainable future for Navajo communities

GEARON, J.1

1Black Mesa Water Coalition, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 USA, jihan@blackmesawatercoalition.org

ABSTRACT: The Black Mesa Water Coalition (BMWC) is dedicated to preserving and protecting Mother Earth and the integrity of indigenous peoples’ cultures, with the vision of building sustainable and healthy communities. We strive to empower young people and spark collaboration with surrounding communities and organizations to address the problems we collectively face. Since our founding in 2001 as a student group at Northern Arizona University, BMWC has grown from a small, unfunded, primarily reactionary group to a well-established non-profit organization that utilizes proactive strategies. Today, we are a leader in energy justice issues in the Southwest and around the country. Our three primary areas of work hold industry accountable for remediating their mining locations and water impacts, generate a restorative economy that prioritizes community health and long-term sustainability, and build a network of relationships and partnerships to advocate for a just transition away from an extraction-centered economy. In our 16 years of experience organizing Navajo communities away from the extractive economy, we have learned a great deal about what contributes to a successful environmental justice campaign for their group: (1) A holistic approach to energy and climate justice, economic justice, and just transition must address environmental, economic, social, emotional, and spiritual impacts as well; (2) Justice means reclaiming our culture and empowering our people. The capitalist, cash economy has not worked for our people because they do not reflect our values. To be truly self-sustaining, we must recreate and economy that reflects our values as Navajo people; and (3) The empowerment of young people is key. While assimilation has limited the vision of our current tribal leaders, young people envision an economy that values and reflects our cultural teachings. We must ensure young people have the skills and support to make their vision a reality.

Combining field and common garden studies to understand drought tolerance in a foundation tree species, Pinus edulis

GEHRING, C.A.1,2, L. Flores-Rentería1, A. Patterson1, A. Whipple1,2, and T.G. Whitham1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Catherine.Gehring@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Populations of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) have experienced high mortality during drought events in the Southwest United States, and many models predict a significant range contraction in this species. However, long-term field studies of growth and mortality at sites in northern Arizona demonstrated significant intraspecific variation in performance during wet versus dry decades, allowing us to identify drought tolerant and drought intolerant trees. We used a moisture manipulation experiment in a common garden to assess whether the offspring of drought tolerant trees also performed well in the driest conditions in the common garden and vice versa. We found that (1) seedlings had similar patterns of growth and mortality to their maternal trees and to their siblings; (2) seedlings of drought tolerant trees performed better than those of drought intolerant trees under low moisture conditions as expected, but they also performed better under high-moisture conditions; (3) differences in performance under dry conditions were associated with differences in pre-dawn water potential among seedlings, a finding that mimics results observed in maternal trees; and (4) while seedlings of most maternal lineages performed better under high-water conditions, seedlings from a couple of lineages performed better in low moisture conditions. These studies illustrate important differences among P. edulis genotypes in response to environmental variation that could mitigate the

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effects of large-scale mortality across the Southwest. Additional studies are underway to determine if drought tolerant genotypes identified in Arizona also perform well in drought-stressed areas of New Mexico, potentially improving prospects for restoration of P. edulis on degraded lands.

A virtual tour of the rock imagery of Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona

GERBER, C. 1

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, ccg98@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Walnut Canyon National Monument contains rock art images prominently associated with Walnut Canyon. The National Park Service emblem for the monument includes an image of two fluteplayers. Most of the rock art at Walnut Canyon is inaccessible to visitors, being located in the monument backcountry or in locations for which safe access is not possible. In order to provide visitors to Walnut Canyon a deeper and more informative experience, the National Park Service used the data compendium from Northern Arizona University’s baseline documentation and condition assessment to develop a virtual tour of rock art sites in Walnut Canyon. The process of developing the tour and examples of the visitor interface will be presented.

Effect of restoration treatments and forest type on soil properties, mesofauna, and fungi in Valles Caldera National Preserve

GIBSON, K.1, C. Laturno1, A. Raya2, A. Antoninka1, and N.C. Johnson1

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, ksg75@nau.edu; 2Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico

ABSTRACT: The structure of Southwest forests has been dramatically altered over the past 140 years due to land use change and fire exclusion. Land managers are increasingly implementing restoration treatments (thinning, prescribed fire) to improve forest health and fire‐resilience. The effects of these treatments aboveground have been studied extensively, but less is known about their influence on soil communities and ecological function. We are studying the responses of communities of soil microarthropods, nematodes, fungi, and bacteria, as well as soil properties, to restoration treatments at Valles Caldera National Preserve to compare the resilience of soil communities in different forest types. In our first year, we collected soil samples from four forest types (xeric mixed conifer, mesic mixed conifer, old‐growth ponderosa, overgrown ponderosa) and three ponderosa pine restoration treatment sites (thinned only, thinned and burned, and control). Litter depth, canopy cover, and ground cover were also measured. We will be reporting on differences in densities of microarthropods and extraradical hyphae between ponderosa restoration treatments and among forest types, while observing patterns related to soil abiotic and aboveground characteristics. Our preliminary results suggest that soil mite densities were reduced in the thinned and burned site, while soil collembola were more abundant at the thinned only site than at the control or thinned and burned sites. No differences in extraradical hyphae were observed between restoration treatments, except for densities of coarse arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphae, which were elevated at the thinned only site. Alteration of the abundance and composition of soil organisms can have important implications for decomposition and nutrient cycling.

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Current and future interfaces of fire regime and suitability of landscape for the Northern Mexican Gartersnake throughout its range

GIERMAKOWSKI, T.1, J.L.Tracey2, G.J. A. Trabucco 3, G. Drus 4, and R.N. Coulson 2

1University of New Mexico, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA, tomas@unm.edu ; 2 Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, College Station, TX, 77843 USA; 3 Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Sassari, Italy; 4 Saint Francis University, Department of Biology, Loretto, PA 15940 USA

ABSTRACT: The federally threatened Northern Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) is a riparian obligate and requires habitats ranging from wetland cienegas to riparian woodlands. While the extent of its distribution is relatively large, it is often patchily distributed in populations that are hard to detect. Past evaluations of changing climate indicate a potential overall loss of landscape suitability of up to 30% due to changing availability of water. In this study, our primary objective was to evaluate how potential changes in fire regimes may influence the extent of distribution of the snake. We developed a series of Wildfire Severity Suitability Index (WSSI) models using the Maxent algorithm to classify fire regimes into low, moderate and high burn severities for both current and future climates. We then compared these modeled fire regimes with current and future models of suitability of landscape for the Northern Mexican Gartersnake. We used the Ecological Niche Model (ENM) approach, based on the Maxent algorithm, to quantify landscape suitability for the gartersnake. We used the same set of variables, parameters and settings for development of the WSSI models. These variables included five sets of environmental indices totaling 86 variables, including three subsets of 19 of 57 climatic indices, 12 topographic indices, and 17 anthropogenic indices. Prior to modeling, we used a feature selection algorithm. We project that the Lower Colorado River watershed is mostly suitable for large fires of low severity within the next few decades. We also found that areas suitable for the gartersnake are likely to experience large wildfires in the northern portion of its current range, particularly along rivers and creeks of central Arizona. These and previous results suggest that effective conservation management strategies for this gartersnake ought to include the consideration of both water availability and fire regimes.

Assisted migration policy, procedure, and implementation in national parks: a post-fire restoration success case-study at Tumacacori National Monument

GRADY, K.C.1,2, C. Updike1,2, Z. Ventrella1,2, and Y. deJouvencourt1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, kevin.grady@nau.edu; 2Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Reforestation of riparian ecosystems burned by severe wildfire is critical for maintaining tree populations where natural recruitment is lacking. Natural regeneration is only likely to occur immediately adjacent to aboveground water, while upper terraces of gallery forest rarely experience regeneration events and generally occupy the highest proportion of land area. This is because forested upper terraces formed from historical stream meandering face current conditions where trees are too far from the water table for seedling recruitment. Difficulty in access to deep ground-water, combined with reductions in stream flow from historic norms, and increasing aridity from climate change are significant obstacles to natural regeneration and reforestation efforts. At Tumacacori National Monument, along upper terraces of the Santa Cruz River, we planted ~1,500 Fremont cottonwood and Goodding willow trees six to eight years following a stand-replacing wildfire across a 25 hectare area. This area supports some of the highest abundances in Arizona of endangered yellow-billed cuckoos and southwestern willow flycatchers. We used an assisted migration strategy where tree propagation

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material was sourced from populations with climates similar to Tumacacori and also from climates with a mean annual temperature ~3.0°C warmer. We grew cuttings in 1.3 m deep pots and planted 8-month-old trees directly into the water table at 2 m soil depth. Trees from warmer sites survived 6 x and 8 x more than trees from local climates for cottonwood and willow, respectively; growth rates were similar among tree origins. Our results indicate maladaptation of local trees that averaged less than 10% survival, and illustrate the benefits of using assisted migration in areas currently undergoing climate change. This project was the first to use assisted migration on National Park Service land, providing a unique opportunity to develop and test assisted migration protocols and guide policies.

Diorhabda carinulata in Grand County Utah, 2004-2016: summary of abundance and distribution, impact on tamarisk (canopy mortality), and ecosystem response (plant recruitment under defoliated tamarisk)

GRAHAM, T.B.1,2, W.W. Robinson1, T. Higgs1, and G. Wakefield3

1Grand County Weed Department, Moab, UT 84532 USA, lasius17@gmail.com; 2University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT; 3National Park Service, Southeast Utah Group, Moab, UT 84532 USA

ABSTRACT: Diorhabda carinulata, the tamarisk leaf beetle, was introduced at three locations in Grand County in 2004; additional introductions were made in 2005 and 2006. By fall of 2006 it was obvious the beetle was well-established and already significantly affecting tamarisk at and beyond the release sites. Quantitative monitoring began in 2007 and continuing through 2017, providing a record of abundance and distribution across Grand County. Studies were added to document distribution of diapaused beetles, canopy mortality and plant recruitment in defoliated tamarisk stands. Beetle numbers increased dramatically through 2008, remained relatively high through 2012, and collapsed by the end of the 2012 activity period. Only 41 of almost 5000 beetles counted in 2012 were observed at the final, mid-September survey period. Numbers remained very low 2013-2015 but have begun to rebound. Canopy mortality has varied both spatially and temporally, with no readily recognizable pattern. We are exploring additional analyses of mortality data with physical/chemical, topographic and beetle data sets. Recruitment of plants under defoliated tamarisk stands has increased since defoliation began, but varies in species composition, abundance, life histories of colonizers, and mix of native and introduced species, and by site and watershed position. We present results of these studies and attempt to synthesize them to understand how beetle abundance and distribution patterns have driven patterns of canopy mortality and plant recruitment? We will also examine patterns in abundance and distribution of the tamarisk weevil, Coniatus splendidulus, and discuss potential interactions of Diorhabda carinulatata with other tamarisk specialist herbivores.

Restoration: research and education partnership between the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program and Southern Utah University

GRANT, J.B.1,2

1Southern Utah University, Department of Biology, Cedar City, Utah, 84720 USA, jacqualinegrant@suu.edu; 2Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History, Cedar City, Utah, 84720 USA

ABSTRACT: Southern Utah University (SUU) is a primarily undergraduate institution located at the intersection between the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin ecoregions. These ecoregions are at risk of experiencing larger and more frequent wildfires in the future because of climate change, disruption of natural fire cycles, and invasive species. The large scale of these problems requires partnerships with

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multiple agencies. At SUU we partnered with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) to address one aspect of wildfire control: post-fire ecological restoration. Seed from native plants is important for successful post-fire restoration because large fires often reach an intensity that destroys the soil seed bank. Without the native plant seed bank, invasive nonnative plants such as cheatgrass quickly move into the burned areas and further disrupt the natural fire cycle. Successful ecosystem restoration depends on regionally adapted seeds, which are often not available in sufficient variety or quantities. Restoration of areas affected by wildfire on the Colorado Plateau require partnerships among multiple agencies because the vast areas affected are too large for any one agency to manage alone. Our partnership began in 2017, and it brings together undergraduate students, faculty, and BLM partners to collect wildland seed for ecological restoration, deliver educational outreach programs, and perform native plant research. Although the seed crew itself consists of two faculty and two youth team members, the project reaches hundreds of other people through native plant gardens at local schools and parks and educational outreach exhibits at the Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History. Engagement with national and regional BLM partners along with the local community present a wide variety of challenges that have required learning to identify and reconcile each stakeholder’s perspective.

The active space of grasshopper mouse vocalizations & implications of woody plant encroachment

GREEN, D.M.1, T. Scolman1, and B. Pasch1

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, dmg358@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Vocal communication is a critical component of mate selection, predator alarming, and territory establishment in diverse taxa. The efficacy of communication depends on signal transmission through an often-cluttered environment. Anthropogenic changes in vegetation structure may impact sound propagation and thus habitat quality, but few studies have explored this hypothesis. Northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) use long-distance vocalizations to advertise their presence to rivals and potential mates and live in regions where woody plant encroachment is affecting the landscape. My research couples sound transmission experiments with auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements, the frequency of their vocalizations, and how woody plant encroachment influences sound propagation and quantify the reduction in active space. My findings will contribute to a better understanding of how changing landscapes may impact the ecology of animals that rely on acoustic communication.

Paleoecological reconstruction of ancient Lake Bonneville through sediment analysis from a modern spring site near Barn Owl Cave, Fish Springs Wildlife Reserve, UT

GROOMER, M.N.1

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, mgro444@gmail.com; 1University of Utah, Department of Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA

ABSTRACT: This research project uses multiple proxies to analyze sediment from a modern spring site, Fish Springs, within the Bonneville Basin to provide further insight to archaeological and paleoecological changes over the past 30,000 years. Magnetic susceptibility and loss on ignition contribute to a better understanding of the geomorphic and biological changes in this area during the Late Pleistocene and

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Holocene. Magnetic susceptibility is used to identify erosion and flood events, and large-scale disturbance events such as fire and volcanic eruptions through the detection of iron-bearing minerals within sediments. Loss on ignition is used to determine time periods of high moisture and drought, which is directly related to the amount of biomass on the landscape. The sediment analysis demonstrates variations in the environment throughout time, which could have had an effect on humans residing in the area. Data presented here is part of a long-term study with multiple sites and aims to establish the paleoenvironmental conditions and effects of climate change in the Bonneville Basin with regards to human occupation. The overarching goal of this project is to help explain the complex relationship between anthropology, geomorphology, and climate, which are currently not well understood in the Bonneville Basin.

The distribution and function of fire moss on severely burned forest soils of the Southwest

GROVER, H.S.1, K.D. Doherty1, C.H. Sieg2, P.Z. Fule1, and M.A. Bowker1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, henrygrover@nau.edu; 2USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: With wildfires increasing in extent and severity throughout the western United States, land managers need new tools to stabilize recently burned ecosystems. “Fire Moss” consists of three cosmopolitan species, Ceratodon purpureus, Funaria hygrometrica, and Bryum argentum. These mosses naturally colonize burned landscapes, have been shown to aggregate soils, can survive in a desiccated state for many years, and can be grown rapidly ex situ. In this talk, I will focus on our efforts to understand how Fire Moss naturally interacts with severely burned landscapes. We examined high-severity fires in the southwestern United States covering a range of time since fire from <1-year to 6-years old. Within each fire we stratified our plot selection by winter insolation and elevation. At each plot we measured Fire Moss cover and reproductive effort to species. Additionally, we measured soil physical and chemical properties, aggregate stability, shear strength, compressional strength, and water infiltration on moss covered and adjacent bare soil. Preliminary results show Fire Moss cover ranged from 0-75% with a mean of 16% across all plots and is inversely related to winter insolation, directly related to elevation, and not related to slope. Moss covered areas had twice as much shear strength and compressional strength, and three times higher aggregate stability and infiltration rates as adjacent bare ground. These results suggest that Fire Moss could be a valuable tool to mitigate post fire hillslope erosion especially on high-elevation, north-facing slopes. This survey will direct future research and restoration efforts for Burned Area Emergency Response hillslope inoculation of Fire Moss in the Southwest with potential for expansion to temperate severely burned forests globally.

Calibrating the fossil pollen record to with the modern vegetation and modern pollen assemblages of Range Creek Canyon, UT

GROVES, M. 1

1University of Utah, Department of Anthropology, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA,

Maria.groves@utah.edu

ABSTRACT: A dataset of 22 surface pollen samples from 3 sites in Range Creek Canyon, Utah were analyzed including: North Gate Bog at 2000m elevation, Billy Slope Bog at 1800m, and Cherry Meadows at 1700m. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship and representation of regional and local vegetation in modern pollen assemblages in hopes to better understand changes in time and space throughout the canyon’s fossil pollen record. Vegetation surveys, Principle Component Analysis (PCA),

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and pollen percentages were used to analyze this relationship within and among the three sites. The results can be used to refine the interpretation of fossil pollen assemblages used in reconstructions of past ecological environments. Preliminary results show that the pollen assemblages indicate a distinction between the dominant plant taxa of North Gate Bog, Billy Slope Bog, and Cherry Meadows. Pollen assemblage may be controlled by elevation perhaps due to temperature gradients and or precipitation gradients. Local herbaceous taxa dominate the signal at Cherry Meadow obscuring the regional arboreal signal. This may be due to the influence of basin size as Cherry Meadows is an open meadow with a canyon wall to wall distance of ~650m whereas North Gate Bog and Billy Slope Bog measure ~ 450m and 500m respectively from canyon wall to canyon wall. Special consideration must be taken when interpreting the fossil pollen record from a non-lake environment in the arid high elevation deserts of the Colorado Plateau. While the main taxa is faithfully represented in the surface pollen assemblages important species with climate or disturbance signals may be masked due to basin size.

Advocating for collaborative resource management using science-based management on the Colorado Plateau: A summary of lessons learned

GRUMBINE, R.E.1

1Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, egrumbine@grandcanyontrust.org

ABSTRACT: To be effective at closing the gap between scientific research results and management decision making, conservation advocates, researchers, and managers alike must understand that studies represent only the first step toward more enlightened implementation actions on the ground. Science-based management requires timely sharing of information, attention to agency work cycles and NEPA process, stakeholder buy-in with a good dose of flexibility, timely facilitation of partnerships, compelling storytelling geared to specific audiences, and more. This closing presentation will summarize the lessons learned from the various case studies reported on in this symposium. The goal is to capture in one place a list of actions that must be attended to as advocates, managers, researchers, and other stakeholders work together to incorporate science into agency partnerships.

Collaborative resource management on the Colorado Plateau using science-based partnerships: an introduction

GRUMBINE, R.E.1

1 Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, egrumbine@grandcanyontrust.org

ABSTRACT: A key element of the Grand Canyon Trust’s approach to conservation advocacy using collaborative resource management across the Colorado Plateau is the use of science to inform decision making. In 2005, the Trust bought grazing permits across 830,000 acres of Forest Service and BLM lands to the north of the Grand Canyon. The goal was to learn how to graze livestock sustainably through the use of more science-based management across a region that is larger in size than Yosemite National Park. The Trust also wanted to have the opportunity to engage more directly with federal and state agencies on a host of resource management issues beyond livestock grazing. Along with directly supporting science-based agency management through research that could yield answers to important questions with on-the-ground implications, the Trust saw the need for closer working relationships with multiple partners—a ranching family, a range of academic researchers from multiple institutions, and other stakeholders. This presentation outlines key issues in building a science-based approach to collaborative resource management on the Colorado Plateau with reference to the North Rim Ranches.

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The role of insects and diseases in aspen decline: Indicators of change or cause?

GUYON, J.1

1U.S. Forest Service, Region 4, State and Private Forestry, Ogden, UT 84401 USA, jguyon@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: Forest insects and diseases are agents of change, playing a wide range of roles from broad changes in ecosystems by removing keystone species to minor changes in healthy systems. Also, their roles themselves may change positively or negatively under a changing climate. Recently, surveys from several regions in western North America have detected evidence of elevated insect and disease activity in quaking aspen (Populous tremuloides) forests. Follow-up studies in some locations have found that aspen forests can quickly decline under certain conditions (e.g., drought stress or limited moisture). Other locations also have seen pulses of overstory mortality followed by recovery. The primary insect and disease agents involved in both cases are very similar: a complex of insect borers and canker diseases. Defining what role insects and diseases play is a critical need for appropriate management of aspen forests, within the context of the reduced/altered disturbance patterns, grazing pressure from both native and wild ungulates and drought stress.

A case study of the benefits of place-based science-management partnerships in a rapidly changing landscape

HAFFEY, C.1, C.D. Allen1, E. Q. Marglois1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA, chaffey@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: The Jemez Mountains Field Station is an uncommon coalition in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), where scientists and land managers are co-located and work directly together to develop place-based, scientifically informed, land management strategies. While by no means the only effective method of science-management interface, a nearly 30-year case study history of our field station (and others like it) illustrates ways to develop mutually beneficial effective partnerships, increase research opportunities, and deliver science products efficiently. We show that this field station model has certain advantages to effectively address both USGS leading-edge basic research topics and applied science needs of land managers in a rapidly changing, uncertain future. We discuss how, from a small office in northern New Mexico, we have developed collaborative research with diverse scientists near and far, in concert with numerous land-management partnerships. These extensive partnerships have facilitated decades of research in the Jemez Mountains, one of the most strongly climate-change-impacted areas of the Southwest. In recent years we have received further institutional support from USGS and begun to expand the capacities of the field station and the scope of managerial interactions to include more of northern New Mexico, ensuring a second generation of management supported place-based research in New Mexico.

Modeling cultural resources at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: an integrated spatial approach for predicting undiscovered resources

HANSEN, J.H1 and M.L. Nebel1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, jered_hansen@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: To mitigate potential damage to natural and cultural resources (CR) while providing appropriate recreational opportunities, an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan and an accompanying Cultural Resources Stewardship Plan (CRSP) were implemented by Glen Canyon National Recreation

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Area (GLCA). GLCA comprises an area of approximately 1.25 million acres in Arizona and Utah containing evidence of multiple and diverse prehistoric cultures spanning at least ten thousand years. CR are potentially subject to irreparable damage along roads and receding Lake Powell shorelines that are accessible to off-road vehicle use. To inform the CRSP and prioritize areas for inventory and protection, we developed a novel, integrated approach to develop spatially explicit predictive models of CR probability across the GLCA landscape. Geospatial analyses were performed using geographic weighted overlay techniques to spatially represent scientific knowledge of CR site locations. Geostatistical analyses were performed with Random Forests™ software, a modified version of the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) concept, which implements statistical regression analyses to develop highly accurate models from CR site data and environmental variables. Combined, these two techniques provide the ability to generate a greater understanding of CR location occurrence. The diverse cultural history, highly variable physiographic environments, CR site data inconsistencies, and limited available model variable data provided challenges of scale and scope. Model results were improved dramatically by classifying CR sites, based on their inferred usage, and distinguishing distinct regions within the larger GLCA landscape. Preliminary model results are being used to target ongoing field surveys. Initial validation has been positive, with new sites being discovered in areas of predicted high probability. Model performance decreases below the level of Lake Powell, where available environmental variables and CR site data are limited, but even these models show promise.

Remote-sensing resources for the wildland fire community

HARRIMAN, L.1

1Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., Contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey, lindsey.harriman.ctr@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: NASA's fleet of Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites enable scientific researchers and land managers all over the world to investigate the influence of wildland fires on the Earth’s atmospheric, oceanic, and land resources at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. More than 200 data products derived from three of EOS missions are archived and distributed by the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). The LP DAAC provides open access to a 15-plus year data record, as well as a suite of tools and services for easy data access and analysis. Data distributed by the LP DAAC have been widely cited in Earth science literature and applied to all aspects of the wildland fire lifecycle. High-resolution thermal, visible, and near infrared data from the Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor can contribute to the identification and impact assessment of wildland fires in the Southwest United States. Data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), a sensor onboard the EOS Terra and Aqua satellites, are used for drought and fire ecology-related studies and monitoring efforts in the region. Lastly, newly released NASA-created data products from the Suomi-NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor will contribute to wildland fire science and continue the legacy of MODIS. This presentation will describe characteristics of the data products currently distributed by the LP DAAC, demonstrate how to access data specific to your land remote sensing research study, and provide examples of applications for the wildland fire community.

Paleoenvironmental investigations at Billy Slope Bog, a Fremont maize field in Range Creek Canyon, Utah

HART, I.A. 1, and A. Brunelle2

1University of Utah, Department of Anthropology, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA,

ikeosaurus@gmail.com ; 2University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA

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ABSTRACT: We present a multi-proxy paleoecological record of the past 3,000 years from Billy Slope Bog, a wet meadow site in Range Creek Canyon (RCC), in the Tavaputs Plateau area of central Utah. Paleoecological proxy data discussed include a macroscopic charcoal-based fire history, pollen-based vegetation reconstruction, loss-on-ignition based carbonate and organic carbon analysis, magnetic susceptibility-based sedimentation analysis, and stable carbon isotope chemistry. We compare the data to the limited existing literature on climate and paleoecology of the region. Results demonstrate broad agreement with regional climate syntheses documenting a warm, dry medieval climate anomaly from AD 800–1300, a cool, dry little ice age from AD 1300-1800 and a more equable historic period similar to modern after AD 1800 for the Tavaputs Plateau. The fire history suggests fire in RCC were driven largely by regional droughts through much of the record. Additionally, several lines of evidence demonstrate the core site itself served as an agricultural maize field during Fremont times at c. AD 1050. Pollen ratios and percentage data suggest precipitation during the Fremont period was marked by relatively stable, moderate winter snowpack and summer drought, with interesting implications for prehistoric maize farming.

Exploring biocrust-plant community diversity relationships with UAS remote sensing in Canyonlands, Utah USA

HAVRILLA, C.A.1,2, N.N. Barger1, and M.L. Villarreal2

1University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO 80309-0334 USA, caroline.havrilla@colorado.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, CA 94025 USA

ABSTRACT: Biocrusts mediate a suite of biologically important soil processes in dryland ecosystems, and contribute to soil resource heterogeneity in drylands by modifying soil geophysical properties, microclimate, hydrology, and nutrient cycling. As such, biocrusts may have profound impacts on the structure and function of dryland vascular plant communities. Biocrusts have been shown to influence the seed retention, germination, establishment, and growth of individual dryland plant species. Yet, larger-scale relationships between biocrusts and plant community composition and diversity remain largely unstudied, perhaps in part because biocrust observations are often taken at relatively small spatial scales. To explore larger-scale relationships between biocrusts and vascular plant community structure, we used unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to collect very high-resolution (1-cm) imagery and ground measurements of biocrust and plant communities in six, five hectare plots within the Colorado Plateau region of southeast Utah. Our specific research objectives were to: (1) utilize UAS imagery and ground measurements to train a biocrust classification model to produce landscape-scale maps of biocrust condition and extent; and (2) leverage these maps to analyze relationships between biocrust and plant community diversity and spatial structure. Products from this study will improve landscape-scale biocrust distribution mapping techniques that will allow for low-cost remote detection and characterization of biocrust condition and extent across landscapes. Such tools will aid land managers and scientists in monitoring dryland soil degradation, and will facilitate the incorporation of biocrusts into ecosystem models. Additionally, study results increase our knowledge of landscape-scale biocrust-plant community interactions in dryland ecosystems.

Design and capabilities of the Southwest Experimental Garden Array cyber-infrastructure

HEINRICH, P.L1, P.G. Flikkema2, A.V. Whipple3, E. Stevens1, J. Knapp2, M. Middleton2, M. Finley2, and E.S. Judge2

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1Northern Arizona University, Southwest Experimental Garden Array, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, paul.heinrich@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Motivated by the need to model and predict plant and plant community survival and growth as a function of genetics, environment, and climate change, we have developed an architecture and implementation of precise control of irrigation in an array of outdoor gardens on an elevational gradient of over 1615 m. This cyber-infrastructure allows for the design of experiments that combine the passive control of temperature through elevation and active control of water availability through remote-controlled irrigation, decoupling these factors in experiments. This paper describes an architecture and implementation for this system, including sensor/actuator node design, site-level networking, data collection, inference, and distributed control. Among its innovations are a modular, parallel-processing node hardware design allowing real-time processing and energy-neutral, heterogeneous nodes. Throughout, we emphasize the changes in system architecture required as missions evolve from sensing-only to sensing, inference, and control. We also describe our developmental implementation of the architecture and its ongoing deployment.

Digital landscape archaeology in the Bears Ears: modern approaches to documentation, management, and public engagement

HELLER, E.J.1 and B.A. Bellorado2

1University of California Riverside, Department of Anthropology, Riverside, CA 92521 USA, eric.heller@email.ucr.edu; 2University of Arizona, School of Anthropology and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA

ABSTRACT: The archaeological resources of the Bears Ears National Monument present significant challenges to researchers and land managers alike. The quantity of sites, their relative inaccessibility, and limited resources complicate efforts to establish a holistic view of this densely settled ancient landscape on a regional scale. Recently, however, advances in three-dimensional digital technologies promise to facilitate this process by providing new methods for the rapid acquisition of high-resolution data. In this presentation, we review the efforts of the Cedar Mesa Building Murals Project to document cliff dwellings, interior spaces, and rock art panels through photogrammetry, a technique that involves capturing a series of hand-held or aerial photographs from multiple angles and processing them into a high-resolution three-dimensional representation of the subject. We present a series of 3-D models from a variety of sites in the Bears Ears National Monument, including the well-known site of Moon House, the difficult to reach site of Crawl-On-Your-Belly, and others, to demonstrate the efficacy of this method in the region. We argue that a digital landscape approach is particularly well suited to meet the challenges of documenting archaeological resources in the Bears Ears because it is a cost effective, minimally invasive, and accurate means of capturing archaeological data in a variety of contexts. Furthermore, we believe the resultant digital models are useful for a wide-range of potential applications that may appeal to researchers, managers, and the interested public. We investigate some of these applications, including the documentation, analysis, and monitoring of archaeological sites. Finally, we explore pathways for increasing public engagement with the diverse array of archaeological resources of the Bears Ears through interaction with ancient places and landscapes through virtual spaces.

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Bioaccumulation dynamics and transfer of uranium across metamorphosis in the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer

HENRY, B.L.1, M.-N. Croteau2, D.M. Walters3, and D.J. Cain2

1Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA, brianna.henry@coyotes.usd.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park Science Center, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA

ABSTRACT: In 2012, the Department of Interior issued a 20-year moratorium on uranium (U) mining in federal lands of the Grand Canyon Region, allowing for study of the impacts that this activity has on water and wildlife resources. The Colorado River watershed contains several tributaries that receive U inputs naturally from the land that they drain, making an understanding of the effects of U on aquatic biota crucial to understanding the risk of potentially increased U introduction through mining. Among aquatic biota, insects play a key role as a link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They can carry their contaminant history with them as they metamorphose to become adults, transferring exposure risks to terrestrial consumers, but this varies widely by contaminant. In the case of U, Walters et al. (unpublished results) showed that most of the U accumulated in blackfly larvae collected along the Colorado River was lost during metamorphosis to the adult stage. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms governing U bioaccumulation by insect larvae. We used the precepts of a kinetic bioaccumulation model and experimentally parameterize U uptake and elimination rate constants in a model aquatic insect species, the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer. The model can predict U accumulation and potential risk to consumers in impacted ecosystems. Results showed that mayflies efficiently accumulate U from the aqueous phase, but marginally from diet. Increasing concentrations of U in diet did not affect the mayfly feeding rates. Nearly 90% of the accumulated U was eliminated within 24 hours. Assessment of the U content in mayflies exposed across several life stages further revealed that that more than 90% of U accumulated by larvae is lost by the adult stage. These results indicate a relatively low transfer of U from the Colorado River and its tributaries to insect consumers on land.

Characterization of recent West Nile Virus circulation in Maricopa County

HEPP, C.1,2, J. Cocking 1,2, M. Valentine2,3, J. Bowers2,3, S. Young4, K. Smith4, J. Will4, J. Townsend4, and D. Engelthaler2,3

1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Crystal.Hepp@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 860113 USA, 3Translational Genomics Research Institute North, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001 USA; 4Maricopa County Environmental Services, Vector Control Division, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA

ABSTRACT: The first human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) were identified in New York City during the summer of 1999, and the virus became well established across the United States, from coast to coast, by 2004. A decade and a half later, WNV is still the most important mosquito-borne disease in the American Southwest. Since the beginning of 2014, there have been 288 human cases in the state of Arizona, where all but two counties have been impacted. Maricopa County (i.e., Phoenix and surrounding region) Vector Control has been carrying out extensive surveillance activities, and in 2016 alone, mosquito pools from more than 1000 CO2 traps were tested for five different arboviruses, including West Nile Virus. We are initiating a genomic analysis of samples from this surveillance system understand whether viral strains circulating in the environment are persistently established in local regions in Arizona, or if new strains are imported each year. Our lab has developed a whole genome tiled amplicon sequencing scheme to enrich for WNV in a given sample, which when coupled with next generation sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq, allows for high level genetic resolution among strains.

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Here we present the integration of WNV whole genome sequences with geographic coordinates, collection dates, and vector species to identify patterns of spread throughout Maricopa County as well as population dynamics over the past four years.

The 20th century rise and fall of Mormon Lake, SW Colorado Plateau—a consequence of increasing annual temperatures

HEREFORD, R.1, 2, and J. Schwing2

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, rhereford@usgs.gov; 2 University of Oklahoma, Conoco School of Geology and Geophysics, Norman, OK 73019 USA

ABSTRACT: Changing lake levels are an indicator of sustainable water and hydrologic change. Mormon Lake (area 29 km2 in a 105 km2 basin) is in the ponderosa pine forest of central Arizona. The basin is closed without substantial diversion into or out of the lake. Snowmelt runoff, not summer rain, is the primary source of water. Historic lake levels were inferred from anecdotal information, photographs, tree-ring dating of near-shore trees, and geologic identification of lake-level indicators and lacustrine sediment. Elevation of former lake levels was measured with a survey-grade GPS receiver with vertical precision of 5–15 cm. Lake deposits and abandoned, laterally discontinuous shorelines span a narrow elevational range from 2,165.5 m when dry in 2016 to 2,186.5 m before ~1800 when the lake was 13.5 m deeper than its highest early 1900s level of ~2,173 m. In 1876, the lake was not large, restricted to a marshy area on the east side of the lake basin, its typical state since ~1950. Photographs in the early 1900s reveal a large lake at high levels; levels began to decline in the 1930s until it was dry by 1947. Thereafter, levels rose briefly up to ~2,169 m during unusual wet spells. Tree-line age and elevation decreased concurrently, revegetating the early shorelines. Generally, precipitation and temperature affect lake level, although in shallow lakes such as Mormon Lake, temperature is the dominant multidecadal control on water level. Changes in climate since the early 1900s caused the lake to rise and then fall to its present diminished state. The early 1900s was the wettest period in centuries and the coolest of the 20th century. Since the 1950s–1960s, episodic drought and substantial warming that increased evapotranspiration resulted in persistent dry or low lake levels, despite a wet episode in the late 1970s to mid-1990s.

A paleoecological and depositional reconstruction of an oxbow lake on the Dolores River, Utah

HEYER, J.P.1, and A. Brunelle2

1University of Utah, Geography Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9155 USA, josh.heyer@geog.utah.edu; 2 University of Utah, Geography Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9155 USA

ABSTRACT: The paleoecological and depositional environment are reconstructed from an oxbow lake adjacent to the Dolores River, Utah, an area of the Colorado Plateau that has not yet been investigated in paleoecological research. A cottonwood gallery forest dominates the riparian zone, while a juniper/Colorado pinyon forest populates the cuestas surrounding the site. The long-term fire history of cottonwood gallery forests is largely unknown, and will be explored in our study. Further, the oxbow lake is located in a transitional vegetation zone where vegetation transitions from a xeric/mesic juniper/Colorado pinyon forest to a xeric landscape. Vegetation will be reconstructed to reveal past xeric/mesic and xeric dominated landscapes related to climate variability. Our site, near the confluence of the Dolores River and Colorado River, is a fitting location to investigate past fluvial processes related to climate variability, with implications for water resources. Initial results presented here will include an

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age model using AMS radiocarbon and OSL dating methods, magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition, a high-resolution charcoal record, elemental analysis using X-Ray fluorescence, and preliminary pollen results. This project will contribute to existing paleoecological research on the Colorado Plateau, improving our understanding of past environmental disturbances and climate variability that impacted this area during the Holocene.

Detecting and monitoring invasive buffelgrass in the national parks of southwestern Arizona

HIGA, E.1

1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California 91109 USA, ehigaearth@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, located in southern Arizona, is home to both diverse native species and a rich cultural history. It is the only place in the United States where large stands of organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) can be found. Unfortunately, the park’s landscape is under threat from invasive buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare), a non-native species originally brought to the United States from Eurasia and Africa to stabilize soils and improve the productivity of rangelands. Buffelgrass forms dense mats in vacant gaps between native plants that normally serve as fire breaks. Consequentially, these mats become vast fuel loads with high peak fire temperatures that drastically increase the chance of devastating wildfires. The plant also threatens the transformation of native desertscapes to grasslands through an expansive root system that allows the species to outcompete native flora. Currently, park managers rely on costly aerial and ground surveys to monitor this species. To improve the capability of the National Park Service (NPS) to combat the spread of buffelgrass, this project investigated and furthered two methodologies for buffelgrass detection, and mapped predicted locations of buffelgrass presence. Because buffelgrass has a quick phenological response to precipitation events, the Climate-Landscape Response (CLaRe) model was used to study the relationship between remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and rainfall data from the Parameter-elevation Relationships of Independent Slopes Model (PRISM). We also tested a spectral-based approach, using the Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF) technique on high-spatial-resolution WorldView-2 data. Our findings demonstrate that the CLaRe metric and MTMF models have the potential to be powerful tools for land managers dealing with infestations of buffelgrass.

Using ecological risk analysis to screen for health effects: application at uranium mines

HINCK, J.E.1 and D. Cleveland1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201 USA, jhinck@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: The bioaccumulation of chemical constituents in various trophic levels can represent an ecotoxicological risk to wildlife. This risk concern has been voiced repeatedly at breccia pipe uranium mines in the Grand Canyon watershed, and largely focuses around uranium and other radionuclides. However, some co-occurring elements (e.g., arsenic, selenium, cadmium) present in breccia pipe ore deposits can be as toxic, if not more toxic, to biota as uranium. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting studies at multiple mining and reference locations to understand which constituents and foodweb components drive the risk for representative aquatic and terrestrial receptors, and evaluate whether constituents that do not bioaccumulate (e.g., lead, uranium) drive risk at lower trophic levels whereas constituents that do bioaccumulate (e.g., selenium, mercury) will drive the risk for predators.

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The main constituents of concern based on body burdens and toxicity thresholds are arsenic, copper, lead, nickel, selenium, and uranium. In general, mercury is not of concern at these mines. We will provide summary statistics for chemical constituents and discuss the extent to which concentrations in plants, invertebrates, and mammals pose a risk to wildlife that forage at these sites. The results of this study will also be used for better understanding how risk analysis approaches can change depending on health interests (e.g., wildlife, humans, tribal resources). Future work will include deriving no effect concentrations based on dietary exposure doses.

Climate adaptation planning and action on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim: Building adaptive capacity through springs ecosystem restoration

HOGLANDER, C.1

1Grand Canyon Trust, choglander@grandcanyontrust.org

ABSTRACT: For the southern Colorado Plateau, the shifting climate brings hotter temperatures, greater aridity and precipitation variability, and more intense droughts. These climate change impacts affect both human and ecological communities and amplify the challenges of balancing conservation goals with land use objectives on public lands. Yet there are opportunities to take action to increase climate change resilience and achieve mutual benefits. Grand Canyon Trust, a non-profit conservation advocacy organization, is working on several initiatives in collaboration with a diversity of partners to reduce climate change impacts across the Colorado Plateau. We present one of these initiatives: a climate adaptation effort to protect and restore springs ecosystems across an 830,000-acre landscape north of the Grand Canyon. Working with public lands managers, our ranching partner, and many dedicated volunteers, we are working to survey, restore, and monitor these high diversity ecosystems which provide critical water resources for wildlife and also support livestock in a public lands ranching operation. Identified as a priority adaptation action in our Climate Change Adaptation Plan and motivated by successes at pilot restoration sites, our springs-focused work seeks to rehabilitate historically impacted sites and minimize land use effects to improve ecosystem health and support landscape-scale resilience. We present our springs protection and restoration efforts as an initial step in broader adaptation planning and action implementation. Over the next several years, our ongoing collaborative work will include an expanded suite of adaptation actions to continue to strengthen adaptive capacity at a landscape scale.

Maternal effects and native plant restoration

HOLESKI, L.M.1,2, and B.J. Butterfield1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, liza.holeski@nau.edu; 2 Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Plant maternal effects, whereby offspring traits are affected by the maternal plant environment, occur across a wide variety of taxa. Maternal effects include seed provisioning and heritable epigenetic modifications. Seed provisioning, an increase in resources allocated to seed, primarily affects germination and early seedling traits. Epigenetic modifications are changes in phenotype that are mediated by mechanisms other than alterations in the DNA sequence; these influence traits throughout the life of offspring. Maternal effects likely affect germination, establishment, and long-term plant success of native plant seed generated by seed increase programs for restoration. Here, we explore the possibility that manipulation of the seed increase environment will increase short- and long-term restoration seeding success. We conduct a meta-analysis of published

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literature to assess the proportion of phenotypic variance in functional traits that is explained by maternal effects. We then explore the potential effects of seed increase in agricultural settings on the performance of plants across a range of restoration settings

New tools for conservation of the yellow-billed cuckoo in the West

HOLMES, J.1, M. J. Johnson1, James R. Hatten2, 1Colorado Plateau Research Station, Northern Arizona

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, Jennifer.Holmes@nau.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA USA

ABSTRACT: The western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo, a riparian obligate, was recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Information is lacking on the cuckoo’s current distribution and abundance in the West. Due to its unique natural history traits and behaviors, surveys to establish the species’ distribution require labor-intensive, species-specific methods. In addition to knowing the cuckoo’s current distribution, conservation efforts require the identification of features and area requirements associated with high-quality, riparian forest habitat at spatial scales that range from nest microhabitat to landscape, as well as lower-suitability areas that can be enhanced or restored. We developed spatially explicit models as tools for identifying and prioritizing conservation efforts for the yellow-billed cuckoo. We used aerial photos and satellite imagery, logistic regression, and a hierarchical spatial scale approach to identify yellow-billed cuckoo breeding habitat along the Lower Colorado River and its tributaries. These models identified several key features associated with yellow-billed cuckoo breeding locations: (1) a 4.5 ha core area of dense cottonwood-willow vegetation, (2) a large native, heterogeneously dense forest (72 ha) around the core area, (3) moderately rough topography, (4) the odds of yellow-billed cuckoo occurrence decreased rapidly as the amount of tamarisk cover increased or when cottonwood-willow vegetation was limited. The two model types had very similar probability maps, largely predicting the same areas as high-quality habitat. We then applied the satellite-based models to other areas within the cuckoo’s western range, in Idaho, to identify priority areas for conducting surveys and establishing the cuckoo’s distribution within the state.

Over-winter bat hibernaculum of select caves of Grand Canyon National Park

HOLTON, B.1, B. Tobin1, S. Ciarrachi1, J. Diamond2, and R. Mixan2

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA, Brandon_holton@nps.gov; 2Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000 USA

ABSTRACT: Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) has one of the highest diversities of bat species in the National Park Service system, including 22 species of the known 28 species that reside in Arizona. This diversity of bats can be largely attributed to GRCA’s distinct biological life zones that are situated along a steep altitudinal gradient. Although species diversity is high, relatively little is known about the ecology of resident or migratory bats throughout the park, or how impending threats from white-nose syndrome (WNS) may impact several bat populations in GRCA. Eight of GRCA's Myotis species have roosting ecology and physiology similar to species that have experienced severe range and population declines due to WNS, and 15 of GRCA bats species potentially use GRCA caves for hibernation. We are investigating species diversity and magnitude across different spatial and temporal scales using capture and acoustic techniques, and monitoring winter bat activity and roost/hibernacula sites in select areas of GRCA. We report on seasonal bat activity and how the potential for movements across short latitudinal but massive elevational gradients in Grand Canyon may be influencing winter roost strategies and potential reducing susceptibility to WNS.

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Landscape of encounter: the evolving cultural landscape of Tumacácori

HORTON, T.1

1National Park Service, Intermountain Region, Cultural Resources, Santa Fe, NM USA, tonia_horton@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: With the expansion of the park’s land base prompting a new General Management Plan, the direction was clear: develop cultural landscape management plans to guide operations and future development of the resources associated with the interaction of native peoples, Spanish colonial regimes up to 1848, and the later ranching land uses in the Santa Cruz River valley—as well as pre-Park and National Park Service eras of development. This presentation will center on the physical nature of this cross-cultural “encounter” within the environmental context of the Santa Cruz River and valley, and will map changes over time because of use, climate change, the “weathering” of resources, past National Park Service focus on preserving the mission ruins, in some cases, resource loss. By defining the context for the evolving landscape through the past three centuries, the proposed cultural landscape management plan will not only provide an historic baseline for land use and resources, but will guide future park actions from a more holistic perspective within this resource-rich environment.

A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US

HOWE, A.A.1, S.M. Landhäusser2, O.T. Burney3, and K.E. Mock1

1Utah State University, Ecology Center and Department of Wildland Resources, alex.a.howe@aggiemail.usu.edu; 2University of Alberta, Department of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences; 3New Mexico State University, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences

ABSTRACT: Traditional silvicultural practices to regenerate quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) focus on inducing asexual suckering, but these methods can reduce genetic diversity over time and are limited to existing stands. Planting of nursery-grown aspen seedlings for restoration has proven effective in mined-land reclamation in the boreal forests of Canada, but protocols have yet to be developed for the western US where seedling establishment may be more challenging. Here, results from an ongoing study testing seedling-based aspen restoration in southern Utah will be discussed. Survival during the first year varied substantially between locations, and mortality was dominated by rodent herbivory and early summer drought. Additionally, uneven responses among seedling sources in the nursery suggest further protocol optimization will be necessary for western US aspen. Despite these initial challenges, further refinement of seedling-based aspen restoration techniques in the western US could prove to be a useful supplemental tool for increasing resilience through active management of this keystone species.

Environmental controls, timing, and rates of CO2 cycling in biological crusted soils on the Colorado Plateau

HOWELL, A.1, C. Tucker1, J. Belnap1, T. McHugh2, B. Weber3, R. Gill4, A. Darrouzet-Nardi5, S. Reed1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, ahowell@usgs.gov; 2Colorado Mesa University, Department of Biological Sciences, Grand Junction, CO USA; 3Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Multiphase Chemistry Department, Mainz, Germany; 4Brigham Young University, Department of Biology, Provo, UT USA; 5University of Texas at El Paso, Department of Biological Sciences, El Paso, TX USA

ABSTRACT: Many areas of the Colorado Plateau have extensive biological soil crusts (biocrusts) – a community of lichens, mosses, and cyanobacteria that comprise the majority of cover in interspaces

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among perennial plants. Biological soil crusts provide key ecosystem functions such as stabilizing soil, adding soil fertility, and cycling significant amounts of CO2 via photosynthesis and respiration. The ability of biocrusts to perform these functions, particularly CO2 exchange with the atmosphere, depends on climatic variables such as precipitation and temperature. Additionally, the rates and controls over this process remain poorly understood. In order to address this knowledge gap, we placed automated LICOR CO2 flux chambers over naturally occurring patches of biocrusted soil on the Colorado Plateau to measure hourly soil CO2 exchange, over the course of a year. In conjunction with flux chambers, we installed microclimate sensors at the soil surface and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm depths below the surface. Hourly measurements of net soil exchange of CO2 enabled us to monitor temporal patterns of soil CO2 fluxes and how they related to temperature and moisture at various soil depths. We observed a strong positive correlation between moisture and soil CO2 effluxes throughout the year. This correlation was strongest with surface moisture sensors, as many wetting events did not penetrate to the deeper soil profile. Net soil CO2 exchange was minimal in the summer months with low precipitation and increased in the spring and monsoonal fall months. In accordance with prior research, we observed measurable photosynthesis in winter months when temperatures were lower and biocrusts experienced occasional subnivean conditions. Taken together, our data show that soil microclimate, especially at the surface, strongly correlates with biocrust soil CO2 exchange. These patterns give new insight to our understanding of biocrust function and its diurnal and seasonal variability on the Colorado Plateau.

Distinct effects of N and P addition on soil enzyme activities and C distribution in aggregates: implications for soil C stocks

HUANG, J.1,2,3, W. Chen1,2, Kaibin Qi1,2, X. Pang1, R.L. Sinsabaugh3, B. Yang1, and W. Bao1

1Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610041, China, huangj@unm.edu; 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China, 3 University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have a critical role in soil C cycling, but the underlying mechanisms of responses of soil C dynamics to N and P availability remain not well understood. We investigated dynamics of soil enzyme activities and C in bulk soil and three aggregate fractions, i.e. macroaggregates (5000-250 μm; MaA), microaggregates (250-53 μm) and silt and clay (<53 μm; S&C), following two growing seasons of N addition (0, 5 and 20 g N m-2 yr-1) without and with P addition (15 g P m-2 yr-1) in a subalpine spruce plantation. We found distinct effects of N and P on enzyme activities and C content across soil fractions. The activities of two lignolysis enzymes (catalase and polyphenol oxidase) in bulk soil increased after N and P addition, while β-glucosidase activity was suppressed by N in S&C but increased by P in MaA and P addition increased catalase activity of S&C, consistent with the common decomposition sequence that polysaccharides and lignin deplete in particle and mineral fractions, respectively. Bulk soil C content showed no response to nutrient treatments, whereas C distribution in aggregates was affected, with increased relative C content of S&C in N-only addition plots and increased and decreased relative C content of MaA and finer aggregates (<250 μm), respectively after P addition. We attributed the distinct effects of N and P on C distribution in aggregates to differential responses of aggregates to N and P, in addition to the effect of increased fine root biomass induced by P. Furthermore, our results indicate N addition has the potential to increase soil C storage while P would cause soil C losses, with differential mechanisms, and the dynamics of soil C and enzyme activities in aggregates are better predictors of long-term soil C sequestration than those in bulk soil.

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Combined effects of invasive species and climate change on Fremont cottonwood and their beneficial root-associated fungi

HULL, J.B.1, L.M. Markovchick1, G.J. Allan1,2, T.G Whitham 1,2, and C.A. Gehring1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, jbh232@nau.edu; 2, Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Climate change is expected to disproportionally affect the Colorado Plateau; furthermore, invasive tamarisk, or salt cedar, (Tamarix spp.) is a major ecological threat to riparian ecosystems of the American southwest. Tamarisk increases soil salinity and nitrate concentrations. In addition, tamarisk does not form beneficial relationships with root-associated mycorrhizal fungi, while native plants generally do, resulting in reduced abundance and diversity of these fungi where tamarisk dominates. These effects on soil chemistry and soil biota persist following tamarisk removal, creating a legacy which can continue to detrimentally affect foundation plant species such as Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii). Over time, Fremont cottonwood populations that survive with tamarisk neighbors could adapt to the presence of tamarisk, potentially reducing their dependence on mycorrhizal fungi. The combined effects of climate change and tamarisk on Fremont cottonwood are largely unknown. We utilized field surveys and a fully factorial greenhouse experiment to address the following questions: (1) do Fremont cottonwoods from stands with tamarisk respond differently to climate change and/or tamarisk legacy soil than cottonwoods from stands without tamarisk, and (2) does inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi affect cottonwood response to climate change and/or tamarisk legacy soil? Preliminary results show significant differences in mycorrhizal abundance in cottonwood stands with and without tamarisk. The greenhouse experiment manipulating temperature (ambient and 4 degrees warmer), soil type (tamarisk legacy or non-invaded riparian), mycorrhizal inoculation (live or sterile) and cottonwood experience with tamarisk (with or without tamarisk neighbors) is underway to more fully explore the combined consequences of invasive species and climate change on Fremont cottonwood.

Cold-adapted plants have a higher tolerance to episodic drought than warm adapted plants in a widely distributed non-native riparian tree species

HULTINE, K.R.1, S.B. Bush.1, R.W. Long2, D.F. Koepke1, and K.C. Grady3

1Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Phoenix, Arizona 85008 USA, khultine@dbg.org; 2University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Tamarix ramosissima * chinensis is a non-native hybrid tree species that is widely distributed throughout riparian ecosystems in the western US. Its presence has resulted in significant modification of riparian ecosystem structure, biogeochemistry, and species biodiversity, and has been the focus of significant research linked to its water use requirements and associated impacts on ecohydrological processes. More recently, it has been the focus of functional trait-based research linking resource allocation to the capacity of Tamarix to cope with episodic disturbance from herbivory, fire, and drought. To better understand patterns of local adaptation in resource allocation and associated drought tolerance, Tamarix cuttings sourced from populations across a broad climate gradient were planted in an experimental common garden. We hypothesized that populations from warm climates with little or no freezing limitations would display a greater reduction in growth, leaf area, and whole-canopy gas exchange compared to populations from colder climates as a function of cold-adapted plants having a greater overall root area to leaf area ratio. We measured sap flux density, leaf water potential,

13C of recent photosynthates, and radial growth (n=20 two-year old trees from cold and hot

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populations) prior to, and during a three-month drought treatment. We found significant differences in sap flux density, water use per leaf area, and canopy stomatal conductance across populations. Sap flux density was as much as 30% higher in populations from high elevation sites compared to low elevation sites. Water use per unit leaf area was highest in low elevation source populations prior to the onset of drought, although showed a much greater decline compared to high elevation source populations, with 65% decline compared to 35% decline respectively relative to pre-drought conditions. Mean canopy stomatal conductance was on average 40% greater in the highest elevation source population compared to the lowest elevation source population over the course of the measurement period. In addition, we found significant differences in growth rates across populations. High elevation source populations showed 60% greater radial growth compared to low elevation source populations over the same time period. These results suggest that Tamarix populations from low elevation regions are more sensitive to drought compared to high elevation regions. These results further suggest that effectiveness of restoration and management practices may vary depending on geographic location.

Prehistoric roads and associated landscapes in the Bears Ears National Monument and the surrounding Mesa Verde region

HURST, W.1 and J. Till2

1Independent Researcher, Blanding, UT USA, winstonhurst@frontiernet.net; 2Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Blanding, UT 84511 USA

ABSTRACT: Chaco and post-Chaco era roads in the Mesa Verde region demonstrate patterned relationships between cultural and natural features to such a degree that the documentation of roads as “sites” (which we represent and document as points or lines on a landscape) is almost trivializing or absurd. For this presentation, we pitch a cursory survey of known roads in the central and western portions of the region, including what constitutes the southern portion of the Bears Ears National Monument. An ensuing discussion of roads and their associations with other cultural and natural features, using a very modest filter of ethnographic information, indicates poignant cultural-historical narratives for the landscape(s) we consider. Among other things, roads and their associated features may reference elements pertinent to Puebloan cosmology, ancestry, local historical narrative, and community. While the exact functions of roads might elude us, broad archaeological context and ethnography proffer such possibilities as foot-racing, processions, and intercommunity communication.

Links between slow growth, climate, and aspen mortality

IRELAND, K.B.1, P.Z. Fulé2, M.M. Moore2, and R.E. Keane3

1Montana State University, Department of Ecology, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA, kathryn.b.ireland@gmail.com; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT

ABSTRACT: Climatic conditions influence aspen growth and mortality, with implications for management of aspen forests. Extensive and rapid aspen mortality has been documented in many regions of North America in recent decades. Much of this recent mortality has occurred in locations projected to be climatically unsuitable for aspen under future climate scenarios and has been particularly pronounced in the southwestern US. However, in other regions loss of aspen is less extensive, especially at landscape scales. Variability in climatic conditions may help to explain some of the differences in aspen response. We investigated the relationship between aspen growth, mortality, and climate across three forest types in northern Arizona using crossdated tree-ring samples. Comparisons of growth characteristics in the years preceding death between dead and surviving aspen trees showed that live trees had

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consistently higher average growth rates for at least 100 years. Aspen growth was negatively correlated with warm temperatures and positively associated with higher precipitation. Warm summer temperatures increased the risk of aspen mortality, but in areas of higher annual precipitation the increased moisture appeared to mitigate mortality risk. We contrast these climate-growth-mortality results from the Southwest with lessons from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where aspen loss was lower at landscape scales than previously expected. We discuss the implications of aspen-climate relationships for management of aspen forests under projected future climate conditions.

Current and future management, preservation, and research efforts in the Bears Ears lands administered by the USDA Forest Service

IRWIN, D.C.1

1Manti-La Sal National Forest, Moab-Monticello Ranger District, PO Box 820, Monticello, UT, 81321 USA, dcirwin@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: The Moab-Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest manages over 500,000 acres of forested lands in San Juan and Grand Counties, Utah. The December 2016 presidential proclamation of the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) was created to preserve and protect the “extraordinary archaeological and cultural record” and natural resources in the area. The proclamation directs the Forest Service to manage 295,000 of the 1.35 million acres contained with the BENM. This discussion focuses on current and future management of heritage resources on the Forest Service portion of BENM. Following a brief introduction summarizing the archaeology of the district, the discussion focuses on current inventory and monitoring efforts being conducted on BENM, as well as public programs being conducted by the Manti-La Sal National Forest within BENM. The presentation concludes with a discussion of on-the-ground conditions, trends, and future needs for managing the heritage resources on the monument.

Temperature, day length, and geographic distribution data allow for prediction of Tamarix spp. defoliation by Diorhabda carinulata

JAMISON, L.1, C. Van Riper IIl2,3, and M. Johnson1

1Northern Arizona University, Colorado Plateau Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, levisor7@hotmail.com; 2U.S Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ; 3University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA

ABSTRACT: We examined the spatial dynamics and timing of defoliation of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) by the biological control agent Diorhabda carinulata at three sites within the Colorado River Basin. We found that the location and timing of defoliation was predictable based on; 1) abiotic cues for D. carinulata activity, 2) spatial distributions and abundances of D. carinulata across a site, and 3) movement of D. carinulata as a result of available tamarisk foliage. We found that averaged air temperatures above 15°C during the spring related to how soon D. carinulata began reproducing and defoliation rate at a site, and that this led to variations in voltinism rates in D. carinulata. We found the critical day length for inducing diapause in D. carinulata at our sites to be 33-47 min shorter than that of populations first released in North America in 2001, suggesting adaptation in response to abiotic cues. We also found a positive correlation between the spatial distributions of D. carinulata populations during the fall compared to that of the 1st generation of larvae during the following spring, suggesting that locations of defoliation as a result of abundant larval populations could be predicted in advance. There was also a significant decrease in the numbers of D. carinulata in sites that were 50% defoliated compared to those that were 100% defoliated, demonstrating that D. carinulata will abandon areas

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once defoliation levels become high. We will present how these results will better enable conservationists to understand the timing of defoliation events across a landscape and provide a rationale to forecasting tamarisk defoliation in areas colonized by D. carinulata.

Biota dose assessment of small mammals sampled near uranium mines in northern Arizona

JANNIK, G.T. 1, K.M. Minter1, J.Hinck2, D. Cleveland2, and W.W. Kuhne1

1Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina 29808 USA, tim.jannik@srnl.doe.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201 USA

ABSTRACT: In support of environmental studies being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Savannah River National Laboratory performed a biota dose assessment of small mammals sampled near several uranium mines in Northern Arizona. The RESRAD-BIOTA (version 1.8) dose model was used for this assessment. Nearly 50 small mammals were sampled and initially analyzed for gross alpha and gross beta activity. Concentrations ranged from non-detect (reporting limit of 4 pCi/g) to 11.0 pCi/g for gross alpha and from non-detect (reporting limit of 10 pCi/g) to 16.9 pCi/g for gross beta. Based on the highest gross alpha concentrations, 11 tissue samples were further analyzed for naturally occurring uranium (U-234, U-235, and U-238), thorium (Th-228, Th-230, and Th-232), and radium (Ra-226) radioisotopes. Using maximum and average concentrations, separate assessments were performed for animals sampled near the Pinenut Mine, Arizona 1 Mine, and Kanab North Mine, all of which are located in the Kanab Plateau of Northern Arizona. Initial estimates show that the potential biota doses are below the U.S. Department of Energy’s biota dose standard of 0.1 rad/d (1 mGy/d). A description of the dose methods used in RESRAD-BIOTA and the final results of the small mammal dose assessments will be presented.

Three years after the pulse: Response of riparian vegetation to the Minute 319 environmental pulse flow to Mexico

JARCHOW, C.J.1, P. Nagler1, and E.P. Glenn2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, cjarchow@usgs.gov ; 2Environmental Research Laboratory of the University of AZ, Tucson, AZ, 85706 USA

ABSTRACT: During the spring of 2014, 130 million cubic meters of water were released from Morelos Dam on the lower Colorado River, allowing water to reach the Gulf of California for the first time in 13 years. This study examined the effects of this historic binational experiment (the Minute 319 agreement) on vegetative response along the riparian corridor. We used 250 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and 30 m Landsat 8 satellite imagery to track evapotranspiration (ET) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; a measure of greenness). Our analysis showed an overall increase in NDVI and ET in 2014 (year of the pulse), which reverses a decline in those metrics since the last major flood in 2000. NDVI and ET levels decreased in 2015, but were still significantly higher than pre-pulse (2013) levels. Preliminary findings show that this decline has persisted into 2016. We continue to analyze results for 2017 and will compare these findings to short term (2013-2016) and long-term (2000-2016) changes in NDVI and ET. Our results support the conclusion that the Minute 319 pulse had a positive but short-lived impact on vegetation growth in the delta.

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Identifying Factors Contributing to Spatial Patterns of Wildlife Vehicle Collisions

JARVIS, K.1, D. Adams1, M. Christiansen1, N. Barlow1, A. Mugisha1, G. Bezzant2, R. Boswell2

1 Southern Utah University, Department of Biology, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, karljarvis@suu.edu; 2Department of Wildlife Resources, Division of Natural Resources, Cedar City, UT 84721 USA

ABSTRACT: Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) cause millions of dollars in damage in Utah annually, and Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) is the major species involved in these deadly WVCs. Density of mule deer WVCs varies greatly, likely depending on migration patterns in nearby lands, time of year, speed limit, and other factors. Recent mitigation activities to reduce WVCs on State Road 56 in rural southeastern Utah have included mechanical clearing of pinyon-juniper woodland adjacent to roads to improve visibility. However, no studies have focused on the effect of proximity of pinyon-juniper cover on WVCs in this region. We examined environmental factors contributing to WVCs on State Route 56 by analyzing the relationship between LANDFIRE vegetation data and WVC density. Our hypotheses were that proximity of (1) forest cover, (2) grassland cover, and (3) water sources to roads increases WVC rates due to higher occupancy while mule deer are accessing those resources. Our principal finding was that proximity to trees was the most important factor out of the hypotheses we tested, including grassland cover. These results will help land managers optimize natural resource management activities and road mitigation measures to reduce WVCs, and plan locations for wildlife crossings and other measures to maximize mule deer connectivity.

Previous fires and roads limit wildfire growth in Arizona and New Mexico

JENNESSEN, J.1, P.Z. Fulé2, and L.L. Yocom2,

1Jenness Enterprises, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 USA, jeffj@jennessent.com; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: In recent decades more and larger fires have been burning in the Southwest, giving the opportunity for fires to interact on the landscape over time. Reburning is one type of fire interaction, but another type of interaction occurs if fire perimeters align but the fires do not overlap. In this case, the previous fire may be acting as a fire break. However, often a road also aligns with both fire perimeters, meaning that rather than one fire stopping the next, the road probably stopped them both (or was used by fire managers to stop them both). We selected fires in Arizona and New Mexico from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity database (N=1615). We buffered each “previous” fire 150 m inside and outside the perimeter, for a 300-m total perimeter. For each “subsequent” fire, we determined the distance of the perimeter that aligned with the previous fire’s buffered perimeters. We also buffered roads (120 m total) and determined the distance of fire perimeters that aligned with the roads. We repeated all calculations for each fire after randomly rotating and moving the fire perimeter a random distance (maximum 10 km) and direction. We then tested differences between actual locations and randomly shifted locations. On average, 0.035 of fire perimeters aligned with previous fire perimeters (not roads), but the proportion was less than half of that when fire perimeters were randomly moved (0.019, p = 0.001). The average proportion of fire perimeters that aligned with roads only (not fires) was 0.204, compared to 0.103 when fires were randomly shifted (p << .001). Although the proportions are small, we found that both previous wildfires and roads serve as fire breaks in stopping the spread of subsequent fires. Fire interactions are likely to increase in the Southwest as more of the landscape burns.

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Grand Canyon National Park high-elevation restoration: choosing the right plant for the right place

JENSEN, A.1

National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023 USA, ahsa_jensen@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Grand Canyon National Park faces land disturbance and degradation from visitation impacts including and not limited to park development, recreational use, wildland fires, and invasive species. Grand Canyon National Park’s vegetation program focuses on habitat and land restoration throughout the national park. Disturbed areas are restored to encourage wildlife habitat and maintain the historic cultural landscape. Many of the restoration projects are on the North and South Rims between 6,800 and 8,000 feet in elevation. Restoration efforts can only be initiated after National Park Service compliance is completed and a restoration project plan is approved. Restoration project areas are planted and/or seeded according to site needs, protected from herbivory, mulched with native bark chips, and monitored for invasive species removal and soil moisture for at least five years. Our restoration practices are tailored to the southwest environment and our projects have allowed us to determine the success rates between seeding and planting specific species. Our findings have lead us to insure all plant material is collected within designated areas similar in elevation, geography, and climate to the restoration site in order to preserve the genetic integrity of the wild native plant populations and increase seeding and planting success.

Tamarisk biocontrol along the Lower Rio Grande: where do the beetles defoliate?

JI, W.1,2, L. Wang1, A. Knutson3

1State University of New York at Buffalo, Geography Department, Buffalo, NY USA, wenjieji@nmsu.edu; 2New Mexico State University, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Las Cruces, NM; 3Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Department of Entomology, Dallas, TX USA

ABSTRACT: Tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.) was released on many western rivers to suppress the abundance of the invasive tamarisk. Although it is expected that the beetle and tamarisk will eventually reach an equilibrium state similar to that observed in their native range in Asia, abrupt changes in tamarisk abundance following the release of the beetles requires rigorous evaluations of the impact of tamarisk biocontrol on tamarisk population and associated plant-animal communities of the western riparian ecosystem. Using remote sensing methods, this study is the first to report the impact of the subtropical leaf beetles (D. sublineata) released along the Lower Rio Grande region. It was found that the subtropical beetles can move along the river corridor at a rate of approximately 102-130 km yr-1 during the first year after release. Movement of the beetles was found to be largely directed by tamarisk availability. The beetles also seemed to prefer tamarisk trees within wide riparian zones as their food source. Elevation was not found to be correlated with tamarisk defoliation. Admittedly, the variables tested in this chapter only accounts for a small part of the living environment of tamarisk and tamarisk leaf beetle. Other site specific factors such as fertility, disturbance regime, water availability, and soil and nutrient conditions were not collected in this research but are also likely to affect tamarisk-beetle interactions. However, the findings of this study serves as a good starting point for future researches to build upon to further study the beetle-tamarisk interaction and the potential mechanisms that may affect this dynamic herbivory relationship.

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Roaring Springs hydrograph and recession curve analysis in deep karst Redwall-Muav aquifer, Grand Canyon National Park

JONES, C.J.R.1, A.E. Springer1, and B.W. Tobin2

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, r999@nau.edu; 2Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: The Redwall-Muav aquifer (R aquifer) is a thick (up to 400 m), well-developed karst system over 1,000 m below the Kaibab Plateau of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Precipitation on the rim infiltrates the subsurface through 1,000’s of sinkholes, and travels vertically and horizontally through a separate, perched karst aquifer and several impermeable layers via faults and fractures. The R aquifer discharges from multiple springs, which provide habitats for springs dependent species and baseflow to the Colorado River. One spring, Roaring Springs, is the sole source of potable water for both rims of Grand Canyon National Park, supplying over 6 million visitors annually. A hydrograph for Roaring Springs was created with a stage-discharge rating curve, obtained from discrete discharge measurements and a continuously recording transducer, which has recorded stage and temperature since early 2015. Recession curves from monsoon and snowmelt events obtained from hydrographs separate the flow paths into conduit, fracture, and/or intergranular/base flow. Precipitation data from the North Rim was used to quantify travel time through the aquifer. Transit time from infiltration to spring discharge can be rapid for summer monsoon events, due to large dissolved conduits in the karst. Winter snowmelt, which dominates the climate for the majority of the year, recharges the aquifer on a slower scale, and has a longer residence time than summer monsoonal precipitation. Comparison of the hydrographs and precipitation response time reveals the properties of this complex, deep aquifer system in new ways. Results of this study will be essential to comprehensive management plans in Grand Canyon National Park and other karst aquifers to adequately protect groundwater and springs ecosystems.

Fire, vegetation, and climate reconstructions for the Bonneville Basin, Utah

JONES, K.B.1, I. Hart2, A. Brunelle1, and J. Degraffenreid3

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, kaylee.barket@utah.edu; 2University of Utah, Department of Anthropology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA; 3U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, UT USA

ABSTRACT: Wetlands provide a repository for paleoecological information in arid regions where lake deposits are rare to absent. Pollen and charcoal from those sediments are used to reconstruct vegetation assemblages and fire regimes. Pollen percentages, influx, and ratios provide insight on variations in temperature, precipitation, and seasonality. Tools such as XRF allow us to identify tephras for chronological constraint and can provide additional insight to changes in sediment input. Magnetic susceptibility and loss on ignition provide information on erosion and sediment influx in the system. This project combines these proxies from multiple sites to reconstruct hydrological and ecological histories for Utah’s Bonneville Basin. Here we present data from modern spring sites at low and mid elevations to contribute to regional paleoenvironmental data and specifically to aid in the analysis and interpretation of the region’s rich archaeological record. Sediment cores collected from this project were taken from the vicinity of U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground (DPG). Sites were chosen in coordination with DPG archaeologists to maximize the relevance of these paleoenvironmental records to archaeological research at DPG, but the collected cores contain robust late Pleistocene records as well. Our multi-site approach allows micro- and meso-scale hydrologic and environmental histories, providing a high-resolution spatial and temporal paleoenvironmental context for archaeological research.

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Arsenic levels in surface and groundwater throughout northern Arizona

JONES, M.1, J. Baldwin2, J. Ingram3, R. Miller4, and C. Propper1

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, Department of Biological Sciences, 86011 USA, mch259@nau.edu; 2 Northern Arizona University, Center for Health Equities Research and Department of Health Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3 Northern Arizona University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 4 Yavapai-Apache Nation, Camp Verde, AZ 86322 USA

ABSTRACT: Arsenic levels in the southwestern United States tend to be higher than levels throughout the rest of the nation. Prolonged exposure to arsenic through drinking water and food can lead to cancer, skin lesions, developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. To understand exposure risk to human and wildlife populations, evaluating and reporting concentrations of arsenic in water resources is critical. Water sampling and testing has been conducted throughout Arizona and although that data is available to the public, most of it is not in a practical or usable format. The current study utilized a systematic search of online data bases, such as https://www.waterqualitydata.us/portal/ and https://ofmpub.epa.gov/storpubl/dw_pages.querycriteria, to create a condensed spreadsheet of sites sampled and evaluated for arsenic concentrations from 1990-2017 throughout Northern Arizona. To visually represent the information throughout Northern Arizona, ARC-GIS was used to convert this data-set into a map shapefile. The results demonstrate that arsenic levels in surface and ground water exceed USEPA drinking water limits for many sites throughout several counties in Northern Arizona. These data are useful for water managers throughout the region. Future goals for this project include overlaying point and non-point pollution inputs and socio-economic data onto these maps to determine if there are correlations between higher arsenic levels in water resources, pollution inputs, and lower social economic status.

Sinkhole geomorphology and distribution on the Kaibab Platea, Grand Canyon National Park

JONES, N.A.1, B.W.Tobin1, and E.R. Schenk1

1Grand Canyon National Park, Physical Science Program, Grand Canyon, AZ, 86023 USA, natalie_jones@partner.nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The Kaibab Plateau is home to over 7,000 known sinkholes located on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA). These sinkholes act as the primary recharge points for many springs below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, including Roaring Springs—the sole water source for the park and the six million annual visitors and employees. To better characterize the underlying conduit system, this study examined the morphology and distribution of sinkholes on the Kaibab Plateau at GRCA relative to other karst regions. Sinkhole identification was automated using ArcGIS analysis of 1 m2 resolution LiDAR analysis of the Kaibab Plateau. Individual sinkholes were processed and filtered in Python, and graphed as a frequency-depth distribution adapted from Troester et al., 1984. Results indicate that the Kaibab Plateau possess a population of sinkholes that closely resemble temperate karst regions such as the Kentucky plains in terms of surface geomorphology, and potentially in terms of subsurface conduit storage and drainage capacity as well. These results provide an important step towards understanding the complex groundwater dynamics of the Kaibab Plateau may aid future efforts to protect GRCA’s water supply.

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Restoring sagebrush habitat in cheatgrass-invaded soils

KAINRATH, N.B. 1, K.C. Grady1, P. Dijkstra2, and C.A. Gehring3

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, NBK4@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences and Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in the sagebrush steppe of the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin has altered the fire regime and increased soil resource availability leading to a decline in sagebrush habitat. This decline in sagebrush habitat has created a large need for plant restoration, however, restoration has proven difficult. Numerous studies have shown changes in nutrient cycling and availability following cheatgrass invasion while others have shown changes in components of soil microbial communities, including a decline in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These results suggest that altering nutrient levels and restoring microbial communities may improve sagebrush steppe restoration effectiveness. We tested this hypothesis using field experiments at sites in Arizona, Idaho and Utah. In 2015, we transplanted approximately 2,880 seedlings, including sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) at each field site. We tested the efficacy of reducing cheatgrass competition, altering nutrient availability and providing microbial inoculants to the growth and survivorship of sagebrush and squirreltail. Plant growth and survivorship varied among sites and plant species; site differences were associated with variation in precipitation and cheatgrass density with high growth and survivorship in regions with high precipitation and low cheatgrass abundance. Altering nutrient levels (nitrogen and phosphorus) had minimal effects on plant growth with significant effects limited to the Arizona site. Inoculating with either sagebrush rhizosphere soil or commercial AMF inoculum had no significant effect on the growth or survival of either plant species, although changes in AMF abundance belowground were observed. Reducing cheatgrass competition increased growth of both sagebrush and squirreltail at all sites. Soil moisture data suggest the reduction of cheatgrass competition alleviated water limitation. Overall, our results indicate that reduction of cheatgrass competition was the most successfully tested restoration treatment, possibly due to the increase in water availability.

Application of the Bureau of Land Management’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring strategy for reclamation and restoration monitoring: utility and examples

KARL, J.W. 1, A.C.E. Laurence-Traynor2, Z.M. Davidson2, J.C. Davis3 and E. Kachergis4

1 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA, Jason.Karl@ars.usda.gov: 2 U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe, NM 87508 USA; 3 U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Owyhee Field Office, Marsing, ID 83639 USA; 4 U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, National Operations Center, Denver, CO 80225 USA

ABSTRACT: Monitoring of reclamation or restoration activities (“restoration monitoring” for brevity) is a crucial step in adaptive management, not only to judge effectiveness of a restoration action, but also to build evidence for its overall efficacy and context in which it is appropriate. Restoration monitoring should be targeted to detect the desired effects (and anticipated side effects) of the action. However, there is great value in adopting consistent monitoring indicators and methods to facilitate the use of existing data, leverage data quality and management processes already in place, and gain the ability to view restoration activities in the context of larger landscape monitoring efforts. The Bureau of Land

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Management’s (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) program provides a strategy for monitoring the status and trend of BLM rangelands at multiple scales, report on the effectiveness of monitoring actions, and provide information necessary for BLM to implement adaptive management. The AIM strategy emphasizes a set of core indicators and methods and statistically-based sampling design to provide consistency and rigor to BLM monitoring. AIM is a flexible tool that can be applied to situations like restoration monitoring (e.g., via use of supplemental indicators) while retaining compatibility with larger scale monitoring efforts. There are several ways in which the AIM strategy or existing AIM data can be applied to restoration monitoring including: augmenting existing restoration monitoring; using in before-after-control-impact (BACI) sampling designs; comparing data from restoration sites to either nearby similar AIM sites or to a collection of AIM sites from the same land type; or comparison of restoration monitoring data to reference conditions developed from a larger collection of AIM data. We will illustrate each of these approaches through examples of where BLM has used AIM data for restoration monitoring in northwestern Colorado, northern New Mexico, and eastern Alaska.

Linking fluvial and aeolian sediment transport along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

KASPRAK, A.1, D. Buscombe2, J.C. Caster1, A.E. East3, P.E. Grams1, and J.B. Sankey1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, akasprak@usgs.gov; 2 Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA USA

ABSTRACT: In river valleys, fluvial and upland landscapes are intrinsically linked through sediment exchange between the active river channel, near-channel river deposits, and higher elevation upland surfaces. Along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, historically-large floods deposited sediment in sandbars, which was then transported by wind to source-bordering upland dune fields. However, the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 reduced sediment supply to downstream areas by more than 95%, leading to erosion of both sandbars and aeolian landscapes along the river. This research explores the relative roles of two processes driven largely by the operation of Glen Canyon Dam, hydrologic alteration and vegetation encroachment, on altering the areal extent of bare sand along the Colorado River. We find that over a 25 km study reach, the loss of historic low flows coupled with increased riparian vegetation have combined to reduce the extent of bare sand by 27% when comparing the pre- and post-dam periods. With this altered landscape context in mind, we subsequently present the results of decadal-scale numerical modeling and remote sensing to understand the efficacy of experimental floods from Glen Canyon Dam for restoring sand resources along the continuum of fluvial, aeolian, and hillslope landforms in the Canyon. Our results indicate that a combination of low flows from Glen Canyon Dam, targeted vegetation management, and sediment-supplying floods are all vital components in the management and restoration of sand resources along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.

Monitoring seeding effectiveness in the Southwest: level II post fire treatment effectiveness monitoring on the 2014 Signal Fire, Gila National Forest

KIESOW, M.1 and N. Koehler2

1USDA Forest Service, Kaibab National Forest, Williams, AZ 86046 USA, mkiesow@fs.fed.us; 2 USDA Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM 88061 USA

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ABSTRACT: The Signal Fire started on May 11, 2014, and burned approximately 5,500 acres in the southern portion of the Gila National Forest. A BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) team was assembled to assess post-fire conditions and resulting risk to life (human health and safety), property, and cultural and natural resources. Treatments were recommended where emergency conditions existed. Aerial seeding was one treatment recommended to reduce soil erosion and associated losses to soil productivity and hydrologic function. This treatment was implemented on 1,525 acres of high and moderate soil burn severity areas with a certified weed-free seed mix consisting of four native perennial grass species: Prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), Muttongrass (Poa fendleriana), Mountain brome (Bromus marginatus), Bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) and a non-native annual barley. The annual barley is a quick germinating non persistent plant that provides rapid canopy and ground cover. A three year level two treatment effectiveness monitoring study was initiated to determine effects from post-fire seeding on erosion rates, site/soil productivity, natural recovery and species diversity. Two monitoring plots (seeded and non-seeded) were established each with: a rain gauge, two sediment catchment traps, cover frequency analytical plot transects, and photo points. Results from this monitoring demonstrate seeding to be an effective treatment for reducing post fire soil erosion rates across the Signal Fire, with implications to the greater southwest area. Reduced erosion rates on the seeded site are connected to a large increase in canopy cover during the first year and increases in both canopy and ground cover conditions in years two and three. Conclusions from this monitoring indicate two different post fire states exist between treatment types: a more stable, less diverse state (seeded) and a less stable, more diverse state (non-seeded) following three years of monitoring.

Metabarcoding with environmental DNA samples to assess use of uranium mine detention ponds as a water source for wildlife in the arid Southwest US

KLYMUS, K.E.1, C. Richter1, N. Thompson1, and J.E. Hinck1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Rd, Columbia, MO 65201 USA, kklymus@usgs.gov

Abstract: Development of new uranium mining in northern Arizona was halted in 2009 by the federal government until studies assessing the potential impact of radionuclide contamination were conducted. In order to understand the possible toxicological effects of heavy metal and radionuclide contamination on wildlife, a better understanding of the food web and exposure pathways was needed. Therefore biodiversity surveys were conducted via small mammal trapping and acoustic monitoring for bats and anurans. In addition to these surveys, environmental DNA samples were also taken. By sampling surface water near these mines as well as the actual mine detention ponds we used a metabarcoding approach to determine what species utilize these water sources. We are using 12S and 16S rRNA gene markers to examine biodiversity at these sites. Using the 12S markers we recovered large numbers of sequence reads from taxa expected to be in the area, as well as from less common or hard to observe taxa such as the Mexican free-tailed bat and the tiger salamander. Detection of the tiger salamander is of note because this species was not observed by the traditional biological survey techniques used. Due to low phylogentic resolution of the 12S marker, most taxa were unable to be identified down to species level. Using our 16S markers, we expect to improve our taxonomic resolution. We will compare our molecular based survey results with those from the traditional survey methods and also look at species occurrence differences across seasons. Finally eDNA is quickly becoming a popular tool for wildlife surveys, we will discuss the advantages and limits of this technique based off our own work. Ultimately this tool will enable us to better understand the overall biodiversity of the area and potential movement of heavy metal contaminants through the food web.

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Multiple-modeling approach for understanding groundwater flow in the Grand Canyon region: identifying plausible conceptual models, assessing uncertainties, and valuating additional data

KNIGHT, J.E.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, jknight@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Understanding the groundwater flow system around the Grand Canyon is important given past and current mineral exploration and mining activities in proximity to vast natural and cultural resources. However, hydrogeologic data are sparse and the geologic structures which affect subsurface flow are poorly characterized. The scarcity of data means that multiple plausible realizations of aquifer property distributions and boundary conditions can be modeled that match observations to roughly the same degree. In other words, there is no single best model. This study uses a multiple-modeling approach for understanding regional groundwater flow within the Redwall-Muav aquifer below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The models explore many plausible configurations of aquifer properties (hydraulic conductivity) and boundary conditions (recharge rate and distribution) while honoring existing observations and prior conceptual models of the system (head levels, spring flows, large-scale aquifer geometry, and structure). Highly-parameterized inversion and Null Space Monte Carlo (NSMC) methods produced many thousands of alternative parameter distributions and model runs. Several criteria were used to evaluate a subset of reasonable alternative distributions of hydrologic parameters, and were used to quantify and compare the uncertainties of output from multiple models. This multiple-model approach was used to evaluate the worth of potential future observations, which can help inform field data collection. Overall, this modeling effort pulls together what is known about groundwater flow in the regional aquifer, and identifies the most important factors to our understanding of the system that remain unknown.

Humpback chub translocations and nonnative fish control: Grand Canyon success stories

KOLLER, R.C.1, E.C. Omana Smith1, R. Schelly1, and B. Healy1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, Rebecca_koller@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Historically there were eight native fish species in Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), six of which are endemic to the Colorado River Basin. Today, five remain in GCNP, including humpback chub, Gila cypha, an ESA-listed species. GCNP contains the largest remaining population of humpback chub, but significant threats remain to this and other native species, including the presence of nonnative fish and parasites, and altered temperature and flow regimes. In accordance with the Comprehensive Fisheries Management Plan (NPS 2013) and conservation measures from multiple Biological Opinions on the Bureau of Reclamation’s operations of the Glen Canyon Dam, GCNP and Bureau of Reclamation initiated a series of humpback chub translocations in Havasu and Shinumo Creeks to provide a rearing opportunity for juveniles and develop a second spawning population. In both creeks, goals were met for population numbers, apparent survival, and growth. Additionally, goals for reproduction and recruitment have been met in Havasu Creek. Following fire and flood events, translocated humpback chub were eliminated from Shinumo Creek. A third tributary with high potential for supporting humpback chub is Bright Angel Creek. Highly predatory nonnative brown trout were deliberately introduced into the creek to establish a sport fishery in the early 20th century, replacing native and nonnative fishes over time. To assist in restoring the native fish community, five years of mechanical

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removal of nonnative trout have been undertaken throughout the 16 km Bright Angel Creek, using 3-pass depletion electrofishing and a weir/trap at the mouth. In that time, brown trout biomass has been reduced by more than 70% throughout the creek and native species have shown a positive response, laying the groundwork for eventual translocation of humpback chub into this tributary. These ongoing efforts continue to meet the requirements of conservation measures, including those in the Long-Term Experimental Management Plan (NPS 2016).

Exceedence of maximum contaminant level drinking water standards in Grand Canyon springs and implications for future monitoring

KREAMER, D.K.1

1University of Nevada, Department of Geosciences, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4010 USA, dave.kreamer@unlv.edu

ABSTRACT: Historical information from 1950 to 2017 on Grand Canyon spring water quality and quantity was examined to determine the number of times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water standards were exceeded, and the factors that might influence water quality in the springs. MCLs are the legal threshold limit on the amount of a substance permissible in public water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act. MCLs were exceeded at least 136 times in Grand Canyon springs over the 67 years evaluated, with arsenic concentrations exceeding the MCLs most frequently (78 times). MCL concentrations were also exceeded for beryllium, uranium, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Locations for the highest concentrations of these elements included Pumpkin Spring, Monument Spring, Horn Spring, Big Spring, and Milkweed Spring. Many of the exceedences were recorded from springs issuing from the Redwall-Muav aquifer stratigraphic region. Some isotopic analyses suggest anthropogenic influence on water quality. The highest historical arsenic concentration was reported as 350 times the MCL, the highest beryllium concentration was 32 times the standard, uranium over 13 times higher, cadmium over 3 times exceeding the drinking water level, lead over twice the level, and mercury 1.9 times the MCL. The more stringent maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) for drinking water quality, which are the levels for drinking water which are associated with no or minimal risk, were exceeded regularly in spring water samples. Examining the data further, many of the exact locations of sampling for each spring were not consistent through the years, nor were meteorological and hydrological conditions before and during sampling. These spatial and temporal inconsistencies in sampling, along with large data gaps, make trend and correlation analysis difficult.

Teaching climate change to citizen scientists

KRUSE, A.1

1Bosque School and University of New Mexico, Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program, Albuquerque, NM 87120 USA, Audrey.kruse@bosqueschool.org

ABSTRACT: Teaching the complexities of climate change to the next generation is both daunting and imperative. To build an understanding of shifting climatic consequences in arid New Mexico, three organizations have leveraged collaborative efforts to directly monitor the climate in the local “bosque” or riparian forest. The Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) has partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Phenology Network to teach climate change to youth through phenology monitoring. Phenology is the study of the timing of life cycle events and through a citizen science program called Nature’s Notebook, students from predominantly low-income, urban neighborhoods make regular observations and get to know their local, “wild” landscapes in intimate and unexpected ways. This monitoring effort is part of the Rio Grande Phenology Trail and students compare

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their data to the other six Rio Grande Nature’s Notebook monitoring sites spanning the Rio Grande from Santa Fe to Las Cruces. Students’ data can also be compared on a national level to other phenology observers’ data and countrywide spatial analysis provided by the National Phenology Network helps students understand their role as citizen scientists. The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque is using the data collected by citizen scientists to directly inform management decisions about native species management. When students, as young as 2nd graders, understand that the data they “beam straight to the scientists” through the Nature’s Notebook app, has real-world consequences for augmenting climate change research, they become invested in the planet’s future in concrete ways. Building stewards of the environment at young ages and helping students feel invested in combatting climate change, is one of the most powerful ways we can address on-the-ground-climate adaptation and create informed communities that will confront the future in resilient and locally relevant ways.

Radioecology and the importance of background characterizations in the determination of risk from uranium mine activities

KUHNE, W.W.1, G.T. Jannik1, M.H. Paller1, J.J. Mayer 1, J.E. Hinck2 and D. Cleveland2

1Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina 29808 USA, Wendy.Kuhne@srnl.doe.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201 USA

ABSTRACT: The desert Southwest is an area of unique geology, surface and groundwater systems, meteorological conditions, and biota. Breccia pipe uranium deposits, cylindrical deposits that extend several hundred feet underground, dot this landscape and are of interest for mining. To determine the risk of these proposed and on-going activities to the surrounding environment and biota requires a multi-disciplinary approach including radioecology. Radioecology is the study of radionuclides in the various sub compartments of the environment. The aim is to understand the origins of the radionuclides, transport and uptake mechanisms, and pathways for exposure to humans and non-human biota. Uranium mining provides particular challenges in determining risk because of the wide variety of other metals that are brought to the surface with the uranium ore. A thorough evaluation of potential pathways of exposure and effects due to the metal/chemical toxicity and the radiation exposure are required. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory have teamed together to evaluate these risks and evaluate the background levels of radionuclides at pre-mining locations and at existing mines in the Grand Canyon region. This presentation will review the radionuclides of interest, radiation types, exposure conditions, and concepts of dose vs exposure, and will discuss the importance of understanding background conditions in the context of risk assessment.

The use of pathology to assess tissue injury in wildlife associated with mining activity

LANKTON, J.S.1 and J.E. Hinck 2

1U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 USA, jlankton@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201 USA

ABSTRACT: Pathological investigation is the gold standard of detection of many sublethal and lethal effects of a disease agent on an organism. Pathology can also be used in laboratory exposure trials to demonstrate a causal relationship between chemical exposure and effects, and can serve as a measure of impacts in the field. Understanding the changes that occur at the systemic, tissue, and cellular level in

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the wildlife receptor is critical to understanding how a contaminant impacts a host as well as the potential for synergistic effects of mixtures of contaminants and sequelae of exposure, such as increased susceptibility to other diseases. Lesions of toxicity of inorganic chemical constituents generated in association with uranium mining, such as arsenic, selenium and lead, have been well-characterized in both domestic animals and wildlife species. We will review common lesions of toxicity and report pathology results from a survey of wild mammals at breccia pipe uranium mines in the Grand Canyon watershed. Methods and best practices for sampling of animals for pathological evaluation will also be discussed.

Fire and wind erosion induced redistribution of soil carbon and nitrogen at different microsites in a grassland-shrubland ecotone

LI, J.1, G. Wang1, S. Ravi2, and J. Sankey3

1The University of Tulsa, Department of Geosciences, Tulsa, OK 74104 USA, Junran@utulsa.edu; 2Temple University, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: Global climate models predict an increase in aridity in many dryland systems of the world including a majority of the North American deserts, which may enhance the role of fire and aeolian processes in the dynamics of these ecosystems. Most previous studies have focused on the physical mechanisms and the validity of the fire in ecosystem change, a field-level quantitative understanding of fire-soil erosion interactions and post-fire sediment and nutrient redistribution at different microsite sites (i.e., bare interspace, grass, and shrub) is still missing. Here, we conducted a prescribed fire in a grassland-shrubland transaction zone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. We collected high-density soil samples from both burned and control plots. The location of soil samples in the sampling plots (5 m × 5 m) and there relevant to microsites were also recorded. During a one-year period, we have detected 14% increase of carbon (C) but no noticeable change of nitrogen (N) in the burned plot. Fire has also decreased the overall variation (denoted by coefficient of variation) of the soil C from 40% to 25% and a slightly less decrease for soil N. The change of soil C and N was not equal among different microsites. In particular, we have detected a substantial depletion of both C and N under shrubs and notable accumulation of these elements at the bare of grass microsites. Geostatistical analysis showed in the burned plots, about 93% of the spatial dependence of soil C was autocorrelated at a distance of 1.85 m before the fire, but this dependence has dropped to 73% at a shorter autocorrelation distance of 0.60 m after one year. These results suggest that wild fire and the resultant increase of aeolian activities have caused the dissipation of the large “fertile islands” in a relative short period of time.

Sustaining mission life along the Santa Cruz River

LIM, A.B. 1

1National Park Service, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tumacacori, AZ 85640 USA, Alex_Lim@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Securing reliable sources of water was a critical element that dictated the success of Franciscan Spanish missionaries in the Santa Cruz valley of the Southern Arizona. Using specialized knowledge of putting together locally available materials to construct an efficient waterway or acequia as well as other water-related features, Spanish and the Native American inhabitants exhibited high level of adaptability to local environment to ensure food stability and steady mission operation. Even after their departure from the mission, the knowledge of using the acequia system continued to be

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practiced by the Hispanic populace, a testament to its suitability and adaptability for the regional climate. Materials characterizations and design studies done on water-related features at Tumacácori in the past five years have yielded great information on the techniques and materials of construction employed by the Spanish, resulting in greater appreciation for limited and dwindling water resources in the Southern Arizona. The study highlights how the active public dialogue on the value and the preservation of built heritage, using materials and engineering knowledge as a catalyst, can keep history relevant to the contemporary society.

Thresholds of ecological drought and ecosystem responses to drought across a range of semi-arid biomes in the southwestern US

LITVAK, M.E.1, A.M. Fox2, D.J. Krofcheck1, and G.E. Maurer3

1University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA, mlitvak@unm.edu; 2University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA; 3University of California, Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

ABSTRACT: Semi-arid biomes in many parts of the southwestern U.S. experienced a severe drought in 1999-2002, and again from 2011-2013. Collectively these biomes store a significant amount of carbon on a regional scale, ranging from a slight source of carbon in low elevation grasslands (~50 g C m-2 y-1) to a significant carbon sink in high elevation coniferous forests (~-350 g C m-2 y-1). It is therefore of great interest to quantify what impact these severe droughts have on ecosystem function across the range of biomes represented in this region. We use a 10-year record from 2007-2016 of continuous measurements of carbon, water and energy fluxes made across a network of flux towers along an elevation/aridity gradient in New Mexico, the New Mexico Elevation Gradient (NMEG), to quantify biome-specific responses to the 2011-2013 drought. Biomes represented across this gradient are desert grassland, creosote shrubland, juniper savanna, piñon-juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine and subalpine mixed conifer forests. We use the responses of net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and its components (gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Re), to soil moisture availability, to define both the thresholds of ecological drought, and the impact of ecological drought across these biomes. We will also discuss the importance of the seasonality of drought across these biomes, how it varies across the gradient, and use our observations to predict the impact of hotter and potentially more severe droughts in the region.

Some like it salty: local adaptation in Tamarix across a salinity gradient on the lower Colorado River

LONG, R.W.1

1University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 USA, rlong@umail.ucsb.edu

ABSTRACT: Patterns of woody-plant mortality have been linked to environmental changes, such as increased moisture deficits, salinity, and episodic outbreaks of insect herbivores. While many studies have focused on specific stresses, a less studied question is whether local adaptation to stress creates variation in susceptibility to herbivory. Tamarix spp. are a group of non-native tree species in western North America that are experiencing dieback driven by episodic herbivory of the introduced tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata). As beetles have spread across this landscape there appears to be variation in mortality, including across areas with different salinities. Here we ask whether plants from sites with increasing salinities have different patterns of gas exchange, productivity and carbon allocation. We evaluated these traits using reciprocal salinity treatments with propagated plants from

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adjacent high and low salinity sites along the Colorado River. Both in situ collections and greenhouse trials of plants from high and low salinity sites suggest local adaptation exists. For example, plants from high salinity sites allocated relatively greater amounts of resources to belowground biomass in the greenhouse regardless of the salinity they were grown in (F1,12=4.4, P=0.055). Plant material collected in situ from the low and high salinity sites during the dormant season showed increased allocation to labile carbon storage (F1,18=5.7, P=0.027). In the greenhouse, plants from high salinity sites had reduced photosynthetic rates (F1,9=19.65, P=0.002), while at the same time exhibiting greater water uptake indicating a lower water use efficiency. The results from these studies suggest that Tamarix is experiencing environmental selection across small spatial scale gradients, and that the heterogeneous rates of mortality from herbivory across the landscape may be linked to heritable traits related to salinity and other site factors.

Living on the edge: Recent archaeological inventory of Beef Basin, Utah

LOOSLE, B.1, Jamie Palmer2, Katie Hill3, Alison Palmer4, and Jaclyn Eckersley5

1Bureau of Land Management, DC 20003 USA, bloosle@blm.gov; 2Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City, UT 84721 USA; 3Independent Researcher, Austin, TX USA; 4Independent Researcher, Cedar City, UT USA;5Brigham Young University, Department of Anthropology, Provo, UT 84602 USA

ABSTRACT: We will report on a multi-year effort to identify and map a poorly understood corner of the Colorado Plateau. Beef Basin is located at the extreme northwestern edge of the San Juan cultural area. As long noted, the limited Puebloan occupation is late Pueblo II and early Pueblo III. The pottery types and some architectural features demonstrate cultural links to the greater Mesa Verde region. However, the occupants of Beef Basin maintained their own separate ritual identity through a diversity of kiva styles and site layouts. Mesa top structures, towers, and fortified promontories suggest a defensive posture, at some point in their occupation. Despite the scant Pueblo I evidence, Archaic slab-lined hearths and extensive Archaic-aged cultural deposits are abundant. Perhaps the people had ancestral ties to the area and the Pueblo II occupation could be viewed as a return to an ancestral homeland.

The archaeology and conservation of the Four Corners potato (Solanum jamesii)

LOUDERBACK, L.A.1, and B.M. Pavlick2

1Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, Anthropology Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA, llouderback@anthro.utah.edu; 2Red Butte Garden, University of Utah, Conservation Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA

ABSTRACT: Could Utah be home to the earliest known domestication of potato? We have been examining that possibility through archaeological and botanical studies of the Four Corners potato (Solanum jamesii), a species that is native to southern Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. The work has highlighted the importance of collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems in deep time. We predict that at certain archaeological sites there are remnant, now apparently wild populations of this species, descended from strains that had once been subjected to domestication. Although once ubiquitous in Escalante (which the pioneers called “Potato Valley”), S. jamesii is now hard to find on the landscape. We are partnering with the USDA/ARS US Potato Genebank to incorporate population genetics into a conservation strategy for archeologically associated outposts of the species in the Four Corners region. By establishing the cultural significance and potential agronomic importance of S. jamesii we hope to facilitate conservation through better land management practices and local outreach.

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Lung bioassay of ground dwelling mammals from the Grand Canyon uranium breccia pipe region using scanning electron microscopy

LOWERS, H.A.1, J. Lankton2, and J.E. Hinck 3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Central Minerals and Environmental Resources Science Center, Denver, CO 80225 USA, hlowers@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201 USA

ABSTRACT: Small mammal lung tissue sections were examined to help assess the effects of weathering on bioavailability and toxicity from sites in different phases of the mine cycle within the Grand Canyon area. Hematoxylin and eosin slides of lung tissue from brush mouse, deer mice, and pocket gophers were examined by a veterinary pathologist who marked areas of tissue that showed normal, inflammation, bronchiolar hyperplasia, mineralization, intracellular refractile debris, macrophages, and parasitic pathology. These selected areas were examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy to determine the size and composition of particulate matter, if present, in these areas. To date, two brush mouse and one deer mouse from mined sited and a deer mouse and Botta pocket gopher from control sites (unmined areas) have been examined. Particulate matter observed among the five samples includes titanium dioxide, iron oxide, calcite, Al-Si fly ash particles (?), clay, feldspar, and zircon. The particulate matter is less than 2 micrometers in the longest dimension and most are less than 1 micrometer. Based on the small sample population, there appears to be no difference in the type or size of particulate matter observed between the mined and unmined specimens and among the different tissue pathologies.

Hydropower and the Aquatic-Terrestrial Dynamic Along the Colorado River

LUPOLI, C.A.1, J.L. Sabo1, T.A. Kennedy2, J.D. Muehlbauer2, and C.B. Yackulic2

1Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA, caclupoli@gmail.com; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: Physical boundaries—like the interface between rivers and their watersheds—are convenient, but not always meaningful in an ecological context. This boundary is in fact quite porous in both directions. Much evidence supports the reciprocal dependence of riverine and riparian ecosystems on bidirectional transfers of nutrients, detritus, propagules, and active dispersal of organisms. Insects are one example of this exchange. Aquatic insect larvae emerge into terrestrial adults and feed forests, while terrestrial invertebrates find their way from riparian canopies into the diets of drift feeding fish. The significance of emergent insects as trophic subsidies to riparian invertebrate and vertebrate consumers has been studied in a wide variety of biomes; however, this cross-system flux remains surprisingly unexamined for large, regulated river systems, like the Colorado River Ecosystem in the Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons. To accomplish this, tissue samples were obtained from riparian consumers between Glen Canyon and Hoover dams and analyzed for ẟ13C and ẟ15N composition. Isotope ratios of various riparian consumers indicated niche partitioning by these groups; riparian lizards relied more heavily on the aquatic food web, whereas riparian rodents relied more heavily on the terrestrial food web. Other taxa showed variability in their dietary dependence. Comparing the isotope ratios of lizards between seasons also demonstrated changes in riparian food web structure, with a shift towards lower diversity and less dependence on the aquatic food web from summer to fall. Though this study was restricted to a stretch of the Colorado, its findings are relevant for managing large, regulated rivers worldwide.

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As quiet as it gets: acoustic results from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

MACE, B.L.1

1Southern Utah University, Interim Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, mace@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: A major portion of this project focused on the acoustic zones created by visitors in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Since its designation in 1996, visitation to GSENM has steadily increased. Baseline acoustic data are necessary for managers to understand the impact increased visitation is having on natural ambient auditory conditions in these highly visited areas. Acoustic monitors were deployed in areas receiving heavy visitation to capture the specific sounds created by visitors. Results show a significant contribution to the soundscape by visitors in a few of the monitored areas during daylight hours. Several acoustic monitoring sites were located in remote areas with little visitor sound contribution. Other anthropogenic sound sources were found to be most evident across all monitored locations, especially the sound of high altitude jet aircraft. Several monitored sites were also found to be within the range of the quietest locations monitored in the lower 48 United States, based on exceedingly low decibel levels. Recorded decibel levels were approaching the noise floor at several monitored locations. In a final phase of this project, extremely sensitive acoustic equipment was deployed at one of the locations found to be the quietest. Recent results from this location will be detailed during this session.

Using song to establish sub-specific distinctness of the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus)

MAHONEY, S.M.1, and T C. Theimer1

1Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, sean.mahoney@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 protects species that are endangered or threatened in a significant portion of their range as well as the ecosystems they occupy. The ESA also extends to subspecies, and this is especially important on the Colorado Plateau. The willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) is a bird that occurs throughout the US. There are four subspecies of willow flycatchers: E. t. traillii occurs in the eastern US, E. t. brewsteri occurs in the western US, E. t. adastus and E. t. extimus both occur in southwest riparian areas on the Colorado Plateau, however E. t. extimus occupies relatively lower elevations in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. E. t. extimus is a protected endangered subspecies, in part because of habitat loss. However, recently the subspecific distinctness of E. t. extimus and E. t. adastus has been challenged and therefore E. t. extimus’ protection under the ESA is threatened. Delisting may have devastating consequences for thousands of acres of protected land vital for countless native species, as well as for human recreation. Genetic and plumage differences between the two subspecies have been determined. Song remains relatively understudied, but may play an important role in differentiating these subspecies, because song is used to select mates. We present results on the songs of the endangered E. t. extimus and non-endangered E. t. adastus, and show differences in several aspects of their respective songs. I will also present results from playback experiments where we quantified the behavior of individual birds that were played hetero- and conspecific songs.

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Using Connectivity Modifiers to restore degraded grasslands in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

MANN, R.K.1, M. Duniway1, S. Reed1, L. Ballenger2, M. Miller2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab UT 84532 USA, rmann@usgs.gov; 2National Park Service, Southeast Utah Group, Moab UT 84532 USA

ABSTRACT: Many upland grassland communities on the Colorado Plateau have undergone an ecological shift to a degraded state, characterized by extensive patches of bare ground and a predominance of invasive annual species such as Bromus tectorum and Salsola tragus. These areas are associated with processes that prevent their natural recovery, including accelerated rates of soil erosion and overland water flow, depleted native seed banks, and loss of surface soil quality. Due to variable and infrequent precipitation, traditional rangeland restoration practices in these areas are often unsuccessful and under some circumstances, restoration failures can lead to increased rates of erosion. In Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, we have studied the restoration potential of using small barriers (Connectivity Modifiers, ConMods), to overcome limiting physical site conditions and restore degraded grassland communities while causing minimum soil disturbance. ConMods create microsites favorable to plant establishment by blocking wind, creating shade, and capturing sediment and organic matter. Our data show that ConMods significantly increase seedling establishment of Achnatherum hymenoides after one growing season. ConMods also significantly increase the establishment of Sporobolus; four years after seeding, 90% of plots with a ConMod contained at least one Sporobolus adult plant (versus 15% in plots without a ConMod). We found that the effect of ConMods on plant establishment was, however, highly dependent upon site conditions, particularly soil surface texture. In addition to improving native grass establishment, ConMods also resulted in an increase in soil fertility (total nitrogen) five years after their installation, likely caused by increased capture of surface litter. However, soil fertility was not itself shown to be a factor driving native grass establishment in ConMods. Overall, we have found that this novel restoration technique can moderate harsh physical conditions for plant establishment and can be used as an effective restoration method for degraded upland plant communities.

Differences in ectomycorrhizas across gradients and between natural and restored sites in an arid region riparian foundation species: implications for future functioning

MARCOVCHICK, L.M. 1, J.B. Hull1, C.A. Gehring1, and T.G. Whitham1

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Lisa_Markovchick@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: A foundation species in the tiny but mighty riparian areas that support disproportionately large biodiversity in arid regions, and have suffered enormous losses, cottonwoods are in decline. Restoration efforts are underway for this foundation species that is dependent on mycorrhizal fungi. Yet, despite widespread recognition that ectomycorrhizas (EMF) can assist host trees with nutrient and water uptake and adaptation, relatively little is known of specific individual EMF taxonomic units, their functions in the ecosystem or with specific host plants, how these are affected by environmental gradients, or the implications for host trees and ecosystems where restoration occurs or habitats shift. We examined the community of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) on Populus fremontii (Fremont cottonwood) in nature across environmental gradients compared to immediately adjacent experimental garden restoration plots. Several patterns emerged: (1) young trees (approximately two years old and four to five meters tall) within the experimental garden had less EMF abundance (colonization) than

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nearby natural populations; (2) location within and outside the garden, as well as source population of the host tree genotypes affected EMF abundance and diversity by as much three orders of magnitude; (3) increased soil moisture was correlated with decreased EMF abundance; (4) consistent with abundance/diversity theory, EMF community diversity increased three-fold or more with increased EMF abundance. We conclude that EMF may be negatively affected by increased or artificial soil moisture, the legacy effects of previous use, young age of plants, and transfer distance of transplanted genotypes. We discuss potential ramifications for inter-species plant facilitation/competition dynamics, and how future work will combine plant and fungal performance measures to permit more detailed evaluations of EMF taxa function, potential uses, and community implications. Research of this kind is critical to providing more effective and efficient restoration, restoring self-sustaining communities, and enabling entire ecosystems to function fully and adapt.

Engaging underrepresented groups in conservation biology through placed based research and training on the Colorado Plateau

MARTINEZ, T.1, C.A. Gehring2, and A. Whipple2

1Northern Arizona University, Honors College, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Ted.Martinez@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Northern Arizona University (NAU) has held a National Science Foundation-funded REU site entitled Human Impacts on the Colorado Plateau: Place Based Research and Education at Northern Arizona University since 2006. The overall goal of the program is for students to enhance their scientific and critical thinking skills through an active research and scientific writing program, with an emphasis on recruiting students from tribal colleges and two-year colleges serving a high proportion of Hispanic students. The research theme is place-based research and training which utilizes the unique ecology and cultural diversity of the Colorado Plateau and four corners region. The focus of the REU site is to provide research experiences for students who otherwise may not be retained in the sciences and/or might not consider moving to additional institutions to complete four-year or graduate degrees in STEM majors. The success of this program has come from building trust and a relationship with partnering institutions, recruiting trips, focus on the mentoring experience, developmental training, and long-term tracking. One such highly successful partnership has occurred with Navajo Technical University (NTU) in Crown Point New Mexico. There, NAU has partnered with NTU to create field research sites to study pinyon pine ecology in conjunction with ongoing research at NAU. This has worked not only to strengthen the ties between NAU and NTU and the REU program, it has also strengthened the research community and resources at NTU.

Lessons from rare plant reintroductions that inform restoration and assisted migration planning

MASCHINSKI, J.1,2

1San Diego Zoo Global, Institute for Conservation Research USA, jmaschinski@sandiegozoo.org; 2Center for Plant Conservation, Escondido, CA 92027-7000 USA

ABSTRACT: In our rapidly changing world, land managers seeking to preserve the great biodiversity of the Colorado Plateau may have some difficult choices ahead. The fate of over 2500 globally rare plant taxa rests on our understanding of best practices and a willingness to examine evidence, theory, and culture critically. Typical factors influencing conservation decisions regarding establishing new populations of rare plants include concerns about: preserving locally adapted genotypes, avoiding creating new populations that may suffer from outbreeding depression, assisting species with poor

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dispersal ability, performing actions within current law, and avoiding threats to a recipient community should a taxon be moved to a new location. Suppositions about plant behavior have also influenced some decisions that have been made in the past; these include beliefs that plants are easy to move, native plants are adapted to drought and therefore require little care. Using experimental evidence from rare plant reintroductions conducted by Center for Plant Conservation participating institutions, I review lessons learned relevant to planning restoration and assisted migration. Given that some rare plant populations will face extirpation if no conservation action is taken, I review the pros and cons of options for establishing new populations of rare plants within and outside of current range.

New structural engineering approaches for earthen architecture at Tumacácori NHP

MASON, J.1

1National Park Service, Intermountain Region, Vanishing Treasures Program and Mesa Verde NHP, James_Mason@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Earthen architecture can be viewed technically as either delicate or robust, friable or intact and monolithic. For overall system performance, the approach is the latter case, with appropriate choices for material properties. In addition, constant surface weathering and decay demand ongoing topical treatments. These coverings can mask the potential underlying fundamental issues of overall structural components and associated distress. The mission ruins at Tumacácori National Historical Park have been the subject of multiple iterations of preservation treatments their church’s exterior since the earliest attempts in the 1920s. These coatings have tended to mask severe distress features that now require demanding detailed engineering analyses in order to suggest potential unique solutions that are science-based and sustainable over time, and most importantly faithful to the original intention of preservation. This paper will explore these issues within the context of an overall evolution of a preservation ethic at Tumacácori NHP, as well as suggest potential solutions for other similar earthen structures.

Informing native plant materials development with molecular techniques: case studies from the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin

MASSATTI, R.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, rmassatti@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: A fundamental question when developing conservation and restoration plans is how best to match plant materials to target site conditions. Selecting propagules that are locally adapted to the biotic and abiotic conditions they will encounter ensures that resources are used effectively, thereby broadening the reach of restoration and conservation activities. However, for most restoration species, information to guide propagule-site matching is limited. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) may prove to be a fundamental tool to assist plant material selection and development. NGS data have become cost-effective to generate, and the tools to process, analyze, and interpret them are becoming more accessible. I will present examples to illustrate how these data have been used to elucidate historical and contemporary factors influencing the geographic patterns of species’ genetic variation, and I will explore how such inferences can impact conservation strategies, such as the development of seed transfer guidelines. Finally, I will describe ongoing NGS work at the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program, where the goal is to provide the BLM actionable information on restoration species important to the Colorado Plateau.

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History by design: Tumacácori and its museum

MATERO, F.1

1University of Pennsylvania, School of Design, The Architectural Conservation Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA, fgmatero@design.upenn.edu

ABSTRACT: Recent scholarship has begun to examine the planning and design of National Park Service (NPA) visitor services related to NPS expansion during the New Deal public works projects of the 1930s-40s, and modernizing efforts in the post war Mission 66 Program. Regional contextualism, defined as fitting into the natural or cultural setting, was fundamental to these efforts. Often context was equated with ‘rustic’ design employing local materials and/or vernacular uses of those materials, however, occasionally more ambitious efforts were employed to design a facility to educate the public by displaying the cultural traditions of the monument(s) it served. This presentation addresses the historical design foundation for the museum and visitor center at Tumacácori National Historical Park. Seeking authenticity, a team of distinguished NPS professionals traveled to northern Mexico in 1935-56 to survey and document the Sonoran missions of the Pimería Alta, producing a detailed report including measured drawings, renderings, and photographs. Based on this information and traditional construction techniques, the Tumacácori museum was designed as an exhibit in itself, with the express intention of avoiding “reconstruction.” While other museums attempted to reference local traditions through their design and construction, few, if any, display the level of scholarship, intent, and integrity seen at Tumacácori NHP.

Ground-truthing adobe ruins: assessing climate vulnerability of earthen architecture at Fort Union National Monument

MATERO, F.G. 1, J. Hinchman1, E. Oskierko-Jeznaki1, and S. Wu1

1University of Pennsylvania, School of Design, The Architectural Conservation Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA, fgmatero@design.upenn.edu

ABSTRACT: One hundred miles northeast of Santa Fe is Fort Union National Monument, the largest adobe ruin in North America and once the largest U.S. military reservation in the Southwest. Established as a National Monument in 1954, Fort Union challenged every succeeding generation of cultural resource specialists—archaeologists, architects, historians, engineers, scientists, conservators, and masons—to find a sustainable solution to the preservation of its earthen walls. The ruins of Fort Union now face unprecedented challenges as increased cycles of extreme weather undermine and topple walls. This project establishes an integrated study of the critical factors of deterioration of the adobe ruins of Fort Union and by extension earthen and masonry structures in the arid West. Risk and threat are examined as ‘vulnerabilities’ related to factors such as materials, construction, use, environment, weather, orientation, exposure, past treatment, and maintenance. The first phase of the project focused on preparing a database inventory and assessment of past records including historical photographs, construction documents, geotechnical and engineering analyses, administrative reports, and weather data (back to 1861) as well as past and current conservation and management strategies. The second phase examined individual vulnerabilities through a survey of one unit of the Fort—the Mechanics Corral in real and projected time. The field survey studied past and current conditions of the adobe walls to calculate wall loss, attrition, and profile changes over time. Real-time recording of the weather on site was conducted over one year, including monitoring of adobe walls using embedded temperature and moisture probes and time-lapse photography to test monitoring apparatus and record actual weather phenomena and wall responses to those phenomena. Finally, parametric software was employed to

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dynamically model current and future weather and potential climate-based threats to the site to design smarter responses to threats in the form of preventive conservation measures.

Modeling archaeological sites and forest history on Cedar Mesa, SE Utah

MATSON, R.G.1 and W.D. Lipe2

1University of British Columbia, Department of Anthropology, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, rgmatson@shaw.ca; 2Washington State University, Department of Anthropology, Pullman, WA 99164-4910 USA

ABSTRACT: In the 1970s, the Cedar Mesa Archaeological Project (CMP) conducted surface survey and limited testing in an 800 km2 study area in the central part of the Cedar Mesa landform. The sampling design involved defining 20 drainage or watershed units in the study area and selecting five for detailed recording and surface collecting using randomly chosen 400 x 400 m quadrats. Two adjacent areas totaling 110 km2 were later sampled in similar fashion but without surface collection. Site size, type, and period data were obtained from sites in 123 400 x 400 m quadrats in seven sampling areas. The main periods represented are Basketmaker II (late BC to AD 400), Basketmaker III (AD 650 to 725), and Pueblo II-III (AD 1050-1270). For all three periods, site density was correlated with elevation, location on watershed divides, and deep soil having dense pinyon-juniper woodland, consistent with multiple lines of evidence indicating heavy dependence on maize farming. The CMP data are used to critique a recent preliminary attempt to model archaeological site occurrence on BLM lands in southern San Juan County, Utah. Deficiencies in that model appear to result from selecting variables more appropriate for modeling forager settlement patterns than those of Ancestral Pueblo maize farmers. In the early 1970s, tree-ring dates were also obtained from approximately 100 living pinyon and juniper trees in a plot on central Cedar Mesa. The average tree was approximately 200 years old, and periodic revisits indicate essentially no forest regeneration in the past 45 years. These results, along with the authors’ observations of the sizes of old forest burn areas on Cedar Mesa, are used to question some of the assumptions made in a recent fire suppression plan for a woodland area located on BLM lands near Blanding in southeast Utah.

Snow, fire, vegetation, and plant community succession

MAXWELL, J.D. 1 and S. St. Clair1

1Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, UT 84602 USA, jdmax29@byu.edu

ABSTRACT: Vegetation plays a large role in the development of snowpack and available water to support both domestic and ecological processes around the world. Fire suppression and alterations to the global carbon and nitrogen cycles have led to an increase in wildfire frequency, size, and severity with unknown impacts on the availability of snow-water resources and plant community succession. Topography also has a large influence on snow-water resources and plant community development. Here we observe changes in snow accumulation, density, and ablation on three naturally occurring blocks, with north and south facing aspects, and burned and unburned forests on the Twitchell Canyon fire complex in south-central Utah compared. For both snow accumulation and ablation we find an interactive effect between fire and aspect suggesting topographical aspect to mediate two competing processes between snow, fire, and vegetation: (1) Vegetation intercepts falling snow, increasing the snows surface area and causing a reduction in total snowpack (northern aspects); and (2) Vegetation shades or insulates the snow surface from solar radiation that causes snow melt and sublimation (southern aspects). Further work on how subalpine-aspen plant communities in the western United States will respond to future climate conditions after fire and drive snow-vegetation interactions is encouraged and necessary for proper water yield assessment.

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Monitoring algal productivity to inform spatiotemporal alpine lake dynamics in Rocky Mountain National Park

MAYER, T.1

1Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA, Timothy.Mayer.US@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has over 140 alpine lakes that provide critical habitats for animal and plant species. Since the 1960s, these lakes have experienced an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus depositions resulting in increased algal productivity. Beginning in 2005, algal biomass has continued to increase despite relatively constant nutrient deposition. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) are exploring if recent temperature changes explain this trend. Excessive algal productivity negatively affects water quality through eutrophication and the creation of anoxic events. It is important to monitor algal productivity in Rocky Mountain National Park lakes to prevent associated environmental degradation and socio-economic decline. The team assessed the accuracy of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) in estimating chlorophyll-a levels compared to in situ measurements. Earth observations provided a comprehensive analysis that has potential to supplement partner in situ data collection methods. The best performing model produced by the team was used to create algal productivity maps for RMNP lakes and has potential to inform NPS adaptation management efforts.

Temperature restricts high elevation bee pollinator communities: using functional traits to assess the bee-to-fly transition along an elevation gradient

MCCABE, L.M.1, N.S. Cobb1, and B.J. Butterfield1

1Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, lma243@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: 1. Bees and flies occupy different elevation niches, where bees dominate at low elevations and flies dominate at high elevations. The causes of this shift are attributed to differences in energy requirements that have been documented at the individual and species levels, though the implications for community assembly have not been intensively assessed. 2. We used body size and darkness of 639 individuals of 125 species of bees and flies as proxies for energetic requirements and tolerances in order to assess patterns of bee and fly community β niche differentiation along an elevation gradient (2300 m – 3200 m), including both forest (low radiation) and meadow (high radiation) habitats. 3. Community-average body volume and darkness of bees increased sharply at the highest elevation, and the intensity of environmental filtering, quantified as the standardized range of trait values, also increased with elevation. Community-average body volume and darkness of flies also increased moderately with increasing elevation, but did not exhibit patterns of significant environmental filtering. In fact, the intensity of environmental filtering as indicated by the range of fly body volume actually decreased with elevation. Habitat type (forest or meadow) interacted moderately with elevation for both bees and flies. 4. The increase in filter intensity at high elevations exhibited by bees suggests a significant limitation on the breadth of viable functional strategies for coping with extreme cold, at least within the regional species pool. Flies, on the other hand, do not appear to be limited by high elevations, indicating that the shift from bee to fly dominance at high elevations is due at least in part to environmental constraints on bee community assembly.

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A systems approach to environmental flows and water security in the Colorado River Basin

MCCARTHY, P.1

1The Nature Conservancy, Albuquerque, NM USA, pmccarthy@tnc.org

ABSTRACT: Thanks to federal and state environmental protection laws and the efforts of many scientists, regulators, water managers, and conservation professionals, environmental flows have been implemented in many river reaches in the Colorado River Basin. Yet water infrastructure operations continue to alter river flows at a large scale, continuing to degrade habitats already threatened by non-native invasive species, disruption of connectivity, and climate change. Our hypothesis is that river flow restoration can be achieved at a large scale only if it is part of a larger effort to develop resilience-based water governance that secures water for both people and nature. Society will restore and protect river flows only when (1) people’s basic water needs are met; (2) decision-makers recognize the value of the services provided by healthy river ecosystems; and (3) water governance and management have been reformed such that they are resilient to disturbance (drought) and change (inexorable decline in water availability due to warming temperatures). The Nature Conservancy proposes a conservation approach that integrates economic, social, and political solutions: (1) resilience-based governance that provides economic, social, and political incentives to reduce water use and provide water for nature; (2) balanced water budgets at multiple, integrated, scales, from sub-watersheds to the entire Colorado River Basin; and (3) healthy river flows and aquifers, including implementation of environmental flows and stabilization of alluvial aquifers. Together, these outcomes can bring about transformational change – that is, change at a scale and degree of sustainability that differs from what can be achieved through individual projects alone.

Phylogeography of Ostrya knowltonii (Betulaceae) across the American southwest and northwestern Mexico identifies relictual elements of a widespread Neogene forest community

MCCAULEY, R.A.1

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Biology, Durango, CO 81301 USA, mccauley_r@fortlewis.edu

ABSRACT: Ostrya knowltonii (Knowlton’s hophornbeam) is a rare tree occurring in isolated populations near mountaintops and deep canyonlands ranging in a disjunct fashion from the Colorado Plateau to the Guadalupe and Chisos Mountains of the eastern Chihuahuan Desert and the northern Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Mexico. It’s highly divided distribution has been attributed to the effects of climatic changes across the region – but what are those effects and how does this isolated species relate to the remainder of the genus Ostrya in North America? Molecular phylogenetic data gathered as part of a systematic revision of the genus indicates that two of three major genetic clades within the genus in North America are restricted to this one isolated species. To understand the historical phylogeographic factors giving rise to the current range of O. knowltonii, I incorporated fossil and packrat midden data, ecological niche models corresponding to current conditions, the mid-Holocene, and the last glacial maximum, chloroplast haplotype structure across 11 natural populations, and inferred levels of nuclear diversity using a set of nSSR markers. These combined analyses show that O. knowltonii likely had a wider distribution prior to the last interglacial and reduced its range to refugia during the last glaciation. These refugia likely represented a series of interconnected populations in what is now the Canyon country of SE Utah, the Grand Canyon of northern Arizona and portion of the Mogollon Transition Zone, and the Guadalupe and Chisos Mountains. These refugia further reduced in size during the Holocene to

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give the current range leading to most populations within each region maintaining identical haplotypes and low nuclear genetic diversity. These now isolated occurrences serve to preserve unique remnants of a once wider range and are at risk of disappearing as the climate of the region continues to warm.

Ecological restoration as platform for sharing: Lessons on how to elevate your project with community engagement

MCCORMICK, M.L.1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, mlm728@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Conservation science can be a rich platform for community engagement. By creating opportunities for people to participate in restoration and citizen science, we strengthen the socio-ecological fabric of the places we love. In this way, we are not only restoring landscapes, but also an ethic of stewardship. Through examples, I will demonstrate how engaging a diverse group of people can elevate restoration projects. I will share what I learned as the coordinator of these projects, and provide some suggestions on how to reach people.

Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)

MCCORMICK, M.L.1, S.M. Munson1, J.B. Bradford1 and B.J. Butterfield2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA, mmccormick@usgs.gov; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Dryland regions of the southwestern U.S. provide many important ecosystem services to the Nation. Due to a combination of factors, such as dominance by invasive species, uncontrolled wildfire, historic overgrazing, improper recreation, drought, and increasing temperatures, many areas of the Southwest are degraded. Recovery from disturbance represents a substantial challenge to agencies that manage large tracts of land in the Southwest. The Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) is a new initiative that is working to strengthen restoration strategies and outcomes in drylands by providing science and guidance on effective restoration practices to agencies within the Department of Interior and other partners. RAMPS is coordinated at the U.S. Geological Survey - Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, AZ and composed of a consortium of scientists, managers, and practitioners with restoration expertise. Our presentation will review how our multi-scale collaborative approach responds to dryland restoration needs in a changing world, and will invite others to join the effort.

Grass germination and establishment on biocrusts: the role of awns and seed placement

MCINTYRE, C.L.1,2, S.R. Archer1, and J. Belnap3

1University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA, clmcintyre@email.arizona.edu; 2 National Park Service, Chihuahuan Desert Network, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah 84532 USA

ABSTRACT: The influence of biocrusts on vascular plant germination can be negative, neutral, or positive. We examined how biocrust and seed interactions determined germination rates. We conducted experiments with native and non-native grass seeds of contrasting morphologies in semi-

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controlled environments on the Colorado Plateau and in the Sonoran Desert. To determine the role of seed appendages, we clipped awns from half the seeds. We scattered seeds on the surface of intact or broken biocrusts or pushed them in. Standardizing for seed viability, preliminary analyses show that emergence (mean ± SE) of seeds placed in fissures of Sonoran Desert dark biocrusts (with some lichen) and cyanobacteria biocrusts (54% ± 4 on both) was significantly higher compared to seeds on the surface of intact dark (10% ± 1) or cyanobacteria (8% ± 1) biocrusts. Emergence was also higher on broken dark (30% ± 3) and cyanobacteria (21% ± 2) biocrusts compared to intact biocrusts. For Colorado Plateau biocrusts, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) emergence was higher when seeds were placed in fissures of dark (53% ± 7) and cyanobacteria (61% ± 8) biocrusts or on broken dark (27% ± 3) and cyanobacteria (21% ± 3) biocrusts compared to seeds on the surface of intact dark (11% ± 1) or cyanobacteria (8% ± 1) biocrusts. Clipping the awn from cheatgrass did not significantly affect emergence rates on intact biocrusts. On intact Sonoran Desert biocrusts, within native seeds on intact biocrusts, seeds of threeawns (Aristida spp.; awn lengths ≥ 30mm, lemma lengths ≥ 10mm) emerged at lower rates than three of four smaller seeded native grasses (awn and lemma lengths ≤ 10mm). Removal of awns from native seeds decreased their germination on intact Sonoran Desert biocrusts. Possible explanations will be discussed. Analyses of native grass emergence on Colorado Plateau biocrusts are underway.

Teaching harvested rainwater microbiology in Arizona communities: lessons learned

MCLAIN, J.E.1,2, A. KILUNGO3, M. Ramirez-Andreotta1,3, L. Abrell1, and R. Root1

1University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, mclainj@email.arizona.edu; 2 University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, and 3University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ 85724 USA, paminata@email.arizona.edu

ABSTRACT: Arizona residents have long recognized the benefits of harvesting rainwater. However, there is a lack of information regarding the quality of harvested water. Furthermore, community members have limited information about testing methods needed to assure water safety, how and when water can be used on food crops, and other critical issues needed for safe and sustainable use of harvested rainwater. In 2016, our NSF-funded team began working with four underserved Arizona communities (southern metropolitan Tucson, Globe-Miami, Dewey-Humboldt, and Hayden-Winkelman) to install rainwater harvesting systems in residential, school, and community gardens and train community volunteers in the scientific methods of assessing water quality. Community members in rural and urban environments are being trained to measure bacterial levels in harvested rainwater, irrigated soils, and plant samples from their gardens. This presentation will cover the classroom and field training methods – which methods were successful in conferring scientific knowledge to community members, and which methods were more challenging? In addition, we will discuss data from a Tucson-based project monitoring levels of E. coli and Enterococcus bacteria in rainwater tanks, and how these preliminary results can be translated to risk-based outreach materials. Ultimately, our group hopes to advance community environmental science efforts and co-generate a dataset that will not only inform guidelines and recommendations for safe, harvested rainwater use in gardens, it will also support communities in the safe and sustainable production of fresh foods.

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U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s water quality monitoring program overview

MCMASTER, H.1

1U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, Boulder City, NV USA, hmcmaster@usbr.gov

ABSTRACT: Under the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974, Public Law 93-320, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is authorized to enhance and protect the quality of water in the Colorado River and its tributaries. Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Regional Office (LCRO) has currently four programs established to manage these water quality objectives. The Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program (CRWQIP) performs ongoing monitoring of the river and its tributaries. The Environmental Compliance Group’s Invasive Species program protects and monitors the environment in order to determine and mitigate impacts from invasive species and to reduce their spread to other ecosystems. To accomplish the goals of these programs, Reclamation collects water samples from its Colorado River reservoirs on a regular basis for nitrate/nitrite (as N), ammonia (as N), phosphorus (total and orth-), chlorophyll (a, b, c and pheophytin), silica, chlorate, selenium (total), total suspended solids (TSS), boron (total), chromium (total), hexavalent chromium, and mercury. Additionally, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and algal toxins are analyzed for some sampling events. Lake Mead is sampled each year on a quarterly basis at up to 22 stations. Lake Havasu is sampled each year on a quarterly basis at up to seven stations (previously bi-monthly). The Las Vegas Wash is sampled each year on a quarterly. The Lower Colorado River Contaminant Monitoring Program (LCR CMP) samples the Colorado River two times a year in August and December (high- and low-flow periods). Reclamation coordinates with multiple agencies (federal, state, and local) and Indian tribes to accomplish the various sampling events. Transparency and collaboration has enhanced the program and continued efforts by all interested parties will benefit all users on the Colorado River.

Preserving our most fragile treasures: conservation of earthen architecture in the parks of the American Southwest

MEYER, L.1 and R. Adler1

1National Park Service, Intermountain Regional Office, Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Cultural Resources Division, Vanishing Treasures Program, lauren_meyer@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The unique heritage resources preserved and protected in the national park units of the southwestern United States range from several decades to several centuries old, and many are considered to be preeminent examples of their type and time period. These traditionally-built structures are at risk due to their age, the fragility of their construction materials, and their current state of preservation. Of great concern are those resources constructed partially or completely of earthen materials, as these require a high-level of maintenance and are extremely susceptible to weathering and loss. Over the last 5 years, the Vanishing Treasures (VT) Program has been working with several parks that include the remains of historically significant adobe structures in order to understand past trends in preservation and their successes, failures and impacts; share information across park and regional boundaries to ensure that park managers have access to the best and most current information available to them on preservation approach, materials, and techniques; and, alongside parks and partners, develop research programs to evaluate conditions, understand environmental impacts on building materials, and develop, test and implement appropriate treatments aimed at retaining historic materials and slowing down erosion and loss. This presentation will provide a general overview of the VT Program, and will introduce the audience to the variety of projects being conducted in the southwestern parks aimed at developing best approaches to the preservation of these most fragile resources.

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From salt marshes to mountains: population genomic surveys of six rare plant species in San Diego County

MILANO, E.R.1, M. Mulligan2, J. Rebman2, and A. Vandergast

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA 92101 USA, emilano@usgs.gov; 2San Diego Natural History Museum, Botany Department, San Diego, CA 92112 USA

ABSTRACT: San Diego is a hotspot of biodiversity, situated at the intersection of the Baja peninsula, the California floristic province, and the desert southwest. Much of what qualifies this region as a hotspot is the high number of rare and endemic species, which persist alongside a major urban epicenter. San Diego County has implemented a strategic management plan that identifies species, based on low numbers of occurrences or high risk of threat, for which management practices are recommended. In creating a management plan for rare species, it is important to strike a balance between preserving locally adapted traits and maintaining genetic diversity, as species ranges fluctuate due to a changing climate and habitat fragmentation. This project, in partnership with the San Diego Natural History Museum, aims to provide a reference point for the current status of genetic diversity of rare plant species that will inform future preservation and restoration efforts. We focused on six threatened or endangered plant species, two from each of the following families: Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Orobanchaceae. For each species, we visited all known occurrences in San Diego County and surrounding area, collected leaf tissue from multiple individuals for genetic and cytological analysis, and collected a single voucher specimen to be preserved in the herbarium at the Natural History Museum. We are currently developing genomic resources for each species, including a panel of markers, to estimate population structure, effective population size, and a number of genetic diversity statistics. This population genetic survey will provide insight to the amount of gene flow occurring within each species’ range, identify isolated occurrences subject to inbreeding or genetic bottlenecks, and identify areas that are rich sources of allelic diversity, all of which can be used to design targeted management efforts.

From the equatorial Pacific to the Colorado Plateau: a multi-proxy sub-annual reconstruction of precipitation patterns in the southwestern U.S.

MILEY, N.1, E. Ziaco1, and F. Biondi 1

1University of Nevada, DendroLab and Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, Reno, NV 89557 USA, nicholasmiley@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Equatorial teleconnections between El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) play a prominent role in determining frequency and intensity of precipitation across the southwestern U.S. including the Colorado Plateau. Accordingly, climate-sensitive tree-ring chronologies allow inference into equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature and pressure over several hundred years. Our research focuses on Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) ring width chronologies and wood anatomical analysis to reconstruct annual and inter-seasonal precipitation patterns in New Mexico (NM) and Arizona (Arizona). Samples collected from ten sites in NM and AZ were used to develop annually resolved proxy records of local and regional precipitation extending back to the late 17th century. Ring-width chronologies carry a strong precipitation signal that is most evident during years when cool season precipitation is below average as water deprived trees in this region produce little or no new growth. While many dendroclimatic reconstructions of precipitation have shown the relationship between precipitation and ring-width indices in NM and AZ, our analysis found that tree-ring chronologies are also correlated with ENSO within the period of instrumental record. Moreover, incorporating PDO phase affects the strength and

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consistency of that correlation. Understanding the linkages between local precipitation patterns in NM and AZ and the teleconnections that influence those patterns will provide a reliable basis to investigate sub-seasonal precipitation signals in wood anatomy (i.e., drought-driven changes in xylem cellular structure within each annual tree-ring).

A quantifiable method for monitoring resource vulnerability

MILLER, A.M. 1, N. Steele1, B.W. Tobin1, and E.R. Schenk1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA, anne_miller@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Resources on protected land are invaluable to the public and scientific communities. These resources include, but are not limited to: paleontology, archaeology, ecology, caves and karst, springs and streams, air quality, dark skies, viewsheds, vegetation, and wildlife. Regulations protect these resources and necessitate monitoring due to their vulnerability to numerous factors. Unfortunately, financial, logistical, and staffing limitations often reduce the abilities of agencies to comprehensively monitor these resources. This has resulted in a need to prioritize resource monitoring. Standard monitoring methods typically focus on subjective assessments and can be insufficient at prioritizing resource localities. Here, we suggest a method that objectively quantifies the vulnerability of resources and provides a systematic approach to organizing factors contributing to their vulnerability. Factors are separated into quantitative and qualitative factors, assigned a point value, and points are summed to create an overall vulnerability score for each site. The method is replicable and adaptable to multiple resource types to obtain consistent results. We also present two cases studies to highlight the application and value of this methodology: paleontology site vulnerability and cave vulnerability at Grand Canyon National Park.

Evaluating the performance of environmental diversity (ED) as a surrogate in site prioritization for biodiversity conservation at a fine resolution

MILLER, S.N.1, P. Beier1, and F.S. Albuquerque2

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 USA, sm2956@nau.edu; 2Arizona State University, College of Letters and Sciences, Mesa, AZ 85212 USA

ABSTRACT: Maintaining species diversity is of upmost importance in preserving the integrity of ecosystems and their services. One of the most effective strategies for protecting biodiversity is to design protected land areas specifically for high species diversity representation. However, this can be challenging to implement without knowing where most species are found. Previous research has shown that environmental diversity (mainly climate variables) can successfully act as a surrogate to identify important sites for species diversity representation at a coarse resolution (100 km2 to 125 km2; Beier and Albuquerque 2015). However, it has not been determined how well environmental diversity can work as a surrogate for species diversity at a smaller scale (<25 km2) or with just geophysical variables (i.e., topographic and edaphic variables). This study will assess how well selecting sites based on geophysical and climate variables together and separately captures species diversity representation at a fine resolution (<25 km2). Twelve datasets that represent species inventories of birds, arthropods, plants, reptiles and some groups of mammals from around the global, including Arizona, will be used. Environmental diversity will be defined using an ordination strategy (e.g., Non-metric multidimensional scaling or NMDS) to combine 27 geophysical variables and 34 geophysical and climatic variables separately. The study will be completed by first selecting sites that maximize the amount of environmental diversity captured for a given proportion of the areas inventoried. Using the species

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survey data and the Species Accumulation Index (SAI) the effectiveness of the environmental diversity measures as a surrogate for species diversity representation will be evaluated by comparing the amount of species represented in the selected areas to the maximum representation possible for the same sized area. The outcome of this study will be a thorough assessment of how well environmental diversity, specifically geophysical characteristics, can work as a tool for protected area selection. If it is found geophysical diversity can be an effective surrogate for species diversity representation, on its own, this framework could be a valuable adaptive strategy to cope with climate change because geophysical characteristics are very slow changing and not directly influenced by climate. Outside of adapting to climate change, a high performance of this framework in selecting areas for species diversity protection at a fine resolution will support using environmental diversity as a cost-effective tool for managers and conservationist.

Triploid aspen in western landscapes: why they might matter

MOCK, K.E.1, A. Howe1, O. Burney2, and S. Landhäusser3

1Utah State University, Wildland Resources Department and Ecology Center, Logan, UT 84322-5230 USA, karen.mock@usu.edu; 2New Mexico State University, John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, Mora, NM 87732 USA; 3University of Alberta, Alberta School of Forest Science and Management, Department Renewable Resources, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E3

ABSTRACT: Triploid aspen are common in the Intermountain West, and seem to be overrepresented in larger clones and in drier landscapes. Polyploid plants generally have larger cells and distinct physiological or physical traits compared to their diploid counterparts. Triploidy would also be expected to confer low rates of fertility, owing to meiotic failure. Triploidy is thought to result from the union of reduced (1n) and unreduced (2n) gametes from diploid individuals, and the extent of triploidy in populations should depend on the frequency of generation of these gametes. Here we synthesize findings on aspen triploidy, both at the landscape scale and the tree scale, and discuss implications for forest restoration practices. Growth rates, drought sensitivity, fertility, and the potential for accumulation of deleterious mutations are all important considerations for stock choice in afforestation and assisted migration efforts. We also discuss future research needs and how different research outcomes could influence best management practices.

Simulating teepee pole producing Douglas-fir stand trajectories under alternative climate scenarios on Mescalero Apache tribal lands NM USA

MOCKTA, T. 1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, tkm82@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: The Mescalero Apache tribe conduct a coming of age ceremony for all the women in the tribe. In order to conduct this ceremony teepee poles made from Douglas-fir trees are needed. Douglas-fir trees capable of producing teepee poles are a culturally important resource for the Mescalero Apache tribe and are officially listed as a tribal species of concern in Tribal Resolution 13-20. Teepee come from small diameter (2-5 inch diameter) Douglas-fir trees that range from 15-40 feet- tall depending on the size of the teepee to be erected. Persistence and development of Douglas-fir teepee poles in a changing climate is a major concern for the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Concerns for teepee pole producing Douglas-fir stands have been increasing on Mescalero Apache tribal lands. Medicine men, tribal leaders and members have all come together in hopes of finding solutions to the depletion of this important cultural resource. The purpose of this project is to inventory and model teepee pole stands within the forested landscape of the Mescalero Apache tribal lands. Circular plots with radii of 11.28 m and 5.64 m were

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installed. Species, condition class, height, diameter (DBH & DSH), and damage severity were measured for stand inventory. Additional measurement include fuels and regeneration all of which will be used as inputs to Climate Vegetation Simulator (Climate-FVS). The effect of climate change on forest resources is poorly understood but there are new tools such as the Climate-FVS model that provide practical ways to consider climate change impact.

Assisted evolution and atypical trait selection for improved abiotic stress tolerance of southwestern white pine seedlings

MOLER, E.R.V.1, K. Waring2, J. Sahl, K. Gehring1,3, and A.V. Whipple1,3

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, erm287@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: This oral session introduces facilitated adaptation research occurring at Northern Arizona University for developing drought tolerant southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) through the modification of pine seedling microbiomes. Recent climate projections strongly indicate that by the year 2050 severe drought conditions in the southwestern U.S. may result in widespread forest dieback and altered species compositions of surviving forests. The gravity of a regional superdrought is exemplified by the prospect of losing P. strobiformis from the Sky Island mountain habitats in southeastern Arizona. Also known as the Madrean Archipelago, the Arizona Sky Islands host the greatest species richness in inland North America and are highly vulnerable to species loss due to climate change. Loss of P. strobiformis from Arizona Sky Islands would eliminate an important food source for local populations of black bear, birds, and endemic species such as the Mt. Graham red squirrel. Both the translocation of drought-tolerant P. strobiformis genotypes and the facilitated adaptation of seedlings to drought may help to conserve P. strobiformis in isolated Sky Island ecosystems. Research is currently underway at Northern Arizona University to explore the efficacy of both approaches for improving the resilience of southwestern white pine forests to severe drought. The facilitated adaptation approach involves inoculation of seedlings with drought-adapted microbes, as plant tolerance to a wide range of stressors has been achieved through the modification of plant microbial communities. Tree seedlings with optimized microbiomes will be assessed for potential preventative restoration planting in natural forest stands as a preemptive measure to mitigate drought-related forest dieback in the southwestern United States.

Evaluation of water harvesting rebate programs in Tucson, AZ

MOLINA, F. 1, C. Rupprecht1, E.T. Vimont2, and S.M. Megdal2

1Tucson Water, Tucson, AZ 85726 USA, fernando.molina@tucsonaz.gov; 2University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA

ABSTRACT: Communities are continuing to investigate alternative water management solutions. Water reuse is a critical part of water management, and because there is a set amount of water, deciding how and when water is reused will be a continuing and necessary debate. In Tucson, Arizona, efforts are underway to increase the amount of rainwater and stormwater that is put to a beneficial use as a means of improving the urban environment and provide an overall increase in the quality of life. Understanding how water harvesting systems affect water use behavior, assessing user knowledge of water harvesting systems, and further understanding the extent that best management practices are practiced is a critical part of growing the role that rainwater and stormwater will have as a part of the local water supply. This research is designed to provide insight into some of these needed research areas. In Arizona, Tucson

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Water has used various measures to encourage conservation such as rebates for high-efficiency toilets and fixtures, high-efficiency washing machines, graywater systems, and rainwater harvesting systems. This research, focused on Tucson Water’s rebate programs for installing water harvesting systems, takes a closer look at the maintenance requirements of water harvesting systems and the effect that water harvesting systems have on property vegetation. This project is composed of two parts: a survey of rebate recipients focused on maintenance and remote sensing of properties of rebate recipients to analyze changes in vegetation (greenness). The survey was completed with a 43% response rate, and finds gutters pose the largest maintenance obstacle. The remote sensing shows little significant change in NDVI on properties with water harvesting systems compared to those without. Understanding some of the ramifications of residential level water harvesting, such as the programs encouraged by Tucson Water, will be an important part of informed decisions.

Dryland agriculture and restoration in Niger: applications for SW USA

MORALES, R.M. 1

1Rainbow Acres, Camp Verde, AZ 86322 USA, km325@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Current worldwide forest logging, farming and urban growth are the largest cause of loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services that make earth habitable. Consequently, in many arid and semiarid regions of the world, landscapes with remnant native forest patches or single trees are managed for improved agricultural and livestock production in ways that maintain sustainable growth without exhausting natural resources. Achieving this goal requires systems diversification and integration of farming and planting of native species through practices that build on agro-ecological knowledge to promote agricultural intensification through soil water and nutrient retention, ecological restoration, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. An integration of native plant ecosystems and landscape processes was used to develop an agroforestry program in Niger aimed to reduce environmental impacts and to restore degraded lands across the landscape. The overall goal was to develop adoptable and economically viable strategies to increase and diversify smallholder food production, improve the productive capacity of soils and enhance ecosystem services through improvements in biodiversity, soil vegetative cover, nutrient cycling and availability, and carbon storage. Results from experimental farms demonstrated that it is imperative to not only develop integrated strategies, but also to create an enabling environment for the adoption of strategies to ultimately increase sustainable production. Similar strategies could be implemented in arid and semiarid regions across the Southwest.

Retrospective examination of uranium ore using in vitro bioaccessibility tests

MORMAN, S.A.1, B.S. Van Gosen1, and G.S. Plumlee2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO 80225 USA, smorman@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192 USA

ABSTRACT: Epidemiological studies of uranium (U) mine workers with increased rates of lung cancer in Europe and the southwestern United States (1950s and 1960s) concluded the exposure to radioactive radon daughters was likely responsible. These studies, however, did not examine any possible contribution from exposure to other toxic elements present in the ore. A review of previous methods of geochemical analysis (direct current arc emission spectroscopy) indicated that the limits of determination for some potentially toxic elements (e.g., As, Cd, Co, Sb, Tl) were so high that they may not have been identified in U ores at that time. The samples examined in this study were collected in1971 and 1981, from U mines and deposits in the southwestern U.S. We examined the solubility of these U-rich samples with in vitro bioaccessibility tests to explore possible exposures to other hazardous

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trace metals that coexist with U, Rn, and Ra. Elevated total concentration in the raw samples, as well as elevated concentrations in simulated gastric and lung fluids, were observed for arsenic, cobalt, manganese, thallium, vanadium, and uranium. These additional elements could have contributed to the range of ailments identified in the studied uranium miners such as lung, stomach, pancreatic, prostate and skin cancer, nonmalignant respiratory disease, chronic nephritis, and renal sclerosis.

Seedling establishment and survival as a function of overstory basal area, vegetation competition and soil organic matter depth

MOSER, K.1, R. Blue1, and K.M. Waring1

1USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Valley Experimental Forest, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, wkmoser@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: The 1919 cohort of ponderosa pine regeneration has assumed the status of the Holy Grail for forest management in the area around the San Francisco Peaks in northern Arizona. A combination of an excellent cone crop, favorable precipitation and available growing space released by heavy logging and grazing has resulted in the production of a considerable portion of the post-Euroamerican settlement trees visible on the Flagstaff skyline. Examining conditions that created this fortunate turn of events has been the goal of forest researchers in the ensuing century. In 2013, a study was established on basalt soils in the Taylor Woods Long-Term Density study and the 30-year Interval Burning study on the Fort Valley Experimental Forest to examine the effects of overstory basal area (Taylor Woods) and depth of organic matter (Interval Burning) upon seedling establishment and survival. In 2015, the study was expanded to incorporate operational sites on the Kaibab National Forest, where growth and survival of seedlings in the open and under a canopy matrix have been followed. A related study on Taylor Woods (Flathers et al. 2016) reported optimal production of seedlings in the middle overstory densities. This poster will report on the establishment and growth of seedlings on the Interval Burning and Kaibab sites and longer-term trends in seedling mortality on all plots. Besides presenting preliminary results, we will outline the path forward for this study, which will include selective trenching of plots to examine the influence of overstory trees on seedling water relations and expansion to limestone-based soils.

Understanding aspen health: lessons from oak decline

MOSER, W.K.1

1Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forest and Woodland Ecosystems Science, Fort Valley Experimental Forest, 2500 S. Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, wkmoser@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: Oak decline can be caused by numerous factors that stress trees. In southern Missouri forests affected by oak decline, the majority of affected trees are in the red oak group, particularly black oak (Quercus velutina) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea). Most of these red oaks are at an advanced age, typically 70 to 80 years old or older, and are growing in rocky soil on broad ridges or south- and west-facing slopes. Often the stands are heavily stocked with large numbers of mature trees. Under these conditions, trees are stressed by competition for available light, water, and nutrients, so many grow slowly. These older, less vigorous trees may have reduced leaf area and less resistance to insects and disease. Typical oak decline symptoms include branch dieback from the tips, sparse foliage, and reduced growth. Mature red oaks with more than 30% dead limbs and branches have a high mortality rate. In 2002, Moser and Melick issued a memo outlining management recommendations to reduce the probability of oak decline. Recommendations included increasing species diversity, matching species to site, maintaining vigor through thinnings, promoting regeneration via sprouts before decline occurs, and watching for indicators of forest-health induced stress. Where oak decline was present, we

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recommended considering removal of trees with significant crown dieback, removing overtopped trees and selected species of oaks before their mature age, and considering sprout management before age 20. The author will present these oak-specific suggestions and compare them to recommendations for aspen health management.

The preservation of 17th-18th century earthen architecture: case studies from Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico

MOSS, J.1

1Pecos National Historical Park, Pecos, NM 87552 USA, jeremy_moss@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The preservation of earthen architecture at Pecos National Historical Park, a National Park Service unit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, began in 1915. Since then, the park has experimented with different treatments used to preserve the fragile 17th to 18th century adobe walls comprising the Pecos Mission church and convento. The methods and materials used have changed over time. In the last six years, the park has been reassessing the preservation techniques and materials used, and have focused on moisture monitoring and materials analysis to gain a better understanding of the performance of our treatments. Test walls are being used to better understand the performance of materials and fine-tune our preservation treatments. This talk will summarize the successes, challenges and on-going research towards preserving earthen architecture in Pecos, New Mexico.

After the fire, a flood: estimating the impacts of post-wildfire flooding on house prices in Flagstaff, AZ

MUELLER, J.M.1,2, R.A. Lima,2 and A.E. Springer2

1Northern Arizona University, The W.A. Franke College of Business, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Julie.Mueller@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The Schultz wildfire in 2010 burned over 15,000 acres outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. The wildfire burned on steep slopes, and catastrophic flooding followed as monsoonal rains moved unimpeded down the disturbed terrain causing severe property damage and loss of life. The market costs of the Schultz wildfire and flooding are well-documented, however, little research has been done on the non-market impacts of the wildfires and subsequent flooding. Much of Arizona's ponderosa pine forest is currently predisposed to catastrophic wildfire due to human activities, resulting in wildfires occurring outside their natural range of variability in both wildfire regime and stand density. Forest restoration, especially for forested watersheds, could greatly mitigate wildfire and resulting flood risk. Securing adequate funding for restoration, however, provides significant challenges to policy-makers and forest managers. To further understanding of the total costs of wildfire, we use a Hedonic Property Model (HPM) to estimate the impact of the 2010 Schultz wildfire and flood on housing prices near Flagstaff, AZ. We apply a matching model to compare the market prices of houses sold before and after the Schultz wildfire and post-wildfire flood. We incorporate explicit spatial and ecological modeling of the wildfire area and floodplain into our economic model. While HPMs have been used before to determine the impacts of wildfires on housing, to the authors’ knowledge, no other study has investigated the effect of both wildfire and post-wildfire flood events. Quantifying the economic costs that wildfires in flood-prone areas have on house prices and subsequent property tax revenues provides essential information for managers considering funding forest watershed restoration efforts.

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Surviving the 2011 Las Conchas Fire: pre-fire stand structure, composition and fuel loads as determiners of fire severity in a Southwest montane coniferous forest.

MULDAVIN, E.H.1

1University of New Mexico, Natural Heritage New Mexico, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87107 USA, muldavin@unm.edu

ABSTRACT: While the severity of forest fires can be attributed to a number of interacting factors, pre-fire stand structure and composition in combination with surface fuel loads are thought to be primary drivers of outcomes. The 2011 Las Conchas fire in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico was one the most severe fires on record for that mountain range—burning over large areas of montane coniferous forest in the Valles Caldera National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument. Using 212 legacy plots in combination with post-fire re-measurements, I was able to directly explore the outcomes of this severe fire in the context of pre-fire structure, floristics composition, and fuels. I found that greater densities of samplings and poles among conifers were associated with stands that burned, but it was higher densities of broadleaf deciduous shrubs and trees that lead to the highest severities. Similarly, grass and forb-dominated forest types tended to have the lowest severities compared to shrubby sites. Post-fire assessment of 64 surface fuel sub-plots also pointed to greater severity with increased fuels, particularly among fine and very coarse fuels. These results point in part to the efficacy of conifer thinning practices as important in reducing fire severity, but this may be offset among those forest types with significant broadleaf shrub and small tree components that are often not part of restoration prescriptions.

A long-term perspective on ecological drought from monitoring with permanent plots and remote sensing

MUNSON, S.M.1, E.L. Bunting1, J.B. Bradford1, J.R. Gremer2, and R.H. Webb3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, smunson@usgs.gov; 2University of California – Davis, Department of Evolution and Ecology, Davis, CA USA; 3University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ

ABSTRACT: Future warming and drought forecasted by climate models can have a broad effect on vegetation already stressed by low water availability in drylands of the southwestern U.S. To better understand past climate-vegetation relationships and provide a foundation to forecast future vegetation changes, we synthesized long-term monitoring data from permanent plots and satellite imagery. Consistent with a seasonal climate gradient, vegetation condition assessed with satellite imagery was most related to climate variance during the cool-season (October – March) in the Great Basin, Mojave, and Sonoran Deserts, during the warm-season (July – September) in the Chihuahuan Desert, and equally related to both seasons in the Colorado Plateau. Plot-based monitoring results revealed that grasslands were differentially affected by climate and soil water that was contingent on the desert and the degree of C3 versus C4 dominance. The response of plant species to enhanced water availability in shrublands decreased with increasing longevity and degree of woodiness, while drought resistance increased. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding ecological drought in the context of physical attributes of a site that mediate water availability. Divergent sensitivities to water availability among deserts, communities, and species have large implications for carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and the future vulnerability of ecosystems in the southwestern U.S.

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Assessing the quality of groundwater used for public supply in the Colorado Plateaus aquifers

MUSGROVE, M.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Texas Water Science Center, Austin, TX 78754 USA, mmusgrov@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help understand this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project is assessing groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water across the country. The Colorado Plateaus aquifers are among the aquifers that NAWQA is evaluating. These aquifers encompass a large area of the western U.S and are generally composed of permeable, moderately to well-consolidated sedimentary rocks, though they vary in thickness, lithology, and hydraulic characteristics; in terms of water withdrawal, they rank 28th in the country for public supply. Groundwater quality in the Colorado Plateaus aquifers will be evaluated by sampling 60 public-supply wells that are spatially distributed across the aquifers. Selected wells are being sampled for a comprehensive suite of analytes to characterize the natural and human-induced chemistry of the resource and to improve understanding of groundwater processes that are important for management of water resources. Analytes include major and trace elements, nutrients, pesticide compounds, volatile organic compounds, pharmaceuticals, hormones, radionuclides, microbial indicators, selected isotopes, and tracers of groundwater age. Among principal aquifers in the western United States, the first NAWQA sampling effort of this type was conducted in 2013 in the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers; additional sampling efforts have included the Rio Grande aquifer system, the High Plains aquifer, and the Columbia Plateau basaltic-rock aquifers. Sampling of the Colorado Plateaus aquifers is scheduled for summer and early fall of 2017 with preliminary results available shortly thereafter.

Biogeochemical cycling of mercury in Lake Powell and Bighorn Lake: similarities and differences between two reservoirs

NAFTZ, D.1, M. Marvin-DiPasquale2, D.P. Krabbenhoft3, C. Eagles-Smith4, G. Aiken5, E.S. Boyd6, C.H. Conaway2, E. Barnhart1, J. Ogorek3, and G.M. Anderson7

1U.S. Geological Survey, WY-MT Water Science Center, Helena, MT 59601 USA, dlnaftz@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Mercury Research Laboratory, Middleton, WI 53562 USA; 4U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis OR 97331 USA; 5U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Boulder, CO 80303 USA; 6Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA; 7National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Page, AZ 86040 USA

ABSTRACT: Fish consumption advisories for mercury (Hg) are common in reservoir systems, including Lake Powell (LP), a 300-km long reservoir along the Colorado River in Arizona and Utah and Bighorn Lake (BL), a 115-km long reservoir along the Bighorn River in Montana and Wyoming. The advisory in LP is based on striped bass and is limited to the lower 70 km. The BL advisory includes the entire reservoir and multiple fish species. Both reservoirs have a narrow main channel, narrow river arms / side channels, and exhibit lotic characteristics during high inflow conditions. A two-year investigation of Hg dynamics in both reservoirs was conducted using similar sampling strategies, media, and metrics. Water, sediment, and seston samples were collected at 8 to 13 sites during both high- and low-inflow conditions. In-situ water column physiochemical parameters were measured in a continuous vertical profile from 15 to 25 sites during both sampling events at each reservoir. The study results were compared to a conceptual model in which the concentration and chemical nature of water column

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particulates transitions from a mixture of inorganic plus autochthonous (phytoplankton) and terrestrially derived organics in the upper end of the reservoirs to largely phytoplankton dominant in the lower portions. In the conceptual model, this transition could result in the deposition of more labile organic matter (phytoplankton) in the lower reservoir, which fuels higher rates of anaerobic microbial activity and higher rates of methylmercury (MeHg) production. During the low-flow sampling event, the lower portions of LP and BL exhibited areas of oxygen depletion and pH decreases likely resulting from the decomposition of phytoplankton. Side canyons in both reservoirs exhibited substantially greater oxygen loss in the lower water column, and a higher proportion and concentration of MeHg in sediment (BL) and aqueous samples (LP) relative to the main channel.

Utilizing radon monitors, time-lapse photography, and on-site meteorological data to understand changes in radon concentration during mining and reclamation, Pinenut uranium mine, AZ

NAFTZ, D.L.1, K. Walton-Day2, W.P. Gardner3, D. Goble3, M.C. Duniway4, and D. Bills5

1U.S. Geological Survey, WY-MT Water Science Center, Helena, MT 59601 USA, dlnaftz@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, CO Water Science Center, Lakewood, CO 80225 USA; 3University of Montana, Department of Geosciences, Missoula, MT 59812 USA; 4U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA; 5U.S. Geological Survey, AZ Water Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: In 2012 the U.S. Secretary of the Interior approved a 20-year withdrawal of approximately 405,000 hectares of Federal land in northern Arizona to protect Grand Canyon National Park and the associated watershed from potentially adverse effects of mineral exploration and development. A key factor in the withdrawal decision was the limited amount of scientific data available to assess potential mineral extraction impacts. One of these unknowns was off-site levels of radon (Rnair) potentially associated with uranium mining and reclamation activities. The Pinenut mine is one of the four approved underground mines that were allowed to operate during the withdrawal period. This exemption provided an opportunity to monitor off-site Rnair concentration during mining and initial reclamation activities that occurred in 2015-16. Two Saphymo AlphaE Rn detectors, with a measurement range of 0.54 pCi/L to 270 nCi/L, were deployed from October 2015 thru May 2016 in publically accessible areas adjacent to the mine. Monitor 1 was installed in close proximity to the mine vent and monitor 2 was installed in close proximity to the ore pile. Measurement frequency was 3 times per hour and a time-lapse camera was installed at monitor 2 to record relative size and activity on the ore pile during mining. A meteorological station recorded wind speed and direction outside the boundary of the mine site during the study period. Elevated (> 4 pCi/L) Rnair levels observed during the study period were correlated to periods of ore-pile activity and periods of active mining operations. A noticeable reduction in elevated Rnair events was observed at monitor 2 during the removal of the ore pile in 2016. Effects of wind speed and direction on Rnair monitoring results will be discussed. Comparison of AlphaE measurements with a laboratory grade instrument using known Rn standards under controlled conditions will also be presented.

Northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) impacts on tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) water use

NAGLER, P.1, C. Jarchow1, H. Bateman2, C. Van Riper III1,3, E. Glenn4

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, pnagler@usgs.gov; 2Arizona State University, College of Integrative Science and Arts, AZ 85212 USA; 3University of

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Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA; 4University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721-0038 USA

ABSTRACT: Tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda carinulata) were first introduced on the Colorado Plateau in 2002. The beetles feed exclusively on tamarisk leaves, resulting in episodic defoliation events with some mortality of shrubs after several cycles of defoliation. The primary purpose of the releases were to reduce water loss by reduction of tamarisk evapotranspiration (ET) with a secondary goal of improving riparian ecology by allowing the return of native trees to floodplains. The beetles are now widespread throughout the riparian zones of the Upper Colorado River Basin and have moved into the Lower Colorado River Basin at migration rates of about 40 km per year. The beetles have now been active on the Colorado Plateau for 14 years. Based on satellite data and ET algorithms, mean ET before beetle release (2000-2006) was 416 mm yr-1 compared to post-release (2007-2015) ET of 355 mm yr-1 (P< 0.05) for a net reduction of 61 mm yr-1. This is lower than initial literature projections that ET would be reduced by 300-460 mm yr-1. Reasons for the lower-than-expected ET reductions are because baseline ET rates are lower than initially projected and ET reduction is low because tamarisk stands tend to regrow new leaves after defoliation and other plants help maintain canopy cover. Overall reductions in tamarisk greenness during the study are about 21% based on reductions in ET. This talk will provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of tamarisk and tamarisk beetles and identify research and management needs to cope with the new conditions on rivers colonized by tamarisk.

Elevated rangeland dust emissions from land use disturbance and increasing drought threaten ecosystem services

NAUMAN, W.T.1, M.C. Duniway1, and J. Belnap1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA, tnauman@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Measured dust fluxes between 2004 and 2015 in rangelands and adjacent to unsurfaced roads in a dryland region of the southwestern US highlight unsustainable wind erosion rates. Empirical spatial modeling of road and rangeland emissions revealed that rangelands are producing at least 92-93% of regional dust and roads 7-8%. Measured ‘hot spots’ in rangeland flux rival the highest ever recorded including 7,460 gm-2day-1 (spring 2009) in an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area, but were more commonly 50-2,000 gm-2day-1 in areas with heavy grazing or OHV use throughout the period of record. During average flux years, the overall mean rangeland flux was 5.71 gm-2day-1, which is considerably lower than heavily grazed areas (~8-20 gm-2day-1) and OHV areas (414 gm-2day-1). In contrast, an area monitored with minimal disturbance averaged 1.60 gm-2day-1. Annual dust flux values on all rangeland land use types (light/no grazing, heavily grazed, and OHV) were associated with climate variables with flux generally rising with increased annual temperature, increased winds, and decreasing precipitation. Road sites averaged 30.7 gm-2day-1 with a maximum observed seasonal flux of 299.5 gm-2day-1 along a producing oil well access road. Four of the five highest road flux values (n=33 total) measured were adjacent to roads primarily used to access oil or gas well-pads, while one was a popular recreational road that also provides access to oil and gas developments. These findings suggest that predicted future regional mega-droughts may increase dust emissions already elevated due to land management, potentially further compromising air quality, hydrologic cycles, and other ecological services effected by dust.

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Disturbance Automated Reference Toolset (DART): assessing ecological recovery from energy development on the Colorado Plateau

NAUMAN, T.W.1, M.C. Duniway1, M.L.Villarreal2, and T.B. Poitras2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA, tnauman@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA

ABSTRACT: A new disturbance automated reference toolset (DART) was developed to monitor human land surface impacts using soil-type and ecological context. DART identifies reference areas with similar soils, topography, and geology; and, based on a satellite vegetation index, compares the disturbance condition to the reference area condition using a quantile-based approach. DART was able to represent 26-55% of variation of relative differences in bare ground and 26-41% of variation in total foliar cover when comparing sites with nearby ecological reference areas using the Soil Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI). Assessment of ecological recovery at oil and gas pads on the Colorado Plateau revealed that more than half of well-pads were below the 25th percentile of reference areas particularly in grasslands, blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) shrublands, arid canyon complexes, warmer areas with more summer-dominated precipitation, and state administered areas. Results showcase the usefulness of DART for assessing discrete surface land disturbances, and highlight the need for more targeted rehabilitation efforts at oil and gas well-pads in the arid Southwest US. The underlying edaphic framework for characterizing ecological potential in DART also offers a strong analytical platform for understanding land treatment effectiveness and management targets when paired with remote sensing and field rangeland health data across scales.

Soil texture mitigates the impact of ungulate herbivores on big sagebrush: implications for sagebrush restoration on the Colorado Plateau

NEHRING, K.C.1 and K.E. Veblen1

1Utah State University, Wildland Resource Department and Ecology Center, Logan, Utah 84322 USA, kyle.nehring@gmail.com

Abstract: Plant community responses to disturbances like herbivory vary across landscapes and can directly influence potential for restoration success. Abiotic factors, including soil depth and texture, can affect soil water available for plants. What remains unknown is the degree to which these soil properties alter a plant’s response to herbivory. Here we assessed if soil depth and texture mediate the density big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) to different types of large ungulate herbivory. We sampled long-term (60+ years) herbivore exclosure sites located in big sagebrush dominated plant communities. We selected 17 exclosures in loam and 15 exclosures in sandy loam soils. Each site contained three herbivory treatments: (1) no ungulate herbivory, (2) wild ungulate herbivory only, and (3) wild ungulate and cattle herbivory. We measured sagebrush density by height and age class and ungulate in all treatments. The effects of herbivore treatments, soil texture and soil depth were tested with generalized linear mixed effects models. The effect of ungulate herbivory on overall big sagebrush density was mitigated by soil texture (p=0.03) and soil depth (sandy loam soils: p=0.003). In loam soils, the overall density of big sagebrush was not significantly affected by herbivory, and cattle presence was associated with higher sagebrush seedling densities. In contrast, in sandy loam soils, wild ungulate herbivory significantly reduced overall sagebrush density, and this effect was greater in deeper soils (> 100cm) than shallower soils (< 100cm). Our result of reduced sagebrush densities in deeper sandy loam soils contrast with those of Germino and Reinhart (2014) who found that in Great Basin loam soils, big sagebrush densities were greater in deeper soils. Our work further indicates that, in our study system, soil depth and soil texture interact to alter sagebrush resilience to herbivory.

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Reconstructing past fire regime by analysis of charcoal abundance in Lake Bonneville Sediment

NEWELL, M.1

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, Newell@utah.edu

ABSTRACT: This project focuses on paleoenvironmental reconstructions of ancient Lake Bonneville through lake core sediment analysis. Data is collected through the four following proxys: X-ray fluorescence, magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition, and charcoal. X-ray fluoresence shows us the elemental signature of the sediment throughout the core. Magnetic susceptibility shows the amount of iron-bearing sediments, and loss on ignition displays the organic carbon and carbonate components of the sediment. Changes in charcoal abundance within the sediment allows us to reconstruct fire disturbances. Data from these analyses help us to interpret past ecology, climate, disturbance events, and the lake chronology. To examine a prehistoric lake as large as Lake Bonneville, it is crucial to collect samples from as many locations as possible. This project is part of a larger study using several cores throughout the Bonneville Basin. Having a multi-site study is beneficial because the cores can be compared to obtain a more extensive paleoclimate and paleoecological archives of Western Utah. The data for this research has been collected from core LCFSN16, which is located at the north most extent of the Fish Springs Wildlife Reserve, just south of the Dugway Proving Ground boundary.

Flagstaff’s innovative Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

NIEMAN, J.1

1City of Flagstaff, AZ USA

ABSTRACT: The City of Flagstaff has committed to take meaningful action on climate change. To do so, the city, along with community members, regional agencies, and other experts, is developing a comprehensive and innovative Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The plan will provide a data-driven, practical roadmap for Flagstaff to mitigate its contributions to climate change and adapt to future climactic disruptions. The provide a framework that complements Flagstaff’s unique economy, history, indigenous community, and physical climate; have broad community input; and be developed from the results of an engagement process that will seek to understand the community’s desires for a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Endemic tick-borne pathogens of Arizona: genetic diagnostics provides insights into illusive pathogen life-histories

NIETO, N.1

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Nathan.Nieto@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Tick-borne diseases are some of the most abundant and insidious in North America affecting humans, companion animals, and wildlife hosts. Because of the arid climate tick-borne pathogens are considered rare in Arizona; however, because of broad elevational gradient and corresponding climates, a variety of dangerous tick-borne pathogens are quite abundant throughout the state. Our group has been conducting surveillance efforts throughout northern Arizona in numerous wildlife species and their ticks. To date, we have detected relapsing-fever Borrelia in wildlife reservoir hosts (ground squirrels, chipmunks, and deer mice) and in ticks that were collected from re-introduced black-footed ferrets. In addition, we have identified tick-borne bacteria in bats and have helped to better define the state-wide

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distribution of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. All of our efforts help to better inform the risk of tick-borne disease throughout the state and have proved instrumental in the investigation of outbreaks and the resulting response of public health. Monitoring wildlife hosts and their parasites provides essential information to our public health infrastructure so that both epidemiologist and clinicians are better aware of the potential endemic pathogens to the region.

Treating and restoring tribal priority landscapes within and adjacent to ancestral lands

NORMAN, L.M.1, B. Middleton 1,N.R. Wilson1, D. Randall2, A. Rose 2, Buck, Paul 2, M. Thomas3, T. Yost3, and C. Richins4

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, lnorman@usgs.gov; 2San Carlos Apache Tribe, Forest Resources Program, San Carlos, Arizona 85550 USA: 3Tonto National Forest, Phoenix AZ, 85006 USA; 4Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western Regional Office, San Carlos AZ 85550 USA

ABSTRACT: This presentation will describe the ancestral Apache lands that cover a large portion of the southwestern landscape and the restoration provision that is being used to petition for Reserved Treaty Rights Land (RTRL) funding, a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) program to treat ancestral lands. The San Carlos Apache Tribe maintains a goal to create a healthy ecosystem using pre-reservation conditions as a measure. The USDA Forest Service at Tonto, situated to the west of the reservation, shares a vision to protect the Indian trust resources from catastrophic fire, disease, or other threats. In order to meet this objective, selected areas in neighboring watersheds are being considered for fuels reductions through use of prescribed burning, mechanical thinning or use of wildland fire. Tools such as planting, erosion control, re-contouring, and restoring natural slope are being examined in addition to fire treatment. Watershed modelling techniques are presented to qualify forest-resource management practices using a holistic interdisciplinary approach and help visualize “downstream” impacts on soil stability and other important ecosystem services. Results are meant to better inform a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis. One product of the model is the potential sediment yield and relationship to proposed treatment blocks. Proposed variations of land-use management will be simulated to review potential impacts downstream on water, surface water, sediment, infiltration, etc., and the suite of ecosystem services these things regulate.

Outdoor Leadership Academy: recruiting our future leaders across disciplines and ethnicities

O’BRIEN, E.E.1 and K. BRINGHURST2

1Dixie State University, Department of Biological Sciences, St. George, Utah USA, obrien@dixie.edu; 2Dixie State University, Office of Community Engagement, St. George, Utah USA, bringhurst@dixie.edu

Abstract: In the last decade, study after study has shown that the National Park Service (NPS) is lacking diversity, both in terms of visitors and employees. In the last national survey, 78% of park visitors were non-Hispanic Caucasians. Youth outreach is an effective way to combat this and partnering with educational institutions makes reaching youth easier for parks. Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and Lake Mead National Recreation Area established a partnership with Dixie State University to create a program specifically for diverse, economically disadvantaged, and under-represented youth, the Outdoor Leadership Academy (OLA). The program provides unique experiences to youth 15+ designed to foster an emotional connection with national parks and public lands in general and to provide them with opportunities to develop leadership and communication skills in the hope that

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they will become future community leaders who will engage with public lands informally and potentially professionally. The program has since grown to include Clark County School District; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Southern Utah University; Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Page High School (Page, AZ); and local tribal leaders. The program has evolved over its short existence so that it now also provides college students with skills they need to be competitive for summer internships with the parks while utilizing these same college students as mentors for high school students. This program allows youth to work closely with NPS career professional, university professors, and OLA mentors to prepare youth for their future and help the NPS workforce and visitors more closely resemble the diversity of the nation.

Bringing the science of light cyanobacteria crusts into management planning on Canyons of the Ancients and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments

O’BRIEN, M.H.1

1Grand Canyon Trust, Castle Valley, UT 84503 USA, maryobrien10@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Light cyanobacterial crusts are an early-seral biological soil crust upon which dark cyanobacterial, lichen, and moss biological crusts can establish on soils that are capable of supporting biocrusts. While mature biological crusts may take decades to recover from disturbance, light cyanobacterial crusts may be found binding soil particles within 1-3 years following disturbance, and thus can serve as an indicator of potential further biocrust development. Because detecting the presence of light cyanobacterial crusts generally requires close observation of dangling soil particles, they are not generally surveyed on BLM lands, while the presence of dark cyanobacteria-, moss-, and lichen-dominated crusts are more often recorded. In 2014-2015, the Grand Canyon Trust organized the gathering of biocrust information within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; this effort included light cyanobacterial crusts along 100’ transects on 176 sites formerly assessed by the BLM in 2000. In 2016, a Trust intern gathered similar biocrust information on similar soils within an 800-acre, private, fenced inholding within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument that had not been grazed by cattle for nine years. Also in 2016, two Trust interns gathered biocrust information at three sites: along 100’ transects in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument on two soils within a 53-year old exclosure, an adjacent cattle allotment that had not been grazed for 11 years, and an actively-grazed cattle allotment. The results of these surveys indicate that (1) most biocrusts in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument are being kept in an early-seral, light-cyanobacteria-dominated condition (if are they not obliterated); and (2) dark cyanobacteria can develop widely on appropriate soils within a decade in the absence of livestock grazing. Biological soil crust surveys that include detection of light cyanobacteria are feasible for land management agencies and citizen scientists.

The Monroe Mountain story: consensus collaboration for restoring aspen amid multiple challenges

O’BRIEN, M.H.1

1Grand Canyon Trust, Castle Valley, UT 84532 USA, maryobrien10@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Monroe Mountain (south-central Utah, Richfield RD, Fishlake NF) aspen face two main challenges: overtopping by conifer and excessive ungulate browsing. Restoration of aspen on Monroe Mountain faces numerous challenges: difficulty of reintroducing fire to mixed conifer-aspen amid private inholdings, limitations on treatments within potential wilderness areas, differing potential management of livestock (cattle, sheep) browsing versus wild ungulate (elk, deer) browsing, uncertain

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burn windows, lack of information to resolve collaboration questions, and differing values, perception, and information among collaboration members. The Monroe Mountain Working Group (MMWG), a 19-member collaboration of local, state, and federal agencies and governments, private landowners, permittees, and conservation groups has met in the field and around tables since 2011 with a professional facilitator to arrive at consensus recommendations for aspen restoration. The recommendations were submitted to the Fishlake NF in 2014. An Environmental Impact Statement process incorporating many of the collaboration’s recommendations resulted in a 2015 Record of Decision that was not litigated. Implementation of the planned ten-year restoration project began in spring 2016. In 2017, the MMWG is continuing in its new role of tracking restoration outcomes and recommending monitoring procedures and adaptive management measures. Elements of the collaboration process that have led to success include commitment to consensus decisionmaking, skilled facilitation, ongoing engagement of MMWG members representing diverse interests, extensive monitoring and research answering MMWG questions, membership in MMWG by a Forest Service research station scientist, meetings with interested parties between MMWG meetings, consistent, positive commitment by the Richfield RD and Fishlake NF to the MMWG process, flexibility of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and…..a sense humor.

Tree growth response to climate varies across a monsoon precipitation gradient

OGLE, K.1,2, Y. Kent, L.L.1, Y. Liu1, P.Szejner3,4, R.K. Monson3,5, and D. Peltier2

1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, kiona.ogle@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3University of Arizona, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA; 4 University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA; 5University of Arizona, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA

ABSTRACT: Spatial patterns of monsoon and winter precipitation in the southwestern United States (“Southwest”) result in a northwest – southeast gradient from winter to summer moisture dominance. Annual tree growth is strongly tied to seasonal (e.g., winter, summer) and yearly climate, but less is known about the actual time-scales over which climate influences growth. We applied a Bayesian model to evaluate the influence of antecedent climatic (temperature, precipitation) and endogenous (age and prior growth) factors on Pinus ponderosa annual growth. We analyzed ring widths from 128 trees growing in 11 sites across the Southwest’s monsoon precipitation gradient, along with 119 years of monthly climate data. This analysis allowed us to address the following questions: Over what time-scales do climate variables influence annual tree growth? And, does the relationship between antecedent climate and tree growth vary across the monsoon precipitation gradient? Annual tree growth was affected by climate factors that occurred up to four years prior to growth, indicating that trees have long-term “memory” of climatic conditions. The drier the site, the greater the influence of precipitation on growth; site-level growth sensitivities were negatively correlated with mean annual, winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, March), and summer (July, Aug, Sept) precipitation amounts. The temperature sensitivity of annual tree growth was variable across sites, with negative correlations (4 sites), positive correlations (1 site), and no correlation (6 sites). At all sites, annual growth decreased with tree age and was positively correlated with the previous year’s growth. The effects of age and prior growth varied widely among trees within sites. The effects of antecedent precipitation and temperature were fairly uniform within sites, but varied greatly among sites, reflecting different site-specific climate conditions. These results suggest that any perturbations to the precipitation regime in the Southwest will have multi-year implications for tree growth that will not be uniform across the monsoon gradient.

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Investigating uses of time series digital photography for observing natural systems

OLIPHIANT, A.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, aoliphant@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Time series analysis of Earth observation imagery can be a powerful tool to measure changes of the land surface at a variety of scales. Spaceborn remote sensing platforms such as Landsat and MODIS can track environmental change over large areas spanning decades. However, due to course pixel resolutions (15m to 1 km) and with the ground surface regularly obscured by clouds, the ability to correlate these measurements to what is present on the ground is limited. Time series digital photography and photography has long been used to track events such as glacial movements, wildlife, erosion, and changes in phenology. Phenocams are digital cameras that collect imagery at regular intervals and acquire quantitative information on vegetation greenness and stage, which can indicate changes in leaf out, fall, and drought impacts. Many cameras can be modified to be sensitive to infrared light, which is useful for assessing vegetation and image collection at night. There are many other potential uses of time series digital photography in precision agriculture and stream channel morphology. When objects of known length are placed in the scene, distances of other objects can be determined, which is useful for tracking dynamic systems. Digital image sensors are rapidly increasing in quality while decreasing in cost and size, making these platforms easier to deploy than they were in the past. Additionally, use of Raspberry Pi computers and consumer wireless hotspots can greatly increase data retrieval frequency and decrease cost when compared to manual data retrieval. Equipment is available for deployment when collaborators and field sites are found.

Seed trek: the next generation

O’NEILL, G.1

1Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Kalamalka Forestry Centre, Vernon BC V1B 2C7, Canada, Greg.ONeill@gov.bc.ca

ABSTRACT: The intention of this presentation is to make a case for “boldly going where no forester has gone before”: for deconstructing the 100-year-old paradigm of reforesting with local seed sources. Numerous reports have already linked large-scale forest disturbance with 20th and 21st century climate change. As the rate of Anthropocenic climate change continues to outpace the ability of natural systems to respond through natural selection and migration, tree populations are becoming increasingly distanced from their climatic optimum, maladapted, and susceptible to pests and disease. In forested ecosystems, where trees are often foundation species, the stability of ecosystems and the diversity of life that they support are jeopardized. Assisted migration—reforesting or afforesting with tree seed sources from climates that are slightly warmer than the planting site—is intended to mitigate forest maladaptation associated with evolutionary lag because of Anthropocenic climate change and climate change expected during the life of the planted forest. Although assisted migration of trees has received considerable attention as an effective, inexpensive, low-risk climate change adaptation strategy for forests since it was first proposed in 1992, its widespread adoption has faltered owing to several critical knowledge gaps and lack of operational tools for land managers. Specifically, three elements are needed: (1) a simple, clear approach for calculating the optimum seed source climate for each reforestation site; (2) a new system seedlot selection that is based on climate instead of geographic zones; and (3) a decision support tool to enable users to locate seed sources closest to the optimum climate.

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Inter-tribal Advisory Council and Desert View project with a focus on the innovative partnerships and programs

O’NEILL, J. 1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, AZ USA, jennifer_o'neill@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: At Grand Canyon National Park, the Desert View visitor area has become a model for cultural resource stewardship, where a nexus of historic preservation, heritage interpretation, and partnerships have come together through forward thinking, open dialogue, and strategic planning to create a unique management partnership. The Inter-tribal Advisory Council, the park, and their partners are actively engaged in repurposing the Desert View Interpretive Area into a place to celebrate the cultural heritage of the park’s traditionally associated Native American tribes. Key accomplishments include returning the historic Watchtower to architect Mary Colter’s original vision “to introduce the depths of Native culture to the traveler,” and the development of a site concept which would provide multiple venues for tribal representatives to demonstrate their cultures to the visiting public directly through First Voice Interpretation.

Surface water – groundwater interactions and their influence on analyte load and concentration

OSTER, T.N.1, K.L. Keski-Hynnila1, E.R. Schenk1, and B.W. Tobin1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, to64@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Transept Creek, located on the north side of Grand Canyon, serves as a tributary to the Bright Angel Creek (BAC) and is comprised of intermittent flows at varying locations down the canyon. The North Rim Waste Water Treatment Plant, which performs water reclamation via treatment as well as an effluent leach field, is located on the North Rim above Transept Creek. The source of water in Transept Creek is directly influenced by effluent from this facility. Because this creek flows into BAC, contamination in the Transept has the potential to impair waters downstream in heavily used sections of BAC and may impact future decisions regarding water use in the canyon. Here we assess how water chemistry, nutrients, and biological contaminant loads and concentrations vary along Transept Creek, as well as before and after the confluence of Transept and BAC. These analytes follow a few distinct patterns longitudinally and these patterns seem to be directly influenced by the surface water-groundwater interactions occurring along the length of the creek. Sampling in Upper Transept indicated higher loads of nutrients, such as nitrate at 98.6 mg/s, as compared to sampling in Lower Transept, at which nitrate loads were 0.92 mg/s approximately 4,919 m down the Transept. When the water sinks initially, it results in a major reduction in analyte concentrations. This reduction is either the result of microbial uptake, adsorption onto clay minerals, or both, as the water sinks into the subsurface. Ultimately, these patterns represent a drastic reduction in concentration and load of analytes as water moves downstream. This indicates minimal impact to BAC during both monsoon conditions while the treatment facility is active, and during late fall conditions when the facility has reduced use.

Long-term effect of fire severity on soil properties and fungal communities

OWEN, S.M.1,2, C.H. Sieg2, C.A. Gehring3, A.M. Patterson3, and P.Z. Fulé1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, smn25@nau.edu; 2USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

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ABSTRACT: Contemporary wildfires in southwestern US ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) forests have increased in size and severity. These wildfires can remove large, contiguous patches of mature forests, potentially altering soil properties and communities, such as pine-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. We investigated the long-term (12+ years post-wildfire) effect of: (1) fire severity (high and moderate) on soil properties and fungal fruiting community composition, and (2) both fire severity and distance from unburned forest on colonization and community composition of EM fungi. We conducted field surveys and collected soil for physical and chemical analyses and mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) experiments in the 2000 Pumpkin Fire, and collected soil for MIP experiments along transects that extended from unburned forest edges out 400 m into high-severity areas in the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire. Preliminary results show similar soil nutrient availability in different fire-severities and unburned areas, but lower soil moisture content and unique fruiting fungi communities in high-severity areas compared to moderate and unburned areas. EM colonization and community composition were similar across different fire-severities and unburned areas, and with distance from the unburned forest, but field-collected ponderosa pine roots had higher EM richness in moderate-severity plots. One site dominated by non-EM plant hosts had a unique EM community composition compared to two other sites on the Rodeo-Chediski Fire. Our results suggest that high-severity fire has long-term consequences to fruiting fungal communities; yet soil properties and EM communities are quite resilient 12+ years post wildfire. Site-specific changes to EM communities could be a function of the dominant post-wildfire vegetation type. Post-fire forest soil restoration may not be necessary on the wildfires we studied; managers could focus instead on preventing high-severity wildfires by thinning overly dense forests.

Economic evaluations of Glen Canyon power since 1946: a historical retrospective and discussion of current issues

PALMER, S.C.1

1Western Area Power Administration, Colorado River Storage Project Management Center, Salt Lake City, UT USA, cspalmer@wapa.gov

ABSTRACT: In 1946, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) published a comprehensive report on the development of the water resources of the Colorado River Basin. This basin-wide plan was intended to provide a water and power social infrastructure that, combined with public transportation infrastructure improvements, would be the basis for the economic development of the Colorado Basin and adjacent lands. This plan for the construction of public infrastructure in the Colorado River Basin illustrates the vision of the national government toward western lands and is similar to historic proposals for social infrastructure in the nascent United States. The DOI viewed the Colorado Basin as an empty place, whose resources, once social infrastructural was in place, would have a beneficial effect on the economy of the “entire country.” In this presentation, I describe the economic evaluations in this 1946 report, focusing on water and hydropower. The benefit/cost ratio for the water projects described in this report was 1.3: 1. Most of the anticipated benefits came from the development of hydropower ($75 million of the $138.5 million in economic benefits). Social values have significantly changed over the 70 years since this report was published. Recent economic valuations have focused on Glen Canyon Dam (GCD), specifically on power production. I compare these recent economic evaluations to the 1946 DOI report. These studies include estimates of economic values for environmental resources downstream of, and impacted by, the operation of GCD. Recent economic valuations include estimates of non-market valuations of natural resources. These make the evaluation of the economic benefits of hydropower at GCD, and by extrapolation, the water development in the Colorado River Basin more nuanced and less clear regarding the quantification of net benefits.

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Landscape-scale processes influence riparian plant composition along a regulated river

PALMQUIST, E.1, B.E. Ralston2, D. M. Merritt3, and P.B. Shafroth4

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, epalmquist@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Science Quality and Integrity, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001 USA; 3USDA Forest Service, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air, and Rare Plants Staff, Fort Collins, CO, 80526 USA; 4U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA

ABSTRACT: It is important to consider both landscape-scale factors (elevation, geography, climate) and local scale factors (hydrology, channel geomorphology, microhabitat) when trying to explain and predict patterns of vegetation in riparian areas. In areas with steep environmental gradients and high habitat heterogeneity, riparian vegetation turnover can be high along a river’s course. To assess how landscape-scale factors change the structure of riparian vegetation, we determine if riparian vegetation composition substantially changes along the Colorado River through Grand Canyon, determine which factors more likely explain the change, identify how richness and functional diversity change, and identify the implications of these changes to river management. We identified three divergent floristic groups that are distributed longitudinally along the river. These groups correlated with changes in elevation, temperature and seasonal precipitation, but not with annual precipitation or site-scale factors. Species richness decreased as a function of distance downstream, and functional composition differed among floristic groups, showing that changing landscape-scale factors result in changes to these ecosystem characteristics and functioning. Although riparian vegetation location and amount is closely tied to river regulation, the composition remains closely linked to seasonal precipitation and temperature and will therefore change over time in response to climate change, independent of climate effects on streamflow. These patterns and changes in floristic composition inform present day management and provide insights into potential changes in riparian ecosystems as a result of climate change and flow management.

STEPWAT2: a new tool for exploring the joint influence of climate change and disturbance on dryland plant communities

PALMQUIST, K.A.1, J.B. Bradford2, D.S. Schlaepfer3, and W.K. Lauenroth1,3

1University of Wyoming, Department of Botany, Laramie, WY 82070 USA, kpalmqu1@uwyo.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 3 Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT 06511 USA

ABSTRACT: Climatic change has important consequences for plant communities from the leaf to ecosystem scale. Changing climatic conditions often precipitate indirect effects, such as shifts in disturbance regimes, with the consequence that plant communities are affected by multiple factors simultaneously. These issues are particularly pertinent for dryland ecosystems, as soil water availability along with temperature are often the key limiting factors for plant growth and plant species composition and richness. Here, we introduce STEPWAT2, a dynamic, individual-based plant simulation model. We utilized STEPWAT2 to explore the impacts of climate, climate change, and disturbance regimes on dryland plant communities under current and future conditions. We conducted simulation experiments using STEPWAT2 to assess how climate change, fire, grazing, and their interactions may impact plant functional group biomass and composition in future big sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States. Simulations focused on 91 sites, chosen to span the spatial extent and current climate space of big sagebrush ecosystems in the western US, and whenever possible, represent areas

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that have high population densities of greater sage-grouse. We ran STEPWAT2 for these 91 sites for current conditions, future conditions for 26 GCM-RCP scenarios, three grazing intensities, and three fire-return intervals. Our analysis focuses on questions that may help guide management decisions: (1) will high-quality greater sage-grouse habitat continue to be high quality in the future? (2) what combination of fire and grazing treatments will result in conversion from shrub-dominated to annual grass-dominated states under current and future conditions? Our results characterize the geographic and temporal variability in plant functional biomass and composition, and provide insight into the impact of fire and grazing regime. Our work has implications for big sagebrush plant communities and for the species that depend on them.

Phenotypic variation, maladaptation, and assisted migration: The asymmetry of Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) in two common gardens

PARKER, J.M. 1, 2 and T.G. Whitham 2

1Northern Arizona University, College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; jmp565@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a deviation from bilateral symmetry, may be a useful biomarker of maladaptation. We explored the potential of leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of a foundation tree species, Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), to reflect environmental stress between two climate extremes. Our goal was to assess the implications of this method for assisted migration, plant performance, and mortality. This is the first study that has compared FA between natural populations with cloned genotypes in a reciprocal planting design using two common gardens. We quantified the heritability of FA by comparing 16 populations reciprocally planted in two common gardens representing the upper and lower temperature extremes where these trees naturally occur. Four patterns emerged. 1. Trees growing in the wild were, on average, 40% more symmetrical than trees growing in common gardens at most temperature based transfer distances, suggesting that plants are locally adapted. 2. Trees with a high temperature difference (>6°C) between their home site to the garden displayed 1.5x higher FA on average, but those shifted relatively small transfer distances (<2°C) were generally not significantly different from their origin sites. Intermediate distances showed a gradient of asymmetry. 3. Greater symmetry was correlated with several measures of relative fitness including diameter at root crown, biomass, and mortality suggesting that FA is both ecologically and evolutionarily indicative of local adaptation. 4. Asymmetry as a measure of environmental tolerance exhibits significant broad-sense heritability in which some genotypes are innately more sensitive than others (high elevation garden H2B =0.324 and low elevation garden H2B =0.22). We posit that FA results from environmental stressors, which can be an important tool for assessing the efficacy of assisted migration to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Integrating soil ecology into landscape forest restoration: the Southwest Jemez Mountains Resilient Landscapes and Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Programs

PARMENTER, R.R.1

1National Park Service, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Science & Resource Stewardship Division, Jemez Springs, New Mexico 87025 USA, Robert_Parmenter@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico are the host sites for two large landscape-level, 10-year grant projects for forest restoration. The Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest

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Landscape Restoration Program (USDA) and Resilient Landscapes Program (DOI Office of Wildland Fire) are focusing on a 210,000 acre landscape that includes the Valles Caldera National Preserve (National Park Service) and the Santa Fe National Forest (Forest Service). The restoration program includes more the 30 collaborating organizations, agencies and universities which work together to plan, implement and monitor restoration projects (forest thinning, managed fires, wetland restoration, etc.). Extensive monitoring programs have been undertaken to ascertain the success of the projects and impacts on soils, watersheds, vegetation and wildlife. A summary of the project results will be presented on restoration projects and fire impacts to forest vegetation, soils, stream hydrology, fisheries, wildlife (birds, large mammals), pest and beneficial insects, and invasive non-native plants; particular emphasis will be placed on soil and soil biota monitoring projects for forest thinning and fire management. The project results also will contrast fire impacts from managed fires in restored areas with human-caused uncharacteristic high-severity fires. These results promote meaningful science-based adaptive management, planning and decision-making for forested watershed restoration and fire management, while building community involvement and support across a broad spectrum of public and private interests.

Differential growth responses of pinyon and juniper during El Niño and La Niña periods

PELTIER, D.1,2, J. Guo1,2, K. Samuels-Crow3, L. Yocom-Kent3, Y. Liu3, W. Anderegg4, M. Fell3, G. Koch1,2, and K. Ogle1,2,3

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, dmp334@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA 3Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 4University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA

ABSTRACT: In the southwestern United States (“Southwest”) drought conditions are projected to become more common with climate change, and are exacerbated by La Niña anomalies that tend to lead to recurring drought conditions. This study aims to understand how annual pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) growth (ring-width chronologies) may differentially respond to climate following La Niña versus El Niño years in the Southwest. To address this, we evaluated annual growth responses to monthly precipitation, temperature, and drought indices at varying time-scales coupled with a large-scale field study of pinyon and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) in 11 sites across AZ, NM, UT, and CO. We quantified ecophysiological variables expected to underlie annual growth responses, including non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) and predawn water potential (ѰPD). We found pinyon ring widths were more coupled to current year’s February and June precipitation and to previous year’s October and November precipitation during La Niña years. Pinyon responds more negatively to current year’s temperature in March, April, and July during these periods. Large differences in sensitivities to June precipitation and July temperature suggest pre-monsoonal precipitation and the monsoon arrival date (lowers daytime temperatures; July 4th average arrival) are important during drought years. NSC strategies likely underlie differential growth responses during El Niño and La Niña periods. For example, NSCs align with water stress such that leaf sugar and stem starch in pinyon and leaf starch in juniper were positively related to ѰPD (r = 0.447, 0.323, and 0.693, respectively). Differences in NSC storage may be related to drought-induced photosynthetic inhibition as growing season starch depletion was evident in pinyon (stems: 0.012±0.002% vs. 0.003±0.005% [pre- vs. post-monsoon]) and juniper (leaves: 0.035±0.005% vs. 0.015±0.013%). Our results suggest regular climatic variability associated with the El Nino Southern Oscillation could exacerbate projected impacts of climate change.

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Ungulates impede quaking aspen recruitment into the overstory in central Utah

PERAZZO, H.E.J.1, A. Rhodes2, and S.B. St. Clair.2

1Brigham Young University, Department of Biology, Provo, UT 84602 USA, heather_perazzo@byu.net; 2Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Provo, UT 84602 USA

ABSTRACT: Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is a keystone species that provides vital habitat for hundreds of plant and animal species. Among these species, ungulates such as mule deer, American elk, and cattle, have strong top-down effects on forest structure through their diet preference for aspen. Our objective was to quantify aspen suckering growth and recruitment potential across a gradient of relative ungulate use. We sampled ten suckers in each of forty intact aspen stands on Monroe Mountain in Utah. For each sample, we checked for removed apical meristems and identified ungulate fecal matter to assess relative ungulate use of aspen suckers. To measure aspen growth and recruitment potential, we determined aspen height growth, radial growth, and stem age. The average annual height growth of aspen suckers was 23 cm ± 1.4 cm, and the average annual ring growth was 0.83 mm ± 0.4 mm. Removal of apical meristems on Monroe Mountain across 5 years was consistently encountered, averaging nearly 60% across all stands measured. In 2015, we found that for every 10% removal of apical meristems, there was an associated reduced annual vertical growth of 1 cm and reduced 0.02 mm of ring growth. Our oldest suckers were 24 years old and had not surpassed 80 cm in height due to their removed apical meristems. On Monroe Mountain, with consistently high removal of aspen apical meristems, we predict that it would take aspen suckers an average of 6.5 years to surpass a critical 1.5 m browse height threshold. Our results suggest that ungulates reduce the speed at which aspen suckers recruit into the overstory, which can have lasting effects on stand resilience to biotic and abiotic disturbance.

Incorporating social and ecological adaptive capacity into vulnerability assessments and adaptation decisions for conservation

PETERSEN B.1, C. Aslan1, D. Stuart1, and P. Beier1

1Northern Arizona University, Geography, Planning and Recreation, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, brian.petersen@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Global change has led to increased attention to the adaptive capacity of social and ecological systems. However, the term adaptive capacity has been used in confusing ways, often ignoring social adaptive capacity. Furthermore, the dominant frameworks for considering adaptive capacity terminate with a vulnerability assessment, without explicitly considering how such assessments help inform decisions to undertake adaptation actions. Here we propose a framework that links social and ecological adaptive capacity to conservation decisions. We illustrate our framework in the context of the Sky Islands ecoregion of the southwestern US. We recommend (1) using our proposed framework to incorporate social and ecological adaptive capacity into decisions about adaptation, (2) Effectively convene key actors, not necessarily in formal settings, to address adaptation issues, (3) ensuring the science necessary for supporting adaptation is co-produced, and (4) using a facilitator to help decision makers learn from successful and unsuccessful adaptation efforts.

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U.S. Forest Service science-management partnerships promote climate change adaptation on federal lands in the West

PETERSON, D.L.1 and J.E. Halofsky2

1U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Seattle, WA 98103 USA, wild@uw.edu; 2University of Washington, School of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195 USA

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, the U.S. Forest Service has increased organizational capacity to address climate change as a component of sustainable resource management. Science-management partnerships among agencies, universities, tribes, and other stakeholders are the foundation for this process, which includes (1) employee education, (2) development of a detailed, multi-resource vulnerability assessment, (3) development of a detailed adaptation plan, and (4) implementation in agency planning and management. State-of-science assessments include vegetation, water resources, fisheries, wildlife, recreation, ecosystem services, infrastructure, and cultural resources. Land managers have developed over 500 adaptation options for these resources, which have been compiled in the Climate Change Adaptation Library. Many current aspects of land management are already climate smart and may require only fine tuning. In addition, information from the assessments is now being incorporated in national forest plans, resource monitoring, and restoration. To date, we have developed 8 partnerships involving 40 national forests and 32 National Park Service units across 27 million hectares in the West. In this presentation, we review highlights from a recent assessment that includes a portion of the Colorado Plateau.

Evaluating and monitoring fuel treatment effectiveness using remote sensing on the San Carlos Apache Reservation

PETRAKIS R.1, M L. Villarreal2, Z. Wu3, R. Hetzler4, B R. Middleton1, and L.M. Norman5

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, rpetrakis@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Land Remote Sensing Program, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 4Bureau of Indian Affairs, San Carlos Agency, San Carlos, AZ 85550 USA; 5 U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85721

ABSTRACT: The practice of fire suppression throughout the Western U.S. has led to dense and overcrowded forests that have contributed to large and destructive wildfires in recent decades. Forest management efforts now focus on fuel treatments with the goal of reducing tree density and restoring natural fire regimes into the system. This research uses satellite remote sensing to assess the relationship between different fuel treatments (thinned, harvested, prescribed burning, and managed wildfire) and burn severity after the 2013 Creek Fire on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in east-central Arizona. We also assessed post-fire conditions using multi-temporal satellite indicators of changes in vegetation greenness, stand moisture, and surface brightness. Our results show little difference in burn severity between thinned and untreated stands on both gradual and steep north facing slopes. Thinning followed by a prescribed burn resulted in lower burn severity as well as increased greenness and stand moisture, which was similar to areas with multiple managed wildfires. However, managed wildfire following a thinning treatment resulted in comparable burn severity to untreated areas, yet had more extreme ranges in post-fire response. We believe excess remnant slash material possibly increased burn severity within thinned areas, while prescribed fire likely consumed the remnant slash material in thinned areas prior to the Creek Fire indicating the importance of this combination of treatments. Prescribed burns are often performed during optimal fuel conditions. Nevertheless, areas where a fire treatment occurred generally had higher levels of overall greenness and stand moisture by

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three years after the Creek Fire. Finally, managed wildfires were shown to have the ability to treat steeper slopes while thinning and prescribed burning was mostly limited to gradual slopes. This research can help inform forest managers of how various fuel treatments can influence burn severity and post-fire vegetation response within ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests.

Controls on vegetation – soil moisture coupling in arid shrublands during drought elicited through long-term data

PETRIE, M.D.1,2 and D.P.C. Peters1,3

1New Mexico State University, The Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA, mdpetrie@nmsu.edu; 2New Mexico State University, Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA, 3U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Las Cruces, NM USA

ABSTRACT: Our goal was to quantify variation in ecological responses to sustained periods of moisture limitation (ecological drought) across a semiarid ecological landscape in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, USA. We obtained long-term meteorological, ecological site, soil moisture and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) data from 1990-2015 for nine semiarid shrublands located on heterogeneous sites at the Jornada Basin LTER. We contrasted the coupling of woody and herbaceous productivity and ecological drought conditions (as Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and soil moisture) between these shrubland sites, and related this coupling to variation in soil conditions and ecosystem type based on dominant shrub species during drought periods of varying duration and intensity. We found a broad range of variation in coupling of SPEI, soil moisture and ANPP at these sites, and found variation in soil type to play a strong role in regulating ecological landscape heterogeneity, although this effect varied at different levels of moisture limitation. We emphasize the value of representing variation in ecological responses to external forcings, especially in the context of multi-site, regional studies and modeling approaches, where uncertainty in ecological responses may not otherwise be accounted for.

Diversity and distributions of cyanobacteria from biocrusts

PIETRASIAK, N.1

1New Mexico State University, Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA, npietras@ad.nmsu.edu

ABSTRACT: Soil cyanobacteria in biocrusts contribute greatly to rangeland health and dryland soil quality. Specifically, soil cyanobacteria are recognized as the biocrust engineers who are especially important in re-stabilizing newly disturbed soils. Likewise, in hot desert ecosystems cyanobacteria are often the dominant photoautotrophic community members capable of thriving in face of the harshest environmental conditions. Despite our growing recognition of these biocrust community components we still know only little about their alpha taxonomy and biogeography. This is an issue especially at a time when molecular DNA based diversity surveys face analytical bottlenecks due in part to the occurrence of many unknown or unclassified cyanobacterial OTUs. In my talk, I will review the state of knowledge about cyanobacterial diversity and distribution in the southwestern U.S. I will compare historical with current data, present keynotes on recent advances in the understanding of cyanobacterial diversity from dryland soils as well as discuss challenges and knowledge gaps. My literature review indicates that cyanobacterial diversity in the western U.S. has been greatly underestimated. More than ever before, we are in vital need of taxonomic studies before we lose this resource to human consumption and landscaping-altering activity. We need to revive our appreciation

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and awareness of taxonomic work especially in an era with many new tools available. Such scientific data will be key to obtaining informative answers to ecological and biogeographical questions.

Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program, 2017

PILMANIS, A.1

1Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 USA, apilmani@blm.gov

ABSTRACT: The Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) was established in 2009 to pursue goals and objectives similar to those of the 2015 National Seed Strategy, but with a focus on the Colorado Plateau geographic region and stakeholders. I’ll briefly introduce the CPNPP mission and structure, then show examples of what success and failure look like from a regional plant materials program perspective. Accomplishments by the network of CPNPP partners over time have yielded: a regionally coordinated wildland seed collection and inventory program; establishment of plant material evaluations, common gardens and materials increase; innovative research into functional traits, genetics, seed transfer zone development, and economic market realities. Current program needs include: (1) synthesis of species-specific research and development progress plus prioritization of next steps, (2) assessment of future seed need and demand, (3) options for sustainable production and supply, (4) development of informed tools to guide practitioner seed choices, and (5) as well as templates for project implementation that allow rigorous inference of short- and long-term materials performance. The amount and complexity of information relevant to materials choice and use decisions can be overwhelming to lay persons, as well as difficult and time-consuming to obtain and digest. Technological improvements in information management and communication should facilitate CPNPP progress meeting program needs and objectives, as will continued support for translation of scientific knowledge into user-friendly facts and options. Such progress will be subject to institutional support and funding of not just vegetation management projects and research, but the support services that liaise between research and management.

Adobe ruins preservation in the desert southwest: lessons learned from Fort Bowie and Tumacacori

PORTER, D.1 and A. Bass2

1University of Vermont, School of Engineering, Burlington, VT 05405 USA, douglas.porter@uvm.edu; 2 University of New Mexico, Department of Anthropology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA

ABSTRACT: To protect the adobe ruins at Fort Bowie National Historical Site from direct exposure to weather and slow their deterioration, treatment strategies developed by the National Park Service (NPS) over a period of more than 50 years have included: (1) installation of soil-cement caps and veneers, along with the topical application of several chemical preservatives (1967-1977); (2) replacement of soil-cement materials with unamended soil caps and veneers (1977-1989); and (3) the application of lime plaster shelters (1989-present). A semi-quantitative evaluation of these strategies, based on analysis of photodocumentation of the surviving wall segments collected by NPS at strategic intervals during this time period, indicates that sheltering with lime plaster has been most effective in preventing loss by erosion and collapse. While the Fort Bowie lime plaster shelters have an average service life of ten years when properly maintained, they begin to show significant deterioration relatively early on. Their deterioration and failure exhibit recurring patterns of delamination and cracking that are largely attributable to thermally induced strains. Optimizing the binder component of the plasters and incorporating reinforcement in the system may improve their durability. The results of research

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conducted by the investigators at Tumacacori National Historical Park, in which the weather resistance of three lime-based renders were tested, are especially interesting in this regard.

Rock art of the Crack-in-Rock community: an overview of the Wupatki petroglyph project

PURCELL, D.E.1

1Museum of Northern Arizona, Archaeology Division, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001 USA, dpurcell@musnaz.org

ABSTRACT: Archaeologists from the Museum of Northern Arizona and National Park Service, Flagstaff Area National Monuments conducted a cooperative baseline documentation and condition assessment of four sites in Wupatki National Monument: Crack-in-Rock (WS831), Middle Mesa (WS833), Horseshoe Mesa (WS834), and WS835. The fieldwork component of the project comprised high resolution photography of all petroglyph panels and elements, completion of narrative and tabular data collection forms for all panels and elements, and evaluation of the geomorphological settings of the petroglyphs. Additionally, selected panels were documented with scaled drawings, gigapixel panoramas, timelapse digital photography and video. The project significantly expanded the number of recorded panels and elements, identified differences in the types of elements represented at each site, re-evaluated previous claims for solar imaging calendars, and revealed previously unknown or under-reported Archaic and Historic occupations of the sites. The project began at Horseshoe Mesa in 2014 and was scheduled for a single year of fieldwork and analysis. In 2015, the scope of the project expanded to include Middle Mesa and WS835, and in 2016, expanded further to include Crack-in-Rock and a separate research permit for long term study of solar imaging locations. The results of what is now known informally as the Wupatki Petroglyph Project are summarized.

Community science: public participation in harvested water and soil monitoring

RAMIREZ-ANDREOTTA, M.D. 1,2, L. Abrell,1 A. Kilungo2, Kaufmann D. 1, J.E. Mclain1,3, R. Root1, S. Sandhaus1, and F. Sandoval4

1University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721-0038 USA mdramire@email.arizona.edu; 2 University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ 85724 USA, 3University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, and 4Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Tucson, AZ

ABSTRACT: Promoting bidirectional communication and collaboration between researchers and stakeholders is critical. When a mutual sense of interest, purpose, and trust are shared, stakeholders and researchers can build partnerships to co-generate solutions. Using an environmental justice and research translation framework, this presentation will focus on selected co-created citizen science programs to highlight partnership building, community based participatory approaches to research, how to address complex problems that arise in communities neighboring contamination. For example, in 2016, our NSF-funded team began working with four underserved communities (southern metropolitan Tucson, Globe-Miami, Dewey-Humboldt, and Hayden-Winkelman) to install rainwater harvesting systems in residential, school, and community gardens and train participants in the scientific methods of assessing water quality. Community members in rural and urban environments are being trained to measure bacterial levels, organic, and inorganic contaminants in harvested rainwater, irrigated soils, and plant samples from their gardens. We aim to co-produce environmental exposure assessment data in a form that is directly relevant to the participant's lives, influencing regulatory action, and building participant’s self-efficacy in environmental health.

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Riparian soil fertility, stability, and salinity: How beetle-induced saltcedar defoliation and mortality are setting the stage for the riparian community that comes next

REED, S.1, J. Belnap1, R. Sherry2, S. Ostoja3, P. Shafroth4

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, screed@usgs.gov;2

University of Oklahoma, Environmental Studies Program, Norman, OK USA, 3 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Davis, CA USA; 4 U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO USA

ABSTRACT: Riparian zones of the Colorado River represent critical habitat that support wildlife and livestock, house biodiversity, and can influence water quantity and quality. Beginning in the 20th century, the invasive riparian plant saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), in conjunction with extensive water management infrastructure, began changing the Colorado River corridor – altering plant community composition, soil chemistry, and the way the river flowed. Due to these changes and to perceptions of large saltcedar-induced water losses, saltcedar control became a focus for a wide range of federal, state, and private land managers. In 2004, a biocontrol beetle (Diorhabda spp.) was released to defoliate and kill saltcedar along the Colorado River and its tributaries and the beetle has quickly spread across the Southwest. These biocontrol beetles defoliate green saltcedar leaves and, over years, can kill the plants. The defoliation causes a dramatic increase in the amount of green leaves dropped onto the riparian soil beneath, and associated changes to the soil environment could set the trajectory for the plant community that follows beetle-induced saltcedar reductions. Here we quantified and analyzed the elemental concentrations of green leaves and frass dropped during beetle defoliation to create carbon, nutrient, and salt budgets associated with defoliation. We compared these inputs with those that occur in the absence of beetle activity. Our results show significant increases in nutrient and salinity inputs associated with beetle defoliation. We then used a greenhouse study to show that increases in riparian soil fertility and salinity benefitted the common exotic plant Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) but had negative consequences for the native plants red threeawn (Aristida purpurea) and sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus). Taken together, these data suggest that, dependent on geomorphology, the riparian community that follows saltcedar biocontrol could be strongly controlled by defoliation effects on riparian soil chemistry, and also point to management approaches that could favor a more desirable future riparian community.

Air quality issues related to energy development on the Colorado Plateau: assessing impacts and exploring opportunities

REED, S.C.1, M. Duniway1, T. Nauman1, M. Villareal2, and J. Belnap1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, screed@usgs.gov; 2 U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA USA

ABSTRACT: Oil and gas development provides critical energy supply to our nation and is has expanded greatly over the last 15 years in many drylands, particularly on the Colorado Plateau. One potential consequence of this development is an impairment of air quality resulting from increased emissions of key gases of concern (e.g., O3, NOx, NH3, SOx, and volatile organic compounds [VOCs]). Lowered air quality poses important challenges because it can have direct negative effects on ecosystems and on human health, and also because gaseous pollutants move across land ownership boundaries (i.e., federal, tribal, state, and private lands). However, there are opportunities for mitigating air pollution and for capturing gases prior to their release, as well as for creating cross-agency partnerships that can

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effectively address these challenges. In this talk, we will describe a developing research program aimed at improving our understanding of gaseous air quality issues associated with oil and gas development on the Colorado Plateau. We seek to increase our knowledge of how energy development affects the abundance of key gases of concern related to air quality, and how these concentrations vary by season and by ecosystem type. We are employing a range of passive sensors that do not require electricity or consistent maintenance and that together can quantify a wide range of gaseous pollutants. We also plan to explore the ecosystem consequences of potential changes to air quality, as well as options for reducing the emissions of gaseous pollutants and for restoring ecosystems following energy development and use. Ultimately, our goal is to provide knowledge that can inform considerations of air quality challenges and opportunities in the context of a continued need for southwestern energy development.

Beyond low water supply: how elevated temperatures and altered nutrient cycles contribute to ecological drought to affect dryland structure and function

REED, S.C.1, C. Grossiord2, C. Tucker1, S. Ferrenberg1, T. Wertin3, N. McDowell4, and J. Belnap1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, screed@usgs.gov; 2 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM; 3 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL; 4

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

ABSTRACT: Drylands are strongly limited by water availability and thus projections of increased aridity for the Colorado Plateau are of significant concern. Such changes have the potential to push southwestern plant and soil communities past physiological thresholds, which could result in large shifts in community composition and ecosystem function. Yet, in addition to reductions in precipitation and temperature-induced reductions in soil water availability, increased temperature has the potential to directly affect numerous dryland ecosystem processes, and to interact with reductions in water availability to create consequences that are not predictable from observations of drought or direct temperature effects alone. Further, drought is likely to affect nutrient cycling via changes to plant uptake, turnover, and chemistry, as well as changes to soil microbial processes. Resultant changes to fertility would affect not only plant growth and health, but could help determine the resistance and/or resilience of dryland plants to drought. Here we explore questions of temperature and nutrient contributions to ecological drought using results from two long-term climate manipulation experiments where temperature and precipitation have been experimentally altered: a mixed grass and shrubland near Moab, UT and a piñon-juniper woodland near Los Alamos, NM. We will explore how temperature and reduced soil water availability interact to regulate plant and soil community composition and function, as well as discuss novel data regarding temperature and drought effects on nutrient availability, nutrient use by biota, and interactions with plant responses to drought. Taken together, the results from these experiments help elucidate the role temperature and nutrient cycling play in determining the effects of ecological drought. The data also point to management opportunities for maintaining ecosystem health in the face of increased drought frequency and severity through an improved understanding of the specific mechanisms that drive plant and soil responses.

Using biological soil crusts as restoration substrates for and indicators of soil function following disturbance

REED, S.C.1, C. Tucker1, S. Ferrenberg1, and M.A. Bowker2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT USA, screed@usgs.gov; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ

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ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a community of lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria and other organisms common and abundant on the Colorado Plateau, where they serve numerous critical functions. Algal and cyanobacterial communities have also been identified from many parts of the world as key early colonizers of lands impacted by various forms of mining. Biocrusts play important roles in stabilizing soils, increasing the infiltration of precipitation, and adding nutrients that can stimulate plant growth. Based on these functions, biocrust restoration following disturbance has been discussed for decades, but large-scale restoration of these foundational communities was previously considered too costly and logistically challenging to succeed. However, a new understanding of biocrust restoration opportunities is developing and offers the potential for significant advances in our ability to restore dryland ecosystem function following disturbance. This information may be of particular value for resource managers of current and historical uranium mines in dryland regions, where the goal of keeping dust emissions low and resolving ongoing contamination issues is of particular importance. For example, microbial members of biocrust communities exude large quantities of exopolysaccharides into surface soils, which play positive roles in the capture of heavy metals, including uranium, from contaminated soils. An increasing understanding of biocrusts also includes insight into specific biocrust communities that may be best suited for future environmental conditions. Lastly, biocrust community composition may be used as an indicator of ecosystem response to disturbance and of function (e.g., soil stability), and biocrusts may capture dust that could be used for monitoring. Taken together, this emerging understanding of Colorado Plateau biocrusts lends new understanding into how biocrusts can be used as a tool both for ecosystem assessment and recovery. Here we will discuss how this perspective could be particularly valuable to resource managers working with uranium mines.

Building a Learning Laboratory, the Petrified Forest National Park Archaeological Internship Program

REITZE, W.T.1 and M.A. Huston1

1 National Park Service, Petrified Forest National Park, william_reitze@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Beginning in 2013 the Cultural Resources Division at Petrified Forest National Park instituted a student and professional internship program. The goal of this program has been to teach archaeological field methodology to college students and recent graduates. To date 24 student interns have participated in this program. The internship program involves students working directly with interdisciplinary teams of park staff and outside researchers to document the current conditions of archaeological sites as part of a long term monitoring strategy to address environmental and human impacts to cultural resources. As part of their internship, students are required to design and implement an independent research project which they must present at a professional meeting. These projects act as pilot studies addressing interesting and unique questions and providing the foundations for future research. In addition, these projects draw on scientific and management expertise outside of the park; helping to bring diverse interdisciplinary experiences and methodologies to address issues in cultural resource management. As the internship program passes its first half-decade, this poster will review the successes and challenges of multidisciplinary research and teaching as a method to address cultural resource management and site conservation on the Colorado Plateau.

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Mycorrhizal common gardens: How mycorrhizal associations influence plant populations in a changing world

REMKE, M.1, N.C. Johnson2, and M. Bowker1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Michael_remke@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Plant-mycorrhizal symbioses are one of the most widespread symbioses in plant communities. In this partnership, mycorrhizal fungi obtain carbon from their plant host in exchange for soil phosphorus and water. Mycorrhizas influence on plant water relations is well documented; however, it is less understood if drought favors mycorrhizas. In addition to environment, evidence suggests that whether or not plants and mycorrhizas are co-evolved partners or a novel host-symbiont pairing can predict mycorrhizal function with co-evolved partners favoring mutualism. To simultaneously test the effects of environment and co-evolved plant-mycorrhiza partnership on mycorrhizal function, we established several mycorrhizal common gardens using the Southwest Experimental Garden Array. We used Bouteloua gracilis and Pinus ponderosa as host plants inoculated with sympatric or allopatric soil biota. We used plants from a natal site of origin and transplanted plants to a sites that are 2°C, 3°C warmer and 2°C and 3°C cooler. At each transplant site, plants were paired with either 1) mycorrhizal fungi and other soil biota from their site of origin and soil from their site of origin, 2) mycorrhizal fungi from their site of origin and soil from the transplant site, 3) mycorrhizal fungi from the transplant site and soil from the site of origin, and 4) mycorrhizal fungi and soil from the transplant site. Key findings from these gardens so far reveal that divergence in temperature from the plant’s site of origin significantly reduce plant growth. This reduction in plant growth is minimized when plants are transplanted with mycorrhizal fungi from their site of origin. It is possible that climate change scenarios will create systems with greater mycorrhizal dependence. These findings demonstrate the importance of maintaining intact plant-mycorrhizal symbioses in restoration and otherwise.

Restoration unseen: the importance of soil biota in ecological restoration

REMKE, M.1, N.C. Johnson2, and M. Bowker1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Michael_remke@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Plant-mycorrhizal symbioses are one of the most widespread symbioses in plant communities. In this partnership, mycorrhizal fungi obtain carbon from their plant host in exchange for soil phosphorus and water. Mycorrhizas influence on plant water relations is well documented, however, it is less understood if drought favors mycorrhizas. In addition to environment, evidence suggests that whether or not plants and mycorrhizas are co-evolved partners or a novel host-symbiont pairing can predict mycorrhizal function with co-evolved partners favoring mutualism. Restoration projects have commonly utilized local plant materials to enhance success with locally adapted plant populations, however, few restoration projects have incorporated soil biota. Research has shown how incorporating soil biota into restoration can accelerate plant communities towards their intact late successional stages. Few projects have closely documented mechanisms to which a mis-match in plant-soil biota pairings could hinder success. In this study, we used a wide spread perennial grass of the Colorado Plateau, Bouteloua gracilis to carefully monitor the plant-mycorrhizal mutualism in co-adapted versus novel plant-fungus pairings. We used both a greenhouse study and a field based pot study to force plants to grow with unique soil biota communities. Our results suggest that plant-mycorrhizal

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relationships are generally mutualistic in co-adapteded scenarios and shift towards parasitism in unique host-fungal pairings. Further, our data suggests co-adapted plant soil organism pairings helps buffer against plant stress observed in novel climates. These data suggests that restoration ought to incorporate soil biota to optimize the potential for success. Not only does restoration of soil biota for this species enhance potential restoration success, but also appears to make plants more tolerant to potential future climate induced stress. By failing to do so, land managers may be enhancing parasitic relationships between plants and their associated soil organisms.

Ungulate herbivory alters leaf functional traits and recruitment of regenerating aspen

RHODES A. C.1, V. Anderson1, and S.B. St. Clair1

1Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Provo, UT 84602 USA, aaron.rhodes0@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Herbivory by ungulates can affect forest regeneration success, but its long-term impacts on tree function and recruitment are less studied. We evaluated strategies of resistance, tolerance and vertical escape against ungulate herbivory by evaluating leaf traits (photosynthesis, morphology and chemistry) and growth rates of aspen in the presence and absence of ungulate herbivores 1, 2, 3 and 26 years after fires initiated aspen suckering. Over the initial 3-year period, ~60% of aspen stems in unfenced plots showed evidence of being browsed by ungulates. After 3 years, aspen in unfenced plots had smaller leaves, were 50% shorter, and had 33% lower nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and 33% greater concentrations of condensed tannins, when compared with fenced aspen. Aspen exposed to ungulate herbivory over a 26-year period maintained smaller leaves, had lower annual radial growth rates and were still below the critical height threshold of 2m required to escape ungulate herbivory for successful recruitment. In contrast, the average height of aspen protected from ungulates was approaching 6 m. Over the 26-year period leaves in unfenced plots had 41% lower nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and greater expression of defense compounds: condensed tannins (63%) and phenolic glycosides (102%), than leaves in fenced plots. Photosynthetic rates were slightly higher in aspen that experienced ungulate browsing, suggesting that changes in leaf anatomy and chemistry due to ungulate herbivory did not interfere with photosynthesis. Our data suggest that ungulate browsing increases investment in chemical defense, lowers nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and reduces leaf area, which decreases the recruitment potential of regenerating aspen.

The use of predictive modeling to establish the practicality of coating seeds with abscisic acid

RICHARDSON, W.C. 1, M. Madsen1, K. Phillips1, B. Roundy1, and D. Whitaker1

1Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT USA, willy_chuck@msn.com

ABSTRACT: Due to the extensive impact that wildfires can have and the slow recovery of the ecosystem, it is common practice to re-seed the affected area in the fall with native seed species in the hope of reducing weed dominance. Abscisic acid (ABA) could be used in the coating of rangeland seeds and delay germination until spring when environmental conditions are more suitable for seedling establishment. We evaluated how 7 different ABA seed coating rates influenced seed germination timing of bluebunch wheatgrass at 5 different temperatures. Wet thermal accumulation models were then developed to predict seed germination timing. These models use curvilinear equations where the germination rate (inverse time to 50% germination in a population) is a function of soil temperature.

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These equations were applied to historical field temperature and moisture data from various sites in the Great Basin to estimate germination timing and establish the practicality of ABA coatings as a conservation practice. The historical field data was taken from the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP). This information has been gathered over a 10-year period from 19 different sites. Germination models applied to SageSTEP data predicted that application rates of 2.2 g or greater of ABA kg-1 of seed was sufficient to delay germination of October planted seed until the end of March. Field research is needed to verify the accuracy of ABA seed germination models and evaluate if the technology will improve seedling establishment.

Environmental DNA methods for inference of species presence and abundance

RICHTER, C.A.1, J.E. Hinck1, N. Thompson1, and K.E. Klymus1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO 65201 USA, CRichter@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a tool to identify species from genetic traces left in the environment without the need to capture live organisms. For example, eDNA can be collected from water, soil, scat, or hair traps. Analysis of eDNA can be targeted to one or a few species using conventional or quantitative PCR (qPCR), or can target a wide range of species using a metagenomic approach with next-generation DNA sequencing. Assays can focus on presence/absence or use a quantitative approach to estimate relative abundance. Rapid assays that give results within about an hour in the field are now available. All of these eDNA tools are undergoing rapid development as researchers learn more about how to effectively use and interpret them. Our laboratory is using eDNA analysis in several contexts to inform resource managers. We are employing targeted qPCR to study invasive Asian carp in the Missouri and Mississippi River basins, and investigating methods to detect carp at low densities, estimate biomass, detect spawning events, and study habitat selection and seasonal movements. In the Grand Canyon watershed, we are applying eDNA metagenomics as a complement to traditional biological surveys to study species occurrence at surface waters near uranium mines in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona Strip District. This effort will identify species potentially attracted to detention ponds at active mines and will support modelling of food webs and exposure pathways to inform risk assessment efforts. Key requirements for successful eDNA analysis are sequence information on the targeted taxa and any closely related co-occurring taxa, efficient and specific primers and/or probes directed at the genetic markers of interest, and control of potential sources of contamination at each step of the workflow.

Eighteen years of mob-grazing increases soil carbon in a semi-arid grassland

ROBERTS, A.R.1,2, B. Hungate2, M.Mack2 and N.C. Johnson1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Aradhana.Roberts@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Mob-grazing is the practice of grazing high densities of livestock for short periods where every plant is either eaten or trampled followed by long rest periods. It has been suggested that mob-grazing will increase soil carbon stocks. But responses to mob-grazing can be highly variable and have not been well studied in semi-arid regions. Our research examines the influence of annual mob-grazing on soil C stocks in a semi-arid grassland in northern Arizona. We also compared soil C across seasons and under different plant species. In 2015, replicated field plots managed with and without annual mob-grazing were sampled five times during the growing season. Soil properties, root biomass and particulate organic matter (POM) were measured in grazed and ungrazed plots underneath Bouteloua

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gracilis (C4 grass), Pascopyrum smithi (C3 grass), and Artemisia frigida (forb). Our study shows that 18 years of annual mob-grazing significantly increased soil carbon to a depth of 20 cm. After accounting for bulk density, soil C was 2-7% higher in the grazed plots compared to the ungrazed plots. Grazing decreased soil moisture and increased soil compaction. In August, root biomass was lower and POM was higher under Bouteloua gracilis in grazed plots. There was a significant date by grazing interaction for δ13C, suggesting that grazing influenced the quality of soil C. Although mob-grazing significantly increased soil C stocks, more research on its effects on vegetation and soil erosion potential should be considered.

A century of changing flows: forest management changed flow magnitudes and warming advanced the timing of flow in a southwestern US river

ROBLES, M.D.1, D.S. Turner1, and J. Haney1

1The Nature Conservancy, Tucson, AZ USA, mrobles@tnc.org

ABSTRACT: The continued provision of water from rivers in the southwestern United States to downstream cities, natural communities, and species is at risk because of higher temperatures and drought conditions in recent decades. While annual river flows across the region have not declined consistently, seasonal changes are apparent in many rivers: peak spring flows from snowmelt are occurring earlier and summer flows have declined. Overlapping with changes in temperature and snowpack, a century of fire suppression has resulted in dramatic changes to forest conditions. Yet, few studies have focused on determining the degree to which changing forests have altered flows. In this study, we evaluated changes in flow, climate, and forest conditions in the Salt River in central Arizona from 1914–2012 to compare and evaluate the role of changing forest conditions and temperatures on flows. Using regression models to remove the influence of precipitation and temperature from flow, we estimated that annual flows declined in this river by 8–29% from 1914–1963, coincident with a 2 to 3-fold increase in basal area and canopy cover and at least a 10-fold increase in forest density within ponderosa pine forests. Streamflow volumes declined by 37–56% in summer and fall months. Declines in climate-adjusted flows reversed at mid-century when spring flows increased by 10–31% from 1964–2012 perhaps owing to recent large wildfires. Additionally, peak spring flows occurred about 12 days earlier in this period than in the previous period, coincident with winter and spring temperatures that increased by 1–2°C. While uncertainties remain, this study adds to the knowledge gained in other regions that forest change has had effects on flow that were on par with climate variability and, in the case of mid-century declines, well before the influence of anthropogenic warming.

Meeting management objectives through interdisciplinary partnerships

ROELANDT, P.A. 1

1National Park Service, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Cedar City, Utah 84720 USA, paul_roelandt@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Federal and state public land managers and their partners are continually challenged by increasing responsibilities while budgets and staffing capacity are decreasing. In addition, it is becoming more important to establish avenues to communicate the importance of the work they do, and to encourage a diverse range of young people to consider pursuing land management careers and advocacy. Often, managers find themselves pursuing these lofty goals in a “silo”, unaware that their colleagues in the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, The U.S. Forest Service, state agencies and Tribes are trying to engage the same audiences. The Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC), established in 2007, serves as a laboratory to develop a unique organizational

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structure for these partners to network, communicate and efficiently share resources. To facilitate outreach to youth and career seeking students, Southern Utah University and Dixie State University became strategic partners in providing paid internships. These educational experiences provide a learning platform crossing traditional agency boundaries, allowing students to accomplish real work objectives while “trying on” different professions. IIC partners develop working relationships, allowing them to compete for scarce funding as a team on a regional level, and build stronger levels of understanding and support within our communities. Over the past ten years, the IIC has matured into a program with numerous repeatable and replicable successes. Since 2010, the program’s strategic plan has worked to perfect and expand the program, cement current partnerships, build new relationships, and continue our success with partners increasing their investments, which are able to support a fully sustainable program. Several IIC interns will conclude this presentation. They have been recognized with awards for best “poster session” presentations by competing with their peers as part of our annual year-end gathering. Each will briefly describe their experiences working as an IIC intern.

Humpback chub range expansion in the western Grand Canyon

ROGOWSKI, D.1, H.E. Mohn2, and J.K. Boyer1

1Arizona Game & Fish Department, Flagstaff, AZ USA, DRogowski@azgfd.gov; 2Bio-West, Inc., Logan, UT USA

ABSTRACT: The humpback chub, Gila cypha is an endangered fish endemic to the Colorado River Basin. Standardized long-term monitoring of the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead has been occurring since about 2000. Nighttime boat electrofishing has been the primary method of sampling native and nonnative fish during this monitoring. Most of this monitoring occurred between river kilometer (rkm) zero at Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek, rkm 363.7. Below Diamond Creek the Colorado River was inundated by Lake Mead for many years. In recent years with declining water levels the Colorado River has extended past Diamond Creek and Pearce Ferry (rkm 452.9). Subsequently Arizona Game and Fish Department monitoring has extended to Pearce Ferry in recent years (2011-current). Electrofishing has not been very successful at capturing adult humpback chub, but we do capture a small number of chub. With the recent (2016) addition of riverwide hoop net sampling to our monitoring we have documented humpback chub in the western Grand Canyon. Additionally these humpback chub captured in the western Grand Canyon (> rkm 354) were not recaptures, whereas around 80% of humpback chub captured around the Little Colorado River inflow area were recaptures. This suggests that humpback chub in western Grand Canyon are not utilizing the Little Colorado River for reproduction and might constitute a new subpopulation.

Does the dose make the poison: the presence of metal(liods) in harvested rooftop rainwater

ROOT, R.A.1, L. Abrell1, M.D. Ramirez-Andreotta1,3, J A. Kilungo3, J.E. Mclain1,2, F. Sandoval4, S. Rathke1, and S. Sandhaus1

1 University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, rroot@email.arizona.edu; 2University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA; 3University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ 85724 USA; 4Sonoran Environmental Research Institute

ABSTRACT: A recently initiated NSF funded study into the impact of citizen science (CS) participation on science literacy with specific aims to elucidate the broader understanding of critical scientific concepts such as health risks from chemical contaminant exposure, water and food quality, climate change, and

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energy consumption. As part of this research program, a team of environmental-health focused scientists began working in southern and central Arizona, inclusive of underserved communities (South Tucson, Globe-Miami, Dewey-Humboldt, and Hayden-Winkelman), to install garden rainwater harvesting systems and test water quality in storage containers in cohort with home owners. By including and training community members as scientist participants, we hope to access the learning outcomes from a “hands-on” CS program. This presentation will focus on metal(loid) contaminants such as arsenic and lead, which are potential airborne toxins, and generally recognized toxic hazards. While these elements can be sensationalized and are broadly associated with toxic risk, environmental exposures need careful examination. Whereas communities nearby mine activity in arid and semi-arid regions are susceptible to fugitive dusts deriving from tailings piles, the bioaccessibility of potentially deposited particles and possible exposure in non-potable water is not known. Further, for the non-health professional, understanding the dose (or concentration) of a possible toxin is critical to inform and assess personal risk. Ultimately, our group hopes to advance community environmental science efforts and co-generate a dataset that will not only inform guidelines and recommendations for safe, harvested rainwater use in gardens and landscaping, but will also support communities in learning environmental science to further their understanding of science concepts and health exposure risks.

Injecting science into the Four Forests Restoration Initiative: A case study

ROSENSTOCK, S.1

1Arizona Game and Fish Department, Landowner Relations and Habitat Enhancement Program, Phoenix, AZ 85086 USA, srose@azgfd.gov

ABSTRACT: The Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) is the largest, landscape-scale forest restoration effort planned to date in the continental United States. This effort encompasses a significant portion of the North American ponderosa pine ecosystem, located on four national forests in central and northern Arizona. The overall goal of 4FRI is to restore forest ecosystem structure and function on 2.4 million acres, while supporting sustainable, appropriately-scaled forest-products industries and local communities. Like other contemporary, large-scale restoration efforts, 4FRI lies within a complex social landscape that structures decision space for the responsible management agency (US Forest Service). Stakeholders, agency staff, and others engaged in 4FRI, are unified around the notion that forest restoration should be guided by the “best available science.” However, there are differing perspectives on scientific questions that inform treatment prescriptions, e.g., pre-settlement vs. contemporary forest structure and disturbance regimes, utility of historical benchmarks, ecological importance of large trees, and the impact of pathogens such as dwarf mistletoe. 4FRI provides unique opportunities for research and learning through adaptive management, though such efforts are complicated by uncertainties associated with treatment implementation and agency funding. The “4FRI experiment” offers a useful case study on the role of science in collaborative resource management and changing management paradigms for southwestern forests.

A NASA approach to individual and institutional Earth observation capacity building

ROSS, K.W.1

1NASA Langley Research Station, Mail Stop 307, Hampton, VA 23681-2199 USA, Kenton.w.ross@nasa.gov

ABSTRACT: The southwestern United States is experiencing an ever-increasing range of environmental stressors, such as urban encroachment and climate change, which are impacting the natural resources

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land managers are tasked to conserve and preserve. As such, land managers are looking for innovative tools and approaches to apply to their decision making. To better understand how natural resources are responding to these stressors, NASA’s DEVELOP Program, using NASA’s Earth observing satellites, is working with partner organizations across many sectors to help inform appropriate management decisions. The NASA DEVELOP Program is part of NASA’s Earth Science Division and is tasked with the mission of developing a scientific understanding of Earth’s system and its response to natural or human-induced changes, and to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards. DEVELOP carries out its mission by building capacity of both participants and project partners to apply Earth observations in their decision making. This talk will showcase the NASA DEVELOP Program, its project development process, and how to engage with the program.

Diversity of belowground functional traits, trait-climate relationships, and restoration opportunities

ROYBAL, C.M. 1, and B.J. Butterfield1

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ86011 USA, cr344@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Maintaining or enhancing soil stability and fertility is a primary goal of restoration projects on the Colorado Plateau. A critical component to achieving both of these important end goals is root trait of plants used in restoration, however variation in root functional traits is currently poorly described for many species commonly used in restoration. In a greenhouse common garden experiment, we sought to characterize variation in root traits of nine grasses commonly used in Western restoration. Because the source climate of plant materials may have a bearing on resulting functional traits and streamline plant material selection for land managers, we also investigated relationships between population home climate and trait variation. Specifically we addressed three questions: (1) to what extent is functional trait variation heritable?, (2) to what extent does heritable trait variation vary predictably as a function of source climate?, and (3) do all species exhibit similar trait-environment relationships? Most traits exhibited broad-sense heritability at the population level. The majority of traits measured exhibited significant correlations with climate. Annual temperature exhibited the most consistent trait-environment relationships within species (i.e. intraspecific trait-temperature relationships were similar across species), whereas the nature of other trait-environment relationships tended to be more variable. This research will ultimately help managers tailor functional profiles of commonly used restoration species to desired restoration outcomes, and streamline plant material selection.

Species-level differences in microbial dependency and heat wave tolerance

RUBIN R.1, G.W. Koch1, M.A. Bowker2, and B.A. Hungate1

1Northern Arizona University, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, rlr276@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: Heat waves are an increasing scenario in the Southwest and a growing challenge for rangeland managers. If soil heating rearranges microbial communities in a way that improves plant survival during extreme events, this method could be used to optimize inoculum formulations for grassland restoration. We investigated whether pre-heating locally sourced inoculum could “prime” plant performance by increasing plant growth and improving plant survival in a realistic, field imposed heat wave. After growing plants with heated and unheated inoculum, there were no differences in AM fungal colonization across treatments or grass species, leading to similar plant growth in heated vs.

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unheated inoculum treatments. However, we found differences in the net mutualistic benefit of the rhizosphere microbiome according to plant species, in which the C4 grass Bouteloua gracilis exhibited a highly mutualistic rhizosphere microbiome, whereas the C3 grass Festuca arizonica exhibited a less mutualistic rhizosphere microbiome. Later, in the field imposed heat wave, all of the C4 individuals survived, whereas 70% of the C3 grass died. Taken together, our results reveal that the heat-tolerant C4 grass hosts a more mutualistic rhizosphere microbial community, whereas the heat-susceptible C3 grass rhizosphere is comprised of a more pathogenic microbial community. Our results suggest that restoration efforts that target C4 grasses should closely consider rhizosphere health, whereas restoration projects involving C3 grasses should prioritize the local risk of heat waves. Future research will address key bacterial indicator taxa that are associated with heat wave resistance in desert grasses.

Salad within: genetically identifying diet of an endangered species

SANCHEZ, D.E.1,2, A.L. Dikeman1,2, F.M. Walker1,2, V. Horncastle1, and C.L. Chambers1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Daniel.Sanchez@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus) is an endangered subspecies that occupies riparian zones in the southwestern United States. This subspecies forages atop tall herbaceous canopies during 3 months of activity, then enters a 9-month hibernation period. Understanding how jumping mice use habitat throughout their 3 months of activity is important for conservation, but their diet remains largely undescribed. During the summers of 2015 and 2016, we collected feces from 43 live-captured jumping mice on three national forests in Arizona and New Mexico. We used stable isotope analysis and metagenomics to confirm diet was herbivorous (i.e., did not include arthropods). We then used DNA metabarcoding to identify dietary plant taxa to genus. We detected 44 genera with a mean of 4.3 ± 2.6 per individual jumping mouse with dietary diversity significantly increasing in August. Although jumping mice have an overall varied diet, the most common taxa (in 27 to 53% of individuals) were avens (Geum), sunflowers (Helianthus), and willowherbs (Epilobium). However, rushes (Juncus) and sedges (Carex), plants that are often common in jumping mouse habitat, were detected in lower frequencies, suggesting that they function more as structure and cover for the jumping mouse. Our data suggest that the jumping mouse depends on dense herbal availability in riparian areas and that conservation of this diversity is most critical in the month leading to hibernation. We also compare consumption to availability to better assess habitat use.

Uplift Climate Community: A movement for youth advocacy and climate justice on the Colorado Plateau

SANCHEZ, M.1, E.P. Malis2, and R. Nanni2

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Makenzie_Sanchez@yahoo.com; 2Uplift Climate, Grand Canyon Trust, Landscape Conservation Initiative

ABSTRACT: The field of conservation has traditionally displayed homogenous demographics, and lack of diversity limits the reach of conservationist dialogue. Furthermore, the voices of young people are often devalued in a field like conservation and in other similar fields that honor seniority. The threat of climate change is a top priority of concern for younger generations. While many conservation initiatives fail to fully consider the implications of climate change in their work, those that do are limited in the actions that they take to mitigate climate change. Empowering young people to craft creative action in resistance to climate change can generate new ideas that the conservation movement can learn from. Allowing young conservationists to lead the transition to a new focus on climate justice within the

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conservation field can help to redefine the conservation movement in a way that is relevant to future generations. Uplift brings together over a hundred young people annually to learn, grow, and build community together in the name of the regional climate justice movement. By focusing specifically on the Colorado Plateau, young people can advocate for climate justice at a scale that is tangible and in a region abundant with opportunity for change towards a just and livable future landscape. Uplift emphasizes storytelling and community-building as strategic tools for change and for building the regional climate justice movement.

Wildfire effects on avian communities and forest structure in the Arizona Sky Islands

SANDERLIN, J.S.1, J.M. Iniguez1, J.L. Ganey1, S. Cushman1, and W.M. Block1

1USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, jlsanderlin@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: The diverse and unique avifauna within the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona includes species found nowhere else in the U.S., including several species of conservation concern. This region has been under increased stress from ongoing drought and wildfire in recent decades, yet we know little about fire effects on populations and habitats of Neotropical migratory birds in this region. We compared data on bird populations and habitats collected during the 1990s and 2014 to evaluate if bird distribution patterns and species diversity changed between time periods and if so, whether those changes were attributable to fire. We also evaluated relationships of fire severity and time since fire on these avian communities. We studied bird populations and habitats across montane forest and woodland types in the Santa Rita, Santa Catalina, Huachuca, Chiricahua, and Pinaleño Mountains (Coronado National Forest) from 1991 to 1995. During 2014, we resampled birds and vegetation at 328 point-count stations sampled during the 1990s in these ranges. We used Bayesian hierarchical multi-species, multi-season occupancy models to estimate species richness and community dynamics (local species extinction and colonization probability) for both time periods, while accounting for imperfect detection. Individual species showed both positive and negative responses to fire, while avian community dynamics differed with time since fire and fire severity. High-severity wildfire typically reduced basal area and tree density to low levels in all cover types, whereas low-severity fire had little impact on basal area and tree density in most cover types. Moderate-severity fire, however, significantly reduced basal area and tree densities to within the range of regionally defined desired conditions. Our results provide a baseline for continued or periodic monitoring to evaluate fire effects on bird communities and vegetation types.

Rainwater harvesting in underserved communities

SANDOVAL F.1and A.M. Wolf1

1Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Tucson, AZ USA, moralesf@seriaz.org

Abstract: SERI is a community-based, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization created as a community participatory research institute dedicated to providing unbiased research to disadvantaged and marginalized communities to solve their environmental challenges and build healthy and safe neighborhoods. Communities in southern Arizona face past, present and future environmental problems including pollution, water scarcity and rising temperatures. Economically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted and have the least resources to develop solutions. For over 20 years we have partnered with neighborhoods that are under economic, environmental and health stress and help determine the risks to which the residents are exposed and actions to be taken to reduce those risks. We conduct risk reduction and healthy homes interventions, provide technical assistance, conduct

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community participatory research, offer educational opportunities, respond to community needs and implement programs to make immediate and long-term impacts. The families in our target area traditionally have had fewer resources to install rainwater harvesting systems and purchase and maintain trees. We are increasing the number of rainwater harvesting systems by installing systems and teaching workshops. We are continuing our efforts to reduce the urban temperature in low-income communities by promoting rainwater harvesting for shade tree irrigation. This will reduce the heat vulnerability of the community and lessen the amount of cooling used. We also seek to increase urban water conservation that can help address future water supply needs. Our Low-Income Rainwater Harvesting Program seeks to increase the participation of low-income families in Tucson Water’s rainwater harvesting rebate program. Many low-income families cannot afford the upfront costs to install a rainwater harvesting system. With funding from Tucson Water, our program provides no-interest loans to pay for these systems over time and qualify for the Tucson Water rebate. For very low-income families we offer a grant of up to $400 to help pay for a system.

Riparian vegetation management for sand and cultural resource conservation in the Grand Canyon

SANKEY, J.B.1, A. Kasprak1, and J. Caster1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, jsankey@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: The operation of Glen Canyon Dam for hydropower generation since 1963 has fundamentally altered the flow regime of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, and has largely eliminated pre-dam low flows that historically exposed large areas of bare sand. At the same time, the combination of elevated low flows with the elimination of large, regularly occurring spring floods has led to widespread riparian vegetation encroachment along the Colorado River, further reducing the extent of bare sand. The reduction in bare sand and proliferation of riparian vegetation have affected the condition and physical integrity of archaeological sites and resulted in erosion of the upland landscape surface by reducing the supply of sand from the active river channel (e.g., sandbars) to the adjoining landscape. These archaeological sites are important cultural resources that contain evidence of human activity in the Grand Canyon during the past thousands of years. Many of these cultural resources are now subject to accelerated degradation due to reductions in sand resupply under current dam operations and riparian vegetation expansion tied to regulated flow regimes. The recent Record of Decision for the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement predicts that the geomorphic condition for cultural resources can be enhanced at targeted sites through management of riparian vegetation. In this presentation we will explain the rationale behind such vegetation management, and we will outline potential methods for enhancing the resupply of sediment to sand-dependent resources.

Remote sensing of tamarisk biomass, insect herbivory, and defoliation: Lidar and multispectral image fusion in the Grand Canyon, AZ

SANKEY, T.T.1

1Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; temuulen.sankey@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Tamarisk is an invasive, riparian shrub species in the southwestern USA. The northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) has been introduced to several states to control tamarisk. We classified tamarisk distribution in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona using 0.2 m resolution, airborne multispectral data and estimated tamarisk beetle effects (overall accuracy of 86%)

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leading to leaf defoliation in 49,408 m2 area. We also estimated individual tamarisk tree biomass and their uncertainties using airborne lidar data (100 points/m2). On average, total aboveground tamarisk biomass was 8.68 kg/m2 (SD=17.6). The tamarisk beetle defoliation resulted in a mean leaf biomass loss of 0.52 kg/m2 and an equivalent of 25,692 kg across the entire study area. Our defoliated tamarisk map and biomass estimates can help inform restoration treatments to reduce tamarisk. Continued monitoring of tamarisk and tamarisk beetle effects are recommended to understand the currently-unknown eventual equilibrium between the two species and the cascading effects on ecosystem processes.

Impacts of a recent wildfire and major flash flood on endangered humpback chub habitat, Shinumo Creek, Grand Canyon

SCHENK, E.R.1, B.D. Healy1, E.O. Smith1, B.W. Tobin1, and N. Tanski1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Resource Management Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, edward_schenk@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: Shinumo Creek, a major tributary by discharge (median = ~ 0.4 cms) to the Colorado River within Grand Canyon, is one of two translocation sites for the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha). The lightning-caused Galahad Fire was discovered May 23, 2014, and burned 2,484 hectares of ponderosa pine forest in the headwaters of the creek (~10% of the watershed), with a portion burned below the rim on extremely steep slopes. Subsequent monsoonal events caused two large floods later in the summer: the first was observed to carry substantial charcoal and ash into the Colorado River; the latter was larger with a stage approximately 5 m above base. Site visits following the floods found no fish in the mainstem of the creek, an almost totally denuded woody riparian zone, and channels severely altered with sequenced scour and fill reaches. This study monitors the channel response following the fire and flood to determine when the system is appropriate for new humpback chub relocations and to determine the likelihood of future catastrophic events for the tributary. Surveys from 2015, 2016, and 2017 indicate that the channel retained substantial mineral fine sediment in 2015 that filled pools and fish refugia. The sediment plug has mostly been evacuated by snowmelt runoff flows in 2016 and 2017 with new pools forming and riparian vegetation becoming re-established. Monitoring techniques include streamgage analysis, repeat cross-sections, pebble counts, repeat photography, and a bedload hydrophone setup near the mouth of the stream. Results from this study should be helpful for determining inner canyon stream response to debris and sediment flows. Preliminary results indicate rapid (2 to 3 years) natural restoration indicating a high level of resiliency.

Monitoring Visitor Impacts to Natural and Cultural Resources at Petrified Forest National Park through use of the VERP (Visitor Experience and Resource Protection) Program

SCHOTT, A1

1Petrified Forest National Park USA, amy_schott@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The Petrified Forest National Park is in the second year of a three-year monitoring program that identifies impacts to park resources to assist in park management. We are adapting the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework for monitoring impacts to natural and cultural resources due to increasing public use of specific areas of the park. The VERP program is a National Park Service framework designed as an interdisciplinary program to monitor park use in light of carrying capacity. The unique needs of Petrified Forest include a park with few closed or off-limits areas to the public, increasing use of off-trail hiking guides, and extensive wilderness areas. In recent years, Petrified

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Forest is changing its image from a negative one of telling visitors what they are not allowed to do, to a positive image one, giving visitors opportunities to enjoy the park in a way that best protects resources. In adapting VERP protocols to the needs of Petrified Forest, we are concentrating monitoring efforts on areas with sensitive resources, such as archaeology sites, areas with high visitation, and newly opened off-the-beaten-path hikes. These hikes are marketed to visitors who want a more back-country experience, but are not comfortable exploring off-trail in wilderness areas with unknown destinations. These routes have seen increasing public use, and visitors have responded positively to their availability. However, we have no measure in place to determine if the use of a suggested route, rather than a formal, maintained trail, is resulting in increasing unknown negative impacts to park resources. In particular, we are interested in determining the level and types of impacts resulting from visitor use of these new hiking routes. In using the VERP framework, we are able to combine monitoring of cultural resources with impacts to vegetation, soils, and landscapes, in addition to considering the visitor experience and enjoyment of the park.

Habitat associations of the threatened Sclerocactus wetlandicus: vegetation and soil characteristics

SCHUPP, E.W.1, J.L. Boettinger2, K.T. Harding2, J.D. Armentrout2, and J.M. Norton2

1Utah State University, Department of Wildland Resources, Logan, UT 84322 USA, eugene.schupp@usu.edu; 2 Utah State University, Department of Plants, Soils, & Climate, Logan, UT 84322 USA

ABSTRACT: Sclerocactus wetlandicus, a federally listed threatened cactus endemic to northeastern Utah, is threatened by energy development. We lack data quantifying edaphic and plant community characteristics of occupied habitat, whether these characteristics differ from those of unoccupied habitat, and how closely reclaimed well pads resemble undisturbed sites. An understanding of habitat characteristics will help guide energy development compatible with conservation, identify areas suitable for introduction of additional populations, and determine the suitability of reclaimed well pads for reintroduction. Specific objectives were to determine: (1) Whether vegetation and soil properties differ between cactus-occupied and -unoccupied sites, and (2) How similar vegetation and soils of reclaimed well pads are to occupied sites. Five dense populations were identified and occupied polygons (sites) were created around them. These were paired with unoccupied polygons with similar geologic features. Lastly, 18 reclaimed well pads were selected. We sampled vegetation with line-point intercept and excavated soils to describe profiles in the field and to collect material for laboratory analyses. An NMDS of vegetation data (species relative cover) revealed two clusters, with well pads separated from occupied and unoccupied sites. A series of PERMANOVAs showed well pads differed significantly from occupied and unoccupied, which did not differ from each other. Soil properties at occupied and unoccupied sites did not differ. However, properties of well pad soils differed significantly from properties of occupied and unoccupied soils (p<0.05). Well pad soils were significantly higher in available phosphorus, electrical conductivity, and soluble boron, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, which indicate higher salt content. Compared to undisturbed sites, well pads had significantly lower slopes, higher bare soil cover, and lower biological crust cover than did undisturbed soils. In conclusion, vegetation and soils of occupied and unoccupied sites are indistinguishable, and reclaimed well pads do not resemble undisturbed rangeland in vegetation or soils.

Working in interdisciplinary teams to create adaptation strategies

SCHUSTER R.M.1 and N. Burkardt1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA, schusterr@usgs.gov

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ABSTRACT: The National Academy of Science (NAS) and National Science Foundation define Interdisciplinary research (IDR) as a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline. The NAS further states that social-science research has not yet fully elucidated the complex social and intellectual processes that make for successful IDR. IDR combines the insights from multiple disciplines to solve complex problems. This presentation will focus on the process and characteristics of successful interdisciplinary teams, and how interdisciplinary work can advance adaptation planning. The interdisciplinary process will be illustrated through a chain of consequences exercise used to build conceptual models of social-ecological responses to dynamic environments in southwest Colorado. The chain of consequences exercise is one of many processes that can help interdisciplinary teams integrate the social and ecological knowledge needed to address specific natural resource problems. Particular attention is given to considerations at the interface of social and natural sciences. The hope is that participants will engage in a compelling discussion about IDR from their perspective.

Identifying research needs to inform resource management decision making across the Colorado Plateau

SCHUSTER, R.M.1, E. Larson1, and N. Burkardt1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA, schusterr@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Coordinating management and resource decisions, research efforts, setting priorities, and allocating resources for large eco-regions across multiple jurisdictions and agencies can be a monumental task. There are often gaps in data, information, tools, and methods that create barriers for decision making and coordinating management efforts. This situation is no less the case for the Colorado Plateau. This project aims to (1) identify gaps in information and tools used to support land and natural resource decisions concerning important topical areas to management agencies; and (2) introduce the use of the importance-performance analysis (IPA) evaluation framework to help coordinate and prioritize management actions and decisions across the many agencies responsible for the Colorado Plateau. A purposive non-random sampling method was used to identify as many federal employees as possible who occupy relevant positions for land management agencies within the Colorado Plateau. Identified respondents were asked to respond to a series of questions through an online survey protocol to evaluate the status of information and tools available to address resource management decisions on the Colorado Plateau. The IPA framework was used to evaluate the gap analysis concerning the status of existing information and tools across the 24 topics identified as being important when making land management and natural resource decisions on the Colorado Plateau. Overall, results identify several important topical areas that clearly have gaps in the information and/or tools used to support decision making for these topics across the Colorado Plateau. Managers from relevant agencies can use this information to coordinate efforts and allocate resources to reduce these gaps and eliminate barriers. This project demonstrates the effectiveness of the IPA framework as a tool to help managers and agencies identify and understand areas of strength and concern in order to direct resource allocation to support effective research cooperation and subsequent decision making.

Drought mortality in the context of population dynamics

SCHWINNING, S.1, Crouchet, S.E.1, Litvak, M.E.2, and Pockman, W.Tt2

1Department of Biology, Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 USA, schwinn@txstate.edu; 2Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA

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Drought mortality of trees is often conceptualized as being caused by the deleterious joint-effects of hot and dry conditions on tree physiology. Individual species respond differently to the same drought conditions, which is in part attributed to differences in hydraulic traits. However, hydraulic traits also interact with growth rate under non-drought conditions, thereby influencing drought mortality through density-dependent effects. We examined the interactions between hydraulic traits, climate variability and population dynamics in a model (SDGVM). The model predicts that anisohydric species tend to build up to higher density by tolerating minor drought events or drier sites, but then suffer greater die-back during exceptional drought conditions. This leads to the seemingly paradoxical result that more drought-tolerant tree species are more susceptible to intense drought. We examine evidence for this prediction from oak-juniper woodlands in Texas and piñon -juniper woodlands in New Mexico, both examples of communities dominated by two species well differentiated on the isohydric-anisohydric spectrum, with juniper species occupying the highly anisohydric range on the spectrum. In Texas, following the 2011 drought, both live oak and Ashe juniper were reported to have locally high mortality rates. A plot-level investigation showed that Ashe juniper density increased Ashe juniper mortality but did not have a significant effect on live oak mortality. In fact, live oak did not exhibit density-dependent mortality. Similarly, in New Mexico, following the drought from 1999-2002, there was no clear indication that piñon pine mortality was consistently correlated with stand density. We suggest that woodland response to exceptional drought events is not simply a matter of tree physiology, but modulated by community composition and the history of major and minor drought events interacting with population dynamics. The model further showed that increasing atmospheric [CO2] in the 20th, causing woody thickening, may have exacerbated density-dependent mortality during extreme drought events.

Management and resistance in a new West

SELLEN, J.J.1

1Western State Colorado University, Environment & Sustainability Program, Gunnison, CO 81231 USA, jsellen@western.edu

ABSTRACT: The American west has long been the setting for conflict over natural resources. At the turn of the twentieth century, western ranchers, farmers, timber workers, and miners chafed under the increased regulatory power imposed by Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and other progressives in Washington. Under the banner of “the greatest good for the greatest number,” the progressives began to draw a map of the west that established the federal government as a permanent landowner with considerable power to enforce its new vision. Since that time, resistance to this vision has been a constant presence, though there have been historical moments when it has grown especially intense. In the 1970s, sagebrush rebels insisted that federal lands be “returned” to the states. In the 1990s, industry groups funded the Wise Use movement, which targeted environmental regulation. More recently, the Bundy family drew a ragtag group of well-armed radicals to Nevada and later to Oregon to stand up to a federal government whose fundamental authority they questioned. And in the past several months the federal government itself under a new administration is laying the groundwork for an apparent dismantling of the old regime. Do the Bundys, the Secretaries of Interior and USDA, and western state legislators represent a new order in the west, or are they simply new actors performing old dramas? This presentation will examine the precursors of the current resistance to federal authority in the west, noting the many rhetorical themes that tie old movements to new. It will also reveal what is different in 2017, as well as what we might expect in the future. It will close with a consideration of policy options for elected officials and conservation managers in a rapidly evolving political landscape.

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Do remotely-sensed cottonwood cover data provide a proxy for groundwater variation in riparian aquifers?

SFORZO, Z. M.1, G.L. Gianniny1, C.E. Dott2 and W.S.White1

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Geosciences, Durango, CO 81301 USA, zmsforzo@fortlewis.edu; 2 Fort Lewis College, Department of Biology, Durango, CO 81301 USA

ABSTRACT: Quantifying water availability has become imperative to understanding riparian ecosystems and maintaining water resources in the southwest. Here we investigate the possibility of using remotely sensed riparian woody vegetation cover values as a proxy for floodplain aquifer variation. On the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado, narrow-leaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) has decreased in both canopy cover and annual growth during periods of drought due to its intense reliance on floodplain aquifers (Dott et al., 2016; Coble and Kolb, 2012). This study uses data from a regulated section of the Dolores River, where percent cover values for P. angustifolia have been measured on the ground since 1989, and groundwater levels have been monitored since 2010 (Dott et al., 2016). River discharge and riparian aquifer groundwater levels in this system co-vary. Additionally Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and percent cottonwood cover are strongly correlated. GIS analysis of remotely sensed images is an effective technique to quantify inter-annual variation in canopy cover in riparian systems (Kamp, et al. 2013; Qi, et al. 2000). As an initial step, we are calibrating the effectiveness of remotely sensed cover values and those measured on the ground. Secondly, we are testing the correlation between groundwater levels and canopy cover values. Finally, these cover values will be used as a proxy to estimate groundwater levels for years without well data, and for river sections without groundwater wells on the Dolores River. This technique of using remotely sensed cover values of woody vegetation as a proxy for groundwater availability may have implications for historical investigations of past droughts, and predictive power for the impacts of decreased water availability in the future.

Riparian vegetation response to biological control of Tamarix and fluvial processes along the Virgin River: 2009-2017

SHAFROTH, P.B.1, S. Lee2, R. Sherry³, S. Ostoja⁴, and M. Brooks2

¹U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO USA; shafrothp@usgs.gov; ²U.S. Geological Survey, Yosemite Field Station, Oakhurst, CA USA; ³ University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK USA; 4 Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Davis, CA USA

ABSTRACT: Biological control by beetles in the genus Diorhabda is causing substantial defoliation and mortality of Tamarix spp. along many western rivers, paving the way for subsequent changes to plant community composition and structure, and consequent effects on wildlife populations and ecosystem processes. Other drivers of riparian ecosystem dynamics, such as flood disturbance, are operating simultaneously. Developing sound restoration strategies and tactics for western rivers with a significant Tamarix component requires understanding both effects of biological control and other drivers of vegetation change. Since 2009, we have monitored vegetation composition and cover, and floodplain topography on 24 transects along a ~40 mile stretch of the Virgin River in Nevada and Arizona. Tamarix was the most frequently occurring and abundant plant at the beginning of our study. Diorhabda arrived at our uppermost reach in 2009 and had spread throughout the study area by 2012. Defoliation effects of the beetle on Tamarix cover were relatively minor in 2009-2011 but widespread by 2012. In addition to effects of biological control, in December 2010, a large flood greatly altered the topography and vegetation along the Virgin River. We describe changes to riparian vegetation resulting from both flood effects and biological control along the Virgin River between fall 2009 and spring 2017. Flood effects on

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topography and vegetation were greatest in our upper reaches, where the cover of live Tamarix, Pluchea sericea and Salix spp. decreased, and dead Tamarix and Bromus spp. increased. Biological control effects were greatest in the lower reaches in our spring 2015 sampling, where we observed mortality or near total die-back of most Tamarix. Early recolonization of fomer Tamarix-dominated areas was slow and dominated by P. Sericea in 2015. By 2017, significant growth of native woody taxa (e.g., Salix spp., Prosopis pubescens) had occurred along many of our monitoring transects.

Status and trends of the aspen population in the interior West states

SHAW, J.D.1

1Forest Inventory and Analysis, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT, 84401 USA, jdshaw@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: Since the mid-1990s there has been substantial concern about the status and trend of aspen in the Interior West states. As of the mid-2000s aspen was considered to be in widespread decline, with estimates of “loss” (shift from aspen to conifer dominance) as high as 90 percent in some states. However, these estimates, and the resulting concerns, were based on very basic assumptions about stand composition and inappropriate comparisons of periodic inventories. In addition, the period over which “loss” was alleged to occur was not specified, except in the cases of inventory comparisons. As a result, there was considerable uncertainty surrounding the status and trend of aspen in the Interior West. Despite this uncertainty, aspen restoration has been emphasized on public lands. The ability to assess the status and monitor trend in the Interior West aspen population started in 2000, when the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program started to implement annualized inventory in the Interior West. Utah and Colorado, the Interior West states with the largest aspen populations, were among the first to be added to annual inventory and now have 17 and 15 years of data, respectively. Analysis of these data show aspen to be relatively stable by several metrics, but growth has been slower during the past decade than during previous years. However, aspen still shows positive net growth in most areas. This is in dramatic contrast to many conifer species in the same geographic range, which have shown dramatic reductions in net growth. For many conifers, mortality exceeds growth, resulting in reductions of live biomass. Disturbance of conifer-dominated stands by insects and fire have resulted in recent gains of aspen area, even while volume growth is down. This is primarily due to the fact that young stands are not yet producing volume that is reflected in the inventory. As these stands mature, they will begin to contribute to the net growth of the population. These and other trends are shown for the Colorado Plateau, in the context of the greater aspen population of the Interior West.

Twentieth Century Arroyo Development at Navajo National Monument, Arizona

SHAW, J.R.1, and D.J. Cooper

1Colorado State University, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA, jeremy.shaw@colostate.edu

ABSTRACT: Channel entrenchment on alluvial valley floors since the late 1800s has impacted land use and threatens numerous cultural heritage sites across the Colorado Plateau. While the drivers of arroyo development have been debated for nearly a century, recent investigations have found linkages with climatic variation. In some locations, arroyo expansion has slowed since the mid-1900s. We investigated arroyo development using repeated aerial photography in two small watersheds (~10 km2) of Keet Seel Canyon and Nitsin Canyon at Navajo National Monument in the central Colorado Plateau. The area affected by channel entrenchment at these sites has more than doubled since 1952, with rapid expansion occurring between 1968 and 1979. The timing of arroyo initiation and periods of rapid enlargement coincided with multi-year droughts interspersed with anomalous wet years. While similar

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patterns of development were observed in both watersheds, lower growth rates and lower width:depth ratios occurred in Nitsin Canyon, where more cohesive sediments and soil piping are common. Apparent connections between arroyo growth rates and both drought and extreme wet years suggest that renewed arroyo development may occur under projected future climate changes.

Sediment mobility on the Dolores River during the high peak run-off of 2017

SHORE, D.S.1, J.E. Harvey1, and G.L.Gianniny1

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Geosciences, Durango, CO 81301 USA, dmshore@fortlewis.edu

ABSTRACT: The installation of the McPhee Dam on the Dolores River in 1984 had serious ramifications on downstream channel geometry due to a change in flow regime and sediment supply. The median peak discharge from spring runoff decreased by 2966 cfs after the dam installation. A decrease in peak discharge and sustained low flows has caused channelization and the abandonment of many floodplains, resulting in an overgrowth of willow along the stream channel and sediment stabilization. River channelization and low sediment flushing as a result of low flows have dramatically reduced habitats for the native warm water fish populations whose numbers have been declining dramatically since the installation of the dam. The unusually large 2016-2017 snowpack has led to a high spring run-off, allowing water managers to release a sustained median daily flow of approximately 3500 cfs at Slick Rock for four consecutive days. In order to test our hypothesis that sustained high flows will modify the river channel geometry by scouring fine sediment and reworking floodplains, we collected pre-spill geomorphic data from a series of three cross sections along our research site at Slick Rock. Similar data will be collected after flows recede to quantify sediment mobility under high flow conditions. Our research uses Structure from Motion data collected at ~10 cm resolution by a series of two drone flights, pre- and post-spill, to survey floodplain geomorphology. These data are being used to model sediment mobility along the Dolores under various flow regimes. The study aims to quantify the changes in channel geometry induced by the high flows. These data will quantify the effectiveness of the rare high flows at reworking flood plains stabilized by post-dam flow regulation and the establishment of dense willow stands.

Connecting short-term ecohydrological dynamics to long-term sagebrush recovery following disturbance in the Great Basin

SHRIVER R.1, J.B. Bradford1, C. Andrews1, R.T. Arkle2, and D. Pilliod2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA rshriver@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 83701 USA

ABSTRACT: The introduction of non-native annual grasses have altered the fire regime of shrublands throughout the western US. Despite widespread management efforts, attempts to seed and reestablish native shrub and perennial plants are often limited in success, leading to further increases in annual grasses. Although the climatic controls on sagebrush distributions and abundance have been extensively documented, less is known of how conditions early in recovery at a site, which could differ greatly from the long-term climate conditions that promote sagebrush, impact long-term outcomes. Using paired datasets of sagebrush community cover collected throughout the Great Basin and soil moisture simulations we investigate the role of short-term soil moisture and weather in controlling the reestablishment of sagebrush following fire. Results show that although sagebrush cover was highest at sites that were cooler and somewhat drier on average, warm, moist conditions in the first years following fire was positively associated with higher long-term sagebrush cover. This likely indicates that

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adequate germination and seedling growth conditions for sagebrush directly following fire, which may differ from the long-climate conditions promoting sagebrush recovery, could be key in controlling long-term success of recovery and management efforts.

Building better trees, building better forests: novel applications of the target seedling concept

SLOAN, J.1,2, and O. Burney2

1New Mexico Highlands University, Department of Natural Resources Management, Las Vegas, NM USA, Joshua.L.Sloan@gmail.com; 2New Mexico State University, John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, Mora, NM USA

ABSTRACT: Forest restoration efforts face many challenges in the southwestern United States due to such factors as harsh outplanting sites, weather and climate extremes, and fire-based disturbance regimes, all of which are likely to grow more challenging in the future due to the effects of climate change. In addition to such practical difficulties, restoration efforts and research programs also face numerous planning and coordination challenges. The Target Seedling Concept, developed in the late 20th century and once well-known to restoration and regeneration foresters, provides an ideal restoration-focused adaptive management and planning framework for the practical integration of basic and applied research with active restoration programs across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Recent research at the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center of New Mexico State University has revolved around novel applications of the Target Seedling Concept, with individual projects focusing on such diverse areas as the potential use of nursery cultural practices to produce drought-conditioned tree seedlings with altered anatomy and physiology adapted for outplanting on harsh sites, the development of empirically-informed seed source transfer guidelines which address the possibility of assisted migration in anticipation of climate change, gene conservation efforts associated with resistance to pest and disease issues likely to be exacerbated by climate change, and adaptive site preparation and outplanting practices with potential to mitigate limiting factors on restoration sites. This research program represents a case-study and model for the organization-level application of the Target Seedling Concept as an approach for coordinating research and practice across scales and institutions, and, based upon our experience, we strongly recommend that other forest restoration practitioners revisit and adopt the Target Seedling Concept to better facilitate the coordination, execution, and success of restoration research and activities in the region.

Reconstructing a Late Holocene disturbance record in Range Creek Canyon, Utah

SLY, S.1

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, shelbysly@aol.com

ABSTRACT: Range Creek Canyon, located on the Northern Colorado Plateau, has a rich history of prehistoric human settlement, and is the site of ongoing anthropogenic and geographic research through the University of Utah. The Fremont people were an ancestral Puebloan group who occupied the canyon around 900-1200 AD. This study aims to formulate a paleoclimatic record utilizing proxies obtained from the analysis of a core of wetland sediment in order to better understand the Fremont's settlement history and the environmental conditions and disturbance regimes they interacted with and were influenced by. The core of interest in this study was extracted from a wetland named Cherry Meadows within Range Creek Canyon. Charcoal analysis, Loss on Ignition, and Magnetic Susceptibility tests were used to provide information regarding the composition of the sediment, which indicates the climatic and local disturbance history. The insight gained from such analyses can be utilized to

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determine the relationship between the Fremont and their environment, specifically how they may have influenced fire disturbance regimes and environmental change.

Conserving and interpreting the Colorado Plateau’s natural and cultural resources through media production partnerships

SMITH, J.M. 1

1Southern Utah University, Communication Department, Cedar City, Utah USA, jonsmith@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: Increasing threats to conserving and preserving natural and cultural resources with less means to effectively address these threats is a continual challenge for public land managers. Using video production is an excellent interdisciplinary approach and an educational and informational management tool to preserve natural and cultural resources. For educational, funding, and public relations purposes, public land managers have a great need to disseminate their messages through video and social media but often lack the financial resources to produce videos. Southern Utah University (SUU) has the equipment and expertise to produce video productions and, as a regional university, sees its mission to contribute to the understanding and enhancement of public lands. SUU is able to produce high-quality video within public land managers’ budgets, and it is located near the largest concentration of national parks and monuments and public lands in the nation. SUU’s location is ideal to partner with public lands with nearly 20 national parks, monuments, and recreation areas within a five-hour drive of SUU as well as millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service lands. Video examples spanning over 20 years highlighting different partnership outcomes will be screened, including a youth archaeological education video for the National Forest Service, a scoping process video produced for the BLM and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, a cultural resource interpretive video produced for the Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park, and an oral history video produced for Bryce Canyon National Park to commemorate the National Park Service Centennial in August 2016. Discussion of another on-going project involving Zion National Park oral histories will conclude the examples.

Advances in satellite-based monitoring of seasonal to interannual vegetation growth dynamics across the Southwest US

SMITH, W.K. 1, Biederman, J.A. 2, Scott, R.L. 2, Moore, D.J.P. 1, Kimball, J.S. 3

1University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, wksmith@email.arizona.edu; 2USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southwest Watershed Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA; 3University of Montana, College of Forestry and Conservation, Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, Missoula, MT, 59812

ABSTRACT: Satellite remote sensing provides land managers with unprecedented decision support at the landscape scale. Accordingly, satellite data have become a vital component of ecosystem assessments and land use decision frameworks. Yet, our understanding of how well remote sensing technology captures ecosystem function and vegetation growth dynamics remains uncertain, especially for dryland ecosystems, which are relatively lacking in long-term, continuous measurement records. This uncertainty diminishes our ability to use remote sensing assessments to inform critical management decisions, including grazing rotations and allotments, wildlife habitat management, agricultural planning, as well as land protection and restoration efforts. Here, we present an updated assessment of the ability of satellite remote sensing approaches to accurately capture seasonal to interannual vegetation growth dynamics across the subregions of the Southwest US. We evaluate a common vegetation greenness-based proxy, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and emerging proxies more directly linked to plant physiological function, Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF) and Photochemical Reflectivity Index (PRI),

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against a representative synthesis of long-term eddy covariance flux tower sites distributed across the Southwest U.S. We find that satellite-based SIF in particular could significantly improve estimates of seasonal to interannual variability of dryland vegetation growth dynamics. On the other hand, EVI and PRI were found to best capture between site variability in vegetation growth dynamics. These results suggest that combinations of these independent vegetation growth proxies could yield synergistic improvements in satellite-based estimates of vegetation growth and climate sensitivity. Based on our findings, we highlight upcoming satellite missions and field campaigns that could help to revolutionize satellite-based monitoring of vegetation for land management decision support.

NAU’s Ancient DNA Lab: successes with paleogenetics and environmental DNA

SOBEK, C.1,2, F.M. Walker1,2, and C.L. Chambers1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, colin.sobek@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, The Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: In April 2016, we opened NAU’s Ancient DNA Laboratory in the School of Forestry. This lab is dedicated to working with ancient, historical, forensic, and other sensitive (low DNA quantity/quality) genetic samples. It is physically isolated from other genetics labs on campus (> 1 km) and adheres to rigorous quality-control measures to prevent contamination, both of which are internationally recognized standards for the early stages of ancient DNA handling and processing. In the first year, we sequenced ancient and historic DNA to inform questions relating to disease, historic movements, wildlife introductions, and biodiversity. We will describe what we have learned from our successful projects involving 8,500 year old bison, spotted bat mummies dating to 10,000 years, and water sampling for environmental DNA of bats. We are currently testing the limits of detecting ancient and historical wildlife from sediment cores and permafrost by using a combination of metagenomics and metabarcoding. Our work showcases both ancient DNA capabilities and the highly collaborative nature of research at NAU.

Spatially explicit estimates and uncertainties of sand dunes with unmanned aerial vehicles and high resolution satellite imagery on the Paria Plateau, AZ, USA

SOLAZZO, D. ¹,2, T.T. Sankey¹, J.B. Sankey², and S.M. Munson³

¹Northern Arizona University, Informatics and Computing Program, Flagstaff, AZ USA, dsolazzo@usgs.gov; ² U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA; ³U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA

ABSTRACT: This study assessed both two- and three-dimensional remote sensing techniques to map and measure sand dunes on the Paria Plateau in northern Arizona. These sand dunes are important because they are potential sources of sediment for the Paria River and for the ecosystems downstream of its confluence with the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Three dimensional sand dune terrain models were created using both Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) derived lidar, and UAV structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques to estimate sand areas, volumes, and mass. A simple linear regression model was developed (r2=0.97, p=0.002) to relate UAV-derived sand surface area with UAV-measured sand dune volume. This relationship was then applied to two-dimensional multispectral Worldview-2 classifications of sand dune area for the purpose of estimating sand volumes and mass across the entire Paria Plateau, Arizona. The classification of the 2-meter resolution Worldview-2 satellite returned an accuracy of 85.2% overall for two target classes of sand dunes (active sand dunes = 87.2% producer’s accuracy, and partly

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vegetated sand areas = 85.7% producer’s accuracy). The WorldView-2 image classification estimates a total sand volume of 3.4x109 m3, and mass of 5.1x109 Mg across the entire Paria Plateau. Results show that there is an abundance of potentially mobile aeolian sand on the Paria Plateau, and the data products and estimates produced could be very useful for estimating the relative role of the plateau as a sediment source for the downwind and downstream watershed. This case study highlights the synergistic use of two- and three-dimensional remote sensing images to quantify the state and potential mobility of sand dunes that can impact the sediment systems of river valleys and other downwind areas.

Groundwater dissolved gas and age tracers collected from springs and wells on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

SOLDER J.E.1, D.J. Bills2, J. Anderson2, V.M. Heilweil 1, and K. Beisner3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Water Science Center, Salt Lake City, UT 84121 USA, jsolder@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA;3U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA

ABSTRACT: The quality and quantity of groundwater discharging from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are threatened by uranium mining and groundwater withdrawals on the Coconino Plateau. Existing abandoned mines, new mine development, and increasing groundwater withdrawals adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park have the potential to contaminate and deplete spring and stream flow, adversely affecting riparian and aquatic habitat for endemic wildlife and aquatic species, base flow to the Colorado River, and drinking water to wildlife, backcountry hikers, and the Havasupai Tribe. The susceptibility of groundwater to contamination is often quantified by the age distribution of water samples collected from a well or spring. This age distribution is a principal measure of the integrated physical processes (recharge rates, porosity, mixing, and aquifer geometry) that effect contaminant transport, resource availability, and hydraulic response. Recharge characteristics such as dominant precipitation type, recharge elevation, and recharge temperature further elucidate groundwater flow system functioning and help identify critical areas and activities of concern. In this study, environmental tracer and dissolved gas data were collected from 13 springs and 2 wells to determine age distributions and recharge characteristics of groundwater discharge near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sample analysis included: (1) dissolved noble gases and stable isotopes (oxygen-18, deuterium) for evaluating recharge sources; (2) tritium, sulfur hexafluoride, chlorofluorocarbons, tritiogenic helium for dating modern (post-1950s) recharge; and (3) carbon-14 and helium-4 for dating pre-modern water recharged before 1950. These multiple environmental age tracers, combined with lumped-parameter modeling, are being used to evaluate the type of recharge, groundwater age, and groundwater flow process (e.g., piston-flow, exponential mixing, dispersion). The analysis from this study will be combined with detailed geochemical sampling associated with northern Arizona breccia pipe mining project with the goal of refining conceptual hydrogeology and geochemistry of the Coconino Plateau groundwater system. Preliminary results indicate generally cool recharge temperatures (4 to 6.3°C) and dissolved noble gases are atmospheric in origin (sample 3He/4He ratio relative to atmospheric ratio=0.91 to 0.97). Measurable concentrations of CFC suggest the presence of some modern water recharged from a proximal source. Measured SF6 greater than maximum atmospheric values suggest a terrigenic source, as is common in volcanic terrains. Additional results will be presented as available.

Rates of lateral expansion of biological soil crusts

SOROCHKINA, K.1, S. Velasco2, and F. Garcia1

1Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85282 USA, kirachiroyli@gmail.com; 2School of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE Argentina

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ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (biocrust) are photosynthetic communities of organisms forming in the top millimeters of unvegetated soil. Because soil crusts contribute ecosystem services to the areas they inhabit, their loss under anthropogenic pressure has negative ecological consequences. There is a considerable interest in developing technologies for biocrust restoration, such as biocrust nurseries, to grow viable inoculum and the optimization of techniques for field deployment of inoculum. For the latter, knowledge of the natural rates of biocrust dispersal is needed. We focused on determining the capacity of biocrust for lateral self-propelled dispersal. We set up two greenhouse experiments where sterile soil substrates were inoculated with biocrusts. The lateral advancement of biocrust and their cyanobacteria was monitored using discrete determination of soil chlorophyll a concentration and DNA community composition, and microscopic observations. Uninoculated controls were also set up and monitored. These experiments confirm that cyanobacterial biological soil crusts are capable of laterally expanding when provided with presumably optimal watering regime similar to field conditions and moderate temperatures. The maximum temperatures of Sonoran Desert summer (42°C), exacerbated in the greenhouse setting (48°C), caused a loss of biomass and the cessation of lateral dispersal. According to DNA and chlorophyll a analysis, cyanobacteria were able to reach 3 cm and 6 cm away from inoculum in three months. The dispersed cyanobacterial populations composed of M. vaginatus, M. steenstrupii, and Scytonema spp. advanced 1 cm/month on average. In 8 independent experiments, communities advanced laterally at an average rate of 2 cm/month, half the maximal rate possible based on the instantaneous speed of gliding motility of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus. The advancing crust front was preferentially composed of hormogonia. Having established the potential for laterally self-propelled community dispersal will help inform restoration efforts by proposing minimal inoculum size and optimal distance between inoculum patches.

Drivers of desert plant communities: interactions of small mammal folivory and fire in the Great Basin Desert

STANTON R.1, T.R. Bowman1, and S.B. St.Clair1

1Brigham Young University, Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Provo, UT USA, r.stanton91@yahoo.co.uk

ABSTRACT: Historically, North American deserts have been relatively resistant to fire. In recent years, however, the introduction of invasive plants is increasing the frequency, size, and lasting impacts of desert wildfires. Studies have shown that rodent consumers provide biotic resistance towards plant invasions, but the influence of this biotic resistance on plants at the seedling stage of development is unclear. This study followed the survival of native and invasive seedlings in the Great Basin Desert over a 7 day period each year in the 2 years following a burn treatment (2012 and 2013). Experimentally excluding small mammal consumers and conducting burn treatments in a factorial design in five randomly replicated blocks, made it possible to document the synergistic effects of fire disturbance and small mammal exclusion on the establishment of the plant communities. Small mammal folivory and burning had a detrimental impact on the survival of the seedlings. Following fire, the overall survival was the lowest in unburned plots open to small mammals. Overall survival was low the first year following the burn (2012), with no treatment achieving a survival rate of higher than 60% by the end of the initial 7 day experiment. The hardest hit seedlings were the desert bitterbrush, alfalfa, four wing saltbush and sagebrush. In the unburned plots that were open to small mammals, these seedlings died within 2 days. However, survival was much higher 2 years following the burn (2013), with overall survivorship never dropping below 40% in any treatment plots. Survival rates between the different treatments was very similar in the 2nd year following the fire. These results provide insight into the influence on small rodents on plant community establishment following fire. Understanding of these influences can be used when implementing managerial initiatives that may help increase the success rate of land rehabilitation.

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Predicting habitat use by bats to protect bats and inform wind energy development

STARBUCK, C.A.1 and C.L. Chambers1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, cas726@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Although wind turbines are a clean source of energy, they incidentally kill many bats and birds. Migratory species have the highest mortality; in 2012, ~600,000 bats died from encounters with turbines in the U.S. alone. Arizona has high species richness of bats and a high proportion of migratory species that creates a high risk of mortality from interactions at wind energy facilities. Our objectives are to determine the species composition, bat use, and topographic features that might influence bat movement. Our study area encompasses open grassland and shrubland in northern Arizona in areas that are similar to where wind energy sites have been considered or proposed for development. We deployed 34 acoustic detectors (SM3BAT) to sample for bat activity at randomly-selected points that represent a range of measures for each habitat covariate. We surveyed points during spring, summer, and fall of 2015, 2016, and 2017. We used SonoBat 3 software to identify bat calls to species or species groups. We used occupancy modeling to evaluate the effects of landscape covariates. In preliminary analyses, the highest bat activity occurred in valleys, lower slopes, and evergreen forests. Since most wind energy development in northern Arizona has occurred on flat slopes, shrubland, and grassland, this might indicate that the best sites for wind energy might not overlap with the best sites for bat use. Our predictive map will show bat use in areas of northern Arizona considered best suitable for wind energy development.

Climate-smart Seedlot Selection Tool: a tool to guide assisted migration for reforestation and restoration

ST.CLAIR, J.B.1

1USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA, bstclair@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: All plants, whether at the level of species, populations or individuals, exist within some climatic range, that is, a climatic niche. Furthermore, in most cases natural selection at a location has resulted in local adaptation. As a result, seed zones and population movement guidelines have been developed to ensure that adapted plant material is used in reforestation and restoration. Because plant populations are generally considered to be locally adapted, climate change will likely lead to declines in the health and productivity of native ecosystems. Assisted migration has been suggested as a management option to ensure that plant material is adapted to future climates. We present a user-friendly, web-based mapping application, called the Seedlot Selection Tool, which natural resource managers can use to explore assisted migration options for matching seedlots to planting sites given current and future climates. Users choose an appropriate time period and the climate variables and transfer limits thought to be important for adaptation of the species of interest based on their best available knowledge and risk tolerance. Knowledge of adaptation comes primarily from common-garden studies including genecology studies that relate adaptive variation among populations to the climates of source locations and reciprocal transplant studies that directly test adaptation of populations from a range of climates back into the same or similar range of climates. Studies of adaptive variation are available for relatively few species. Nevertheless, generalizations may be made about climate variables important for adaptation of plants to cold and drought. The Seedlot Selection Tool is a valuable tool to explore assumptions about those variables and the consequences for appropriate seedlots or populations for assisted migration.

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The role of fire in mediating herbivory impacts in aspen forests

ST. CLAIR, S.1 and A. Rhodes1

1Brigham Young University, Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Provo, UT 84602 USA, stclair@byu.edu

ABSTRACT: The abundance and composition of large ungulate communities are changing dramatically across Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems in concert with changing fire regimes. This has resulted in novel disturbance regimes that create strong top-down effects on biological communities, and can reduce ecosystem resilience. Changing fire regimes in aspen forests and increased ungulate use over the last century provide an opportunity to better understand how human altered fire and herbivory regimes affect the stability and resilience of forest systems. We summarize the impacts of ungulate herbivory on aspen regeneration success and recruitment and how they are modified by wildfire size and severity. Based on these relationships we make recommendation on how to manage fire in aspen landscapes to increase forest resilience to ungulate herbivory.

Integrating climate adaptation into collaborative landscape scale planning

STORTZ, S.Dd1, D. Theobald2, C. Aslan1,2, B. Dickson1,2, and T.D. Sisk1

1Northern Arizona University, Landscape Conservation Initiative, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, sasha.stortz@nau.edu; 2Conservation Science Partners, Truckee, CA, 96161 USA

ABSTRACT: Addressing land management at the landscape scale is increasingly considered an important approach to creating coordinated, effective strategies for conservation planning. Working across multiple jurisdictions and land ownership requires collaboration in order to build common goals and coordinate efforts. The complexity of landscape-scale collaborative planning has the potential to increase when climate adaptation is addressed. Climate adaptation may complicate landscape-scale collaborative planning because of varying organizational policies and priorities, and differing data sources. Climate change may be just one of multiple stressors of concern for those participating in planning. Furthermore, planning for coarse-filter targets (e.g., ecosystems) rather than fine-filter (e.g., single species) can cause mismatch for some resource management organizations, creating barriers to usable planning outcomes. In order to address climate change adaptation in a way that adds relevance for local decision makers, frameworks that address vulnerability and adaptation for a variety of stressors including climate change, and intentional approaches to integrate species-specific information into landscape context, are necessary. We will describe approaches to address these challenges using examples for the Green River Basin Landscape Conservation Design, a Landscape Conservation Cooperative-supported effort across a three state area over 48,000 square miles. Our approaches to address vulnerability of focal resources to a suite of stressors including climate change and to identify areas of conservation opportunity, and can be applied to other planning efforts on the Colorado plateau.

Investigating normative social influence signage on visitor loudness

STROSSER, G.1

1Southern Utah University, Department of Psychology, Associate Professor, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, garrettstrosser@suu.edu

ABSTRACT: In Phase IV of this program of research, a social scientific signage study investigated normative influence on visitor loudness. Baseline ambient acoustic monitoring equipment was deployed to the Dry Forks trail in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Standardized methodological protocols developed by the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the National Park Service were used in the collection of all acoustic data. Baseline conditions were monitored for a three-week period

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prior to deployment of the signage. In two locations, signage was then deployed to remind visitors of the importance of the soundscape and natural quiet. Signage was prominent for a two-week period. Baseline acoustic conditions were monitored during signage deployment and for an additional two-week period following signage removal. Trail count monitors were used to account for visitation. Results support previous research showing the wording of signage is an important factor in subsequent acoustic behavior. Qualitative visitor comments also show the importance of the soundscape in this uniquely quiet environment.

Putting Natural Areas In Context: LANDFIRE Sets The Stage For Restoration, Climate Science And Landscape Conservation

SWATY R.1,2, K. Blankenship1, S. Hagen1, K. Hall1, J. Patton1, and J. Smith1

1The Nature Conservancy’s LANDFIRE team, Jacksonville, FL 32259 USA, rswaty@tnc.org; 2The Nature Conservancy’s, Evanston, IL 60202 USA

ABSTRACT: No natural area is an island. Each one interacts with the broader landscape and must be managed as such. The LANDFIRE program maps dozens of relevant vegetation metrics representing past and present ecosystem conditions. While designed for landscape scale work, the products can help managers to understand the broader context of their management and planning activities. To understand the ecological potential of a place, LANDFIRE maps historic fire regimes, and develops a concept similar to potential vegetation called “Biophysical Settings” that includes spatial data, descriptions and ecological models. These models represent how a BpS would look and function under natural disturbance regimes. To help managers understand the current vegetation conditions, LANDFIRE delivers datasets such as existing vegetation type, height and cover. Also, LANDFIRE delivers annual disturbance and fire behavior fuel models spatial data. While LANDFIRE does not deliver “future-looking” data, the aforementioned products combined with LANDFIRE-supported modeling tools allow users to explore potential management activities and climate change. In this presentation we will discuss the basics of the data, explore some clever uses on real landscapes, present some guidance on what not to do with this powerful dataset and highlight the upcoming improvements including BpS model description review that we will need your help with!

East Jemez Landscape Futures: Landscape-scale collaborative planning in an altered landscape

SWEAT, J.1, C. Haffey2, S. Stortz3, C. Kimball3

1National Park Service, Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, NM 87544 USA, jeremy_sweat@nps.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey Station, New Mexico Landscapes Field, Santa Fe, NM USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Landscape Conservation Initiative, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: For over 20 years, the eastern Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico have been dramatically altered by hotter droughts, fire severity outside the historical range of variability, and floods. These disturbances, driven by warmer temperatures and drought, have impacted an area of roughly 300,000 acres across multiple land management boundaries, resulting in vegetation changes, altered ecological function, cultural resources impacts, and uncertainty about how to manage these impacted landscapes. East Jemez Landscape Futures (EJLF) is a collaborative, a landscape-scale planning effort to facilitate research and develop strategies for managing these disturbed areas. EJLF was initially a partnership between the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Northern Arizona University. We now have commitments from a number of other organizations and institutions representing federal, state, and tribal governments, non-profits, universities and private citizens. The

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EJLF team recently completed a needs assessment, interviewing 50 individuals from 23 organizations, and laying the groundwork for landscape-scale collaborative research and adaptive management. The assessment identified potential management options and research areas, including protecting refugia and seed sources, and restoring upland and riparian vegetation; native fisheries and aquatic ecosystems; and culturally important plants. Based on the results of the needs assessment, we plan to organize watershed-level work groups to develop research needs and propose management actions, and facilitate communication and cooperation across the landscape. Additionally, EJLF seeks to understand the impact of these disturbances to local communities, many of whom have deep ancestral ties to these lands. Through storytelling, art, and community engagement, EJLF will provide a unique opportunity for land managers to learn about the emotional connections between diverse local communities and the lands that we manage, strengthening our relationships with those communities, informing future actions, and providing a template for dealing with similar issues across the American Southwest.

Linking in situ nutrient dynamics to biocrust community structure

Northen, T.1,2,3, U. Karaoz1, B. Bowen1,3, F. Garcia-Pichel2, T.L. SWENSON1

1Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, TLSwenson@lbl.gov; 2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences; 3Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA USA

ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are communities of organisms inhabiting the upper layer of soil in arid environments. BSCs persist in a desiccated dormant state for extended periods of time and experience pulsed periods of activity facilitated by infrequent precipitation. Microcoleus vaginatus, a non-diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacterium, is the key primary producer in BSCs in the Colorado Plateau and is an early pioneer in colonizing arid environments. Previously, we observed strong exometabolite niche partitioning among BSC bacterial isolates enabling construction of a metabolic web model of nutrient exchange between BSC organisms. We now extend these findings by using these data to link the relative abundance of four dominant bacteria to soil exometabolites in intact BSC across a simulated wetting event and BSC developmental stage. Overall, we find that most soil metabolites displayed the expected relationships (positive or negative correlation) with organism abundance. Our results demonstrate that integrating metabolite profiling, sequencing, and exometabolomics can be used to interpret metagenomes and provides a functional link between BSC microbial community structure and chemical composition. We are now extending this work to characterize a greater diversity of BSC bacteria to enable development of increasingly accurate models describing the linkages between BSC community structure and nutrient cycling.

Historic challenges and future directions for ecological restoration on the Navajo Nation

TALKINGTON, N.E.1

1Navajo Fish and Wildlife, Navajo Natural Heritage Program, Window Rock, AZ 86515 USA, ntalkington@nndfw.org

ABSTRACT: The Navajo Nation (Diné Bikéyah) is the largest reservation within the United States, covering 27,000 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. Because of its scale and unique geologic features, the Navajo Nation is home to a diverse array of ecosystems and species, many of which are endemic to the region. However, a large proportion of Navajo ecosystems are in a degraded state because of decades of grazing by livestock and feral horses, oil and gas development, mining, invasive species, and will likely be further impacted by climate change. The Navajo Department of Fish and Wildlife's Natural Heritage Program has been actively monitoring the status of species listed on the Navajo Endangered

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Species list since 1984 to help protect rare flora and fauna from development. Historically, Navajo agencies have not been extensively involved in active restoration of degraded areas through revegetation efforts. Recently, new initiatives have begun within the Navajo Department of Natural Resources to begin to address some of the threats to ecosystem health. Initiatives include a native plants internship program, USDA-funded riparian restoration effort in the Black Creek Watershed, and Navajo Fish and Wildlife feral horse study.

Fire at local and landscape levels in ponderosa and mixed conifer forests of the Mescalero Apache tribal land, NM

TARANCÓN, A.A.1, P.Z. Fulé1, A. Sánchez Meador1, and Y.-S. Kim1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, a.azpeleta@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Recent wildfires and warming climate have increased the need for managers and policymakers in the Southwest US to explore forest management alternatives that conserve natural resources, especially on tribal lands where culture, economy, and land are intertwined. A few tribes in the Southwest have recognized and reintroduced fire in a frequency similar to the pre-European settlement times to enhance forest resilience. The Mescalero Apache Tribe, located on the southeastern range of the Sacramento Mountains (NM), currently follows a 100% fire suppression policy, but it is interested in understanding the traditional role of fire. Crossdating fire-scarred tree samples is a precise technique to reconstruct historical fire regimes. We reconstructed the fire regime in the ponderosa and mixed conifer forest in the Mescalero Apache tribal land at multiple sites and drew inferences about the landscape-level role of fire since the late 14th century. We related fire frequency and occurrence with climate and human use. This information is valuable for the tribe to implement the traditional use of fire and it is also relevant for forest managers in the Southwest region to face the rising threats related to climate change.

Use of gape and body depth relationships to improve native fish conservation in the upper Verde River

TENNANT, L. 1 and D.Ward1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, ltennant@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Roundtail chub (Gila robusta), a fish species native to the southwestern Unites States, has experienced dramatic declines in abundance and distribution in recent years. Specifically, roundtail chub that inhabit the upper Verde River, Arizona, have declined while populations of non-native fish, such as smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), have increased. Presence of smallmouth bass may be the largest threat to native fishes in the upper Verde River. Critical to ongoing population recovery efforts, thousands of roundtail are reared annually at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Bubbling Ponds Native Fish Conservation Facility and stocked into the Verde River and its tributaries. Predation of stocked, hatchery-reared fish by resident non-native piscivores is a common occurrence and can significantly reduce effectiveness of stocking programs for fish conservation. Preliminary results have found that size of stocked fish is a considerable factor impacting post-stocking persistence. In 2015, the range of sizes which fish were stocked at was 110-210 mm total length, but more than 95% of the fish caught two weeks following the stocking event were at least 150 mm total length. Piscivorous fishes select their prey based on their own gape size and the size and body depth of their prey. Post-stocking electrofishing efforts conducted in 2016 indicate that the average body depth of roundtail that were consumed were 52.0% of smallmouth bass gape. These findings were also supported in laboratory trials,

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where smallmouth bass only consumed prey that were 48.0% of their gape. Smallmouth bass were not likely to exceed 70% of their gape in order to consume prey. The lengths of both the hatchery-reared fish and the existing predators at the stocking location may need to be considered prior to stocking to alleviate post-stocking predation pressure on roundtail chub in the upper Verde River.

Tumbleweeds on the southeastern Colorado Plateau: A check-in on their seasonal dynamics

THOMAS, K.A.1, and M.H. Redsteer2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ. 85719 USA, Kathryn_A_Thomas@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: Non-native annual forbs within the genus Salsola have invaded the grasslands and steppe communities that stabilize the extensive aeolian deposits of the southeastern Colorado Plateau. The capacity of Salsola to competitively reduce or replace native plants is unknown. In addition, scant information exists about the dynamics of Salsola germination and establishment in response to seasonal temperature and precipitation. Cover of Salsola infestations can be quite high in the summer and early fall; however, if Salsola compromises native vegetation, dune substrates where they are established could be more susceptible to wind erosion in winter months, and the potential for destabilization and active dune movement is increased. We conducted studies at Petrified Forest National Park to examine the dynamics of Salsola invasion within two native plant communities on sand surfaces at Petrified Forest National Park. We established experimental plots (1-m2 quadrats) at two sites; one within a native grassland at the edge of a disturbance and the other on the crest of an echo dune. Half the plots at each site had Salsola removed at regular intervals. We measured Salsola occurrence (frequency and biomass), composition, and cover of other plants within the quadrats between May and October of 2015 and 2016. In 2016, we evaluated the soil seed bank from each site for Salsola germination using different temperature and soil moisture regimes in a growth chamber. Both the field observations and the growth chamber observations showed successful Salsola germination and early establishment require sufficient moisture. Under the right conditions, Salsola can predominate throughout the season; in other years, Salsola may be nearly absent. The results of this study highlight the variable nature of Salsola invasions and the need for longitudinal studies to understand Salsola’s impact.

Vulnerable plant communities across the Southwest: a view through two CCSM4 scenarios

THOMAS, K.A.1, B.A. Stauffer1, C.J. Jarchow1,2, T.R. Arundel3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ USA, Kathryn_A_Thomas@usgs.gov; 2 University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, Tucson, Arizona USA; 3 U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA

ABSTRACTS: Public land managers are keenly interested in how plant communities will respond to climate change. Species-specific habitat suitability models provide one perspective, but their use is limited. A composite view of how plant communities might respond to climate change has been missing. We characterized the vulnerability of major plant communities of the U.S. Southwest under current and two future climate scenarios based on WorldClim temperature and precipitation data. The future scenarios, Community Climate System Model version 4.0 (CCSM4) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5, represent lower and higher end projections of future conditions. We spatially modeled the likelihood of occurrence of 71 plant species under each of these scenarios. These plants characterized 30 major plant communities, as

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mapped by the National Gap land cover, within six Southwest ecoregions. Predicted change (delta) in likelihood of occurrence of each plant between current climate conditions and each future scenario was calculated and categorized into four suitability categories – increasing, stable, less, and declining. We combined the plant suitability rasters for each community to characterize their vulnerability (high, medium, or low) under the future climate scenarios. Lastly, we combined all community vulnerability rasters to assess vulnerability across the landscape. We found for the CCSM4 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, 10% and 7% of the 735,335 km2 study area was predicted to have low vulnerability to climate respectively, and 34% and 41% of the area was predicted to have high vulnerability. Results from this characterization can inform public land management decision-making toward the complex challenges climate change poses.

Getting the job done: building lifelong stewards of the land through citizen science

THOMPSON, E.1

1Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, ethompson@grandcanyontrust.org

ABSTRACT: Each year, Grand Canyon Trust’s Volunteer Program engages over 350 volunteers in hands-on research and stewardship projects on the Colorado Plateau. Half of our volunteers are youth ages 14-25, and we are working to build the next generation of conservation leaders through service learning trips, conservation internships and leadership opportunities. Our volunteers spend up to a week living on the land and working on conservation projects such as wildlife habitat or springs restoration, assessing grazing impacts, or supporting sustainable economic development on tribal lands. Volunteers engage in discussions about threats to the region and learn about sustainable solutions; in addition, they learn about tools for creating conservation outcomes that include positive social change. Some 150 volunteers are trained as citizen scientists who assist Trust staff and research partners by collecting critical data that informs public lands management decisions. These include: volunteers supporting critical climate change research on North Rim Ranches that will lead to improved public land management policy and community initiatives; “Springs Stewards” who are trained to inventory and assess the health of springs across North Rim Ranches and the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) landscape to help land managers identify and prioritize springs for restoration, citizen scientists who are mapping perennial and ephemeral streams in the 4FRI footprint to inform restoration priorities, and “Bad Ass Botanists” who assist Trust staff in the collection of vegetation data on hundreds of transects in southern Utah to document the impacts of public lands grazing. Hands-on restoration and conservation work builds connections between people and the land, and inspires lifelong commitments to conservation.

Come together, right now, over me: using rock art to link architecture and social Groups in the Ancient Pueblo world

THROGMORTON, K.1

1Binghamton University, Department of Anthropology, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902 USA, kjt1607@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: This paper draws on rock art and architectural data to explore social groups at the Basketmaker III-Pueblo I transition (ca. A.D. 700-800) in the Mesa Verde region. It argues that the Procession Panel depicts a community in transition, when some households began to reorganize as members of lineages and materialized this relationship by constructing large, multihousehold surface dwellings. However, not all households organized into lineage-scale groups, and these differences

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between these two kinds of social organization created fault lines where social inequalities could later develop. The title is multilayered: this paper brings together two datasets not often considered together - rock art and architecture; it brings together both academic research and data derived from cultural resource management surveys; it brings together ancient landscapes now found in separate land management jurisdictions (Bears Ears and Canyons of the Ancients National Monuments); and it highlights the invaluable cultural resources on the national monuments of the Four Corners region.

Land management impacts on soil resources in woody-encroached southwestern grasslands

THROOP, H.L.1,2

1Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA, heather.throop@asu.edu; 2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA

ABSTRACT: Drylands (arid and semi-arid systems) account for 40% of global land area and 20% of soil carbon (C) pools; consequences of change in these systems may be far-reaching. Dryland fluxes between the atmosphere and soil/litter pools are responsive to environmental changes and may have considerable influence on atmospheric CO2. Prevailing concerns over continuation and intensification of human use of drylands revolve around livestock grazing and its consequences for vegetation and soil erosion. In many regions, grazing-induced declines in forage cover are accompanied by the proliferation of woody plants, with shrubs or trees replacing palatable grasses. Concerns over negative implications of woody encroachment have led to the widespread application of chemical and mechanical “brush management” techniques aimed at reducing woody plant cover while enhancing forage production and ground cover. Considerable uncertainty remains in assessing the local-to-global biogeochemical consequences of livestock grazing and woody encroachment, with estimates suggesting that the latter could account for a sizeable, but highly uncertain fraction of the United States C sink. Improving our understanding of the consequences of vegetation change and management on C uptake and storage is becoming increasingly important as C-based economic incentives become a reality in many countries, leading to the possibility that traditional grazing-based land management and policy strategies may shift if economic priorities are based on C storage. In drylands where the majority of C resides in the belowground pool, this will require a better understanding of the controls over soil C dynamics and a refinement in techniques to accurately estimate soil C. I discuss research on grazing, shrub encroachment, and brush management effects on soil and litter C pools at the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. I explore the implications of different sampling techniques and what these tell us both about pool sizes and pool stability over time.

Assessing the impact of High Flow Experiments in Grand Canyon on water quality in Lake Mead

TIETJEN, T.E.1, R. Flaniagan1, and T. Thom2

1Regional Water Quality Division, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas, NV USA, todd.tietjen@lvvwd.com; 2Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City, NV USA

ABSTRACT: High Flow Experiments (HFEs) conducted in the Colorado River flowing through Grand Canyon National Park ultimately enter Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which dampens the effects of the flow manipulation as it transitions from a riverine to reservoir system. In Grand Canyon, these experiments are used to mobilize sediment from the riverbed to enhance and expand sandbars. These sandbars provide critical aquatic habitat and expand resources for park visitors traveling through the canyon. In Lake Mead, the HFEs have resulted in short-term positive and potentially negative changes in

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water quality. Depending upon the temperatures of the inflowing river and the Lake Mead water column the Colorado River can enter Lake Mead as a surface flow, a bottom flow, or enter the mid-water column. Recent HFEs have been cold enough to flow to the bottom of Lake Mead at the confluence before flowing across the thermocline further into the lake. In every HFE we have monitored this inflow has carried particles, measured as turbidity, farther into Lake Mead than under more typical flows. Over the long term this increased turbidity could represent a challenge to drinking water treatment for Las Vegas, Nevada, as the facilities are designed to treat extremely low turbidity water. During 2014, a region of low oxygen water had developed along the sediment-water interface in Lake Mead near the Colorado River confluence because of warmer river temperatures. The HFE during this year was cold enough to remain at the bottom of the water column, and of sufficient magnitude to reoxygenate this anoxic/hypoxic water, improving the quality of the habitat for aquatic life. Future modeling and monitoring will be needed to predict and understand the water quality implications of HFEs on Lake Mead so that natural resource and water supply managers can plan.

The importance of Mars research in understanding Earth: long-term dune field monitoring in the Southwest

TITUS, T.N.1, R.K. Hayward1, R. Bogle1, and A. Sunda1,2

1Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, ttitus@usgs.gov; 2Department of Geology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The transport of sediment through saltation is a common process in arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Colorado Plateau. Such regions have long been recognized as potential analog sites for the study of eolian processes on other planets, e.g., Mars. As such, a long-term sediment flux monitoring station was established near Grand Falls, AZ, with the goal of increasing our understanding of sediment flux on Mars. Initially located 120 meters in front of an active Barchan dune, the station has been operating since December 2014. The station included three anemometers, a wind vane, three weighing sediment catchers, an experimental sediment catcher using a camera to capture volume, and a single saltation sensor. In addition, five more saltation sensors were deployed this spring. These five saltation sensors were mounted on a common frame at heights ranging from 20-cm to 1-m with the objective of comparing saltation sensor results to those from the sediment catchers. The Grand Falls dune field is relatively unique as it has a bimodal mineral composition – quartz and basaltic grains. The two compositions have easily disguisable albedo and typically different grain size. This results in grain sorting that is easily seen. The suite of instruments deployed were specifically chosen to characterize the effects of bimodal distribution. The results of this characterization will be presented.

Hyporheic exchange and its impact on hydrograph recession characteristics: Bright Angel Creek, Grand Canyon

TOBIN, B.W.1, E.R. Schenk1, and S. Christie1

1National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Physical Science Program, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA, Benjamin_tobin@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: As Grand Canyon National Park reassesses its water supply system it has become critical to understand the long-term reliability of potential water sources. Bright Angel Creek at Phantom Ranch is fed by numerous springs emanating from the Redwall-Muav Aquifer system. Flowing along the surface these waters interact with riparian systems and alluvial deposits along its length. Previous work has shown that at given points along its flow path, up to 75% of flow can occur within the alluvium. From this we ask, does this interaction modify the base flow storage capabilities of the system. Previous

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research has shown Roaring Springs base flow has a recession coefficient (1/α) that shows a drawdown time of 7–10 years, using Maillet’s equation. Our analysis suggests that the interaction with alluvium and associated riparian vegetation adds an additional storage location that has a recession coefficient of 3–4 years. This indicates that as flow from springs enters Bright Angel Creek, base flow is controlled by a different flow path. This likely suggests that, while the stream system is fed by karst aquifers, current base flow conditions in the stream are controlled by storage and flow through alluvium.

Dye tracing the Kaibab Plateau: delineating groundwater flow paths through a complex aquifer system

TOBIN, B.W.1, S. Zappitello1, E.R. Schenk1

1Grand Canyon National Park, Physical Science Program, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 USA, Benjamin_tobin@nps.gov

ABSTRACT: The Redwall/Muav Aquifer of the Kaibab Plateau provides significant amounts of water to side canyons in the Grand Canyon, including the sole-source of drinking water for all park users. Currently, the dynamics of this aquifer, its drainage patterns, and storage properties are poorly understood. Previous work with natural tracers has hinted at a complex relationship between the plateau and underlying aquifer. To further our understanding of these relationships, artificial dye tracing techniques have been applied to begin delineating the surface area on the plateau that feeds specific springs below the rim. Results are unexpected based on previous assumptions and highlight the complexity of the aquifer system as well as the karst nature of flow through the Paleozoic strata in Grand Canyon. Dye travelled over 38 linear kilometers and over 2000 m of depth from sinks on the rim to springs in the canyon with flow times of less than one month. Additional dye results also show that flow paths cross without directly interacting, highlighting the complex combination of vertical and horizontal flow paths within the aquifer. These observations re-write earlier assumptions about groundwater flow paths within the North Rim Kaibab Plateau section of the R Aquifer and bring up new questions about the interactions between shallow and deep aquifers in the region.

Species specific nitrogen fixation in biological soil crust lichens from the Colorado Plateau

TORRES-CRUZ, T.J.1 and S.C. Reed2

1Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455 USA, tj-torrescruz@wiu.edu; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA

ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a community of mosses, lichens, microfungi, and/or cyanobacteria that live between plants at the soil surface across the Colorado Plateau and in drylands worldwide. Biocrusts play numerous crucial roles in arid and semiarid ecosystems, including stabilizing soil, increasing the infiltration of precipitation, and enhancing soil fertility. A particularly important component of dryland fertility can be biocrust nitrogen fixation; where biocrust nitrogen-fixing organisms access the huge, but typically inaccessible, pool of nitrogen in our atmosphere and transform it into biologically available forms. Yet, while biocrusts are likely the dominant input of “new” nitrogen in numerous Colorado Plateau ecosystems, little is known about the nitrogen fixation capabilities of the diverse lichen species that make up late successional biocrust communities in our region. In order to improve our species-specific understanding of biocrust lichen nitrogen fixation, we collected four common species of lichens (Collema tenax, Fulgensia desertorum, Psora decipiens, and Squamarina lentigera) that represent a range of lichen families and morphological types. Nitrogen fixation rates of

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these biocrust lichens were evaluated using the acetylene reduction assay and 15N incubations. Collema presented the highest rates of nitrogen fixation, with rates up to eight times larger than those of the other three species. Nitrogen concentrations and carbon:nitrogen ratios of lichen tissue also varied among species, however, when the biocrust profile was assessed as a whole (i.e., biocrust tissue, microbial cells, and mineral soil) these among-species differences disappeared. Nitrogen concentrations of lichen tissue were at least two times higher in Collema (2.75%) than in any other focal species; and Collema also maintained the lowest tissue carbon:nitrogen ratio (9.6). We know altered temperature and moisture can affect biocrust community composition, and the data provided here could help in forecasting the potential effects of climate change on nitrogen fixation, and consequently, soil fertility in drylands.

Seasonal climate interactions and drought legacy effects in tree-ring chronologies (1948–2013) from the Four Corners region USA

TRUETTNER, C.M.1, W.R.L. Anderegg2, F. Biondi1, G.W. Koch3, M.E. Litvak4, K.Ogle3, C. Schwalm5,6, J.D. Shaw7, A. Wolf8, and E. Ziaco1

1University of Nevada, DendroLab and Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, Reno, NV 89557 USA, charles.truettner@gmail.com; 2University of Utah, Biology Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, Biology Department, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 4University of New Mexico, Biology Department, Albuquerque, NM, 87131 USA; 5Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA, 02540 USA; 6Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 7USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT, 84401 USA; 8Princeton University, Princeton University Environmental Institute, Princeton, NJ, 08544 USA

ABSTRACT: Future droughts are expected to become hotter and more frequent under climate change scenarios, causing widespread tree mortality in the western US. Coping with an uncertain future requires an understanding of long-term ecosystem legacies in areas were prolonged drought is projected to increase, and tree-ring records are ideally suited for this task. We developed 25 tree-ring chronologies from 21 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots in the Four Corners region USA. Climate variables that capture the bimodal precipitation regime of winter snow and summer monsoonal rainfall in the Four Corners region were derived from the PRISM climate dataset (800-m grid cells) and were used to define dendroclimatic relationships from 1948 to 2013. Additionally, we tested the legacy of drought years (e.g., 1956, 1977, and 2002) on four conifer species (Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma, Pinus ponderosa, and Picea engelmannii) by relating tree-ring growth to the Climatic Water Deficit (CWD). Overall, cold-season minimum temperature had a negative interaction on the influence of cold-season precipitation for Pinus tree-ring growth, while a positive interaction was found for P. engelmannii. A Drought Legacy Effect (DLE) was identified in the four conifer species following the 2002 drought. P. engelmannii displayed the least sensitivity to drought, while P. ponderosa had the most prolonged response to drought. J. osteosperma recovered from drought more rapidly than P. edulis. Dendrochronological tests investigating the effects of seasonal climate interactions and drought legacies on tree-ring growth in areas impacted by severe drought throughout the Anthropocene help identify species that are particularly at risk.

Restoration of biological soil crust on the Colorado Plateau in a warming climate

TUCKER, C.L.1, S.C. Reed1, A. Antoninka2, and M. Bowker2

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA, ctucker@usgs.gov; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

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ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are soil surface communities of bryophytes, lichen, cyanobacteria, algae, and associated heterotrophs, which cover a large fraction of many dryland ecosystems. Biocrusts contribute many ecosystem functions including soil stabilization, water regulation, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and may be important for co-occurring vegetation communities. Yet across drylands globally, and in particular in the southwestern United States, biocrusts have been severely impacted by anthropogenic disturbances, including livestock grazing and associated trampling, off-road vehicle use, and industrial development. Because biocrusts are composed of slow growing organisms, with limited dispersal distances, one perspective has been that degraded biocrust will only recover on long timescales (i.e., decades to centuries), and thus that minimizing disturbance is the primary method for preserving biocrusts. Yet, because of the scale of biocrust degradation across the Southwest, and the criticality of the ecosystem functions biocrusts provide, increasing interest and effort has been placed on methods of biocrust restoration. In general, restoration practices revolve around protecting an area from repeated disturbance and inoculating the soil surface with target organisms or communities. One potential problem with this approach is that recent climate manipulation experiments (warming and altered precipitation) indicate extreme negative impacts of warming and subtle precipitation shifts on key late-successional elements of biocrust communities. In this study, we evaluate the use of biocrust communities from warmer regions to promote ecosystem function of a degraded rangeland site on the Colorado Plateau near Moab, UT, specifically considering the response to a warmer climate as an experimental treatment.

Preservation of earthen architecture, a continued tradition through a binational effort

UVIÑA-CONTRERAS, F.1

1 University of New Mexico, School of Architecture and Planning, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA, fuvina@unm.edu

ABSTRACT: Earthen architecture is a shared cultural resource and tradition in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Archeological sites and indigenous living communities serve as testament to the early molding of earth tailoring their needs and functions. Its permanence indicates the substance of adaptability in this harsh climatic region. The tradition has been able to transcend from generation to generation, but recently has been threatened by the development of new modern materials and technologies, as well as an undervaluing, and loss of knowledge. In the mid-1990s through an initiative from the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH), the Seminario Internacional de Conservación y Restauración de Arquitectura de Tierra (SICRAT) was created to disseminate and slow the loss of knowledge. A series of seminars followed, where the National Park Service, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher learning, local and state agencies became supporters and collaborators. The SICRAT soon developed into an interdisciplinary workshop Taller Internacional de Conservación y Restauración de Arquitectura de Tierra (TICRAT). This international workshop generated a collective participatory program to promote local and theoretical knowledge to best be applied in modest vernacular and larger restoration projects. Workshops soon spread to many rural communities and urban centers in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas in the US, and Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Durango, Aguascalientes, and Morelos in Mexico have hosted one if not several of these workshops. The presentation will discuss a brief history of the SICRAT and TICRAT, and the many successful workshops in the US and Mexico. The talk will focus on recent projects, community participation, traditional technologies, innovative design, and restoration practices with the use of adobe and lime. Closing remarks will present the future of this initiative, its efforts and other dissemination practices established from years of continued collaborations.

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Conservation and management of the endangered humpback chub in the Colorado River Basin

VALDEZ, R.A.1, T.E. Czapla2, and T.E. Chart2

1SWCA Environmental Consultants, Logan, UT USA, valdezra@aol.com; 2U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, Lakewood, CO USA

ABSTRACT: The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is a warm-water riverine fish species endemic to the Colorado River system of the southwestern United States, with a current range of about 1,353 km, or 62% of historical range. It is a federally endangered species with six remaining populations, including five in the upper basin and one in the lower basin. The largest population in the Grand Canyon is self-sustained with about 12,000 adults associated with the Little Colorado River, and increasing numbers of individuals from local reproduction in the lower Grand Canyon and from recent translocations of fish into Havasu Creek. Four of the five upper basin populations are self-sustained with a total of about 3,800 adults; small numbers of individuals remain in the Dinosaur National Monument population, where intervention (e.g., translocation or stocking) will be necessary to restore the population. The humpback chub has survived as a species for over 3 million years, and has evolved many adaptive traits that have enabled it to persist through long-term natural environmental variability. Contemporary anthropogenic threats include streamflow regulation, habitat modification, competition and predation by nonnative fishes, alien parasites, hybridization with other native Gila, and degraded water quality. Three conservation programs coordinate activities in different parts of the basin to reduce or remove these threats and support long-term population self-sustainability and viability. Ongoing management in both basins can offset and ameliorate threats, but the future viability of the species will depend on the efficacy of especially flow and nonnative fish management in the face of episodic drought.

Distribution, geology, and geochemistry of uranium‐bearing breccia pipe deposits in northern Arizona: implications for interactions with groundwaters

VAN GOSEN, B.S.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, Denver, CO 80225 USA, bvangose@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Some of the highest grade uranium (U) deposits in the United States occur in solution-collapse breccia pipes in the Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona. These breccia pipes formed through collapse of caverns in the Redwall Limestone that then progressively propagated upward over time as overlying strata collapsed inward. Low-temperature U mineralization permeated the breccia about 200 Ma. There are 118 known breccia pipes in the region; 64 contain U deposits. Thirteen breccia pipes have been mined since the 1980s for U, with the Canyon mine currently (2017) in development. Breccia pipe deposits in this region that have been mined or thoroughly drilled have average grades of 0.42 to 1.08 percent uranium oxide (U3O8) in bodies containing about 430,000 to 7 million pounds of U3O8. An additional 763 collapse features, which may overlie breccia pipes, have been mapped, and some are potentially U-bearing. The uranium mineralization is concentrated within the breccia column near the stratigraphic units of, top to bottom, the Coconino Sandstone, the Hermit Formation, and the Esplanade Sandstone. These horizons lie several hundred feet below the region’s high plateau surfaces, where the deposits are best preserved. Water-bearing zones often occur in the strata that abut breccia pipes, including several perched zones (C aquifer) in formations that overlie the ore zone, as well as in the Coconino Sandstone in the upper ore horizon. The orebodies typically lie about 450 to 600 ft above the Redwall-Muav regional aquifer. The primary U ore mineral is uraninite (UO2), which is complexly intergrown with numerous sulfide, oxide, and arsenide minerals variably enriched in As, Cu, Fe, V, Zn,

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Pb, Ag, Mo, Ni, Co, and Se. These metals should also be considered when interpreting the chemistry of groundwaters in perched aquifers and regional aquifers (Redwall-Muav) that are in hydrologic connection with mineralized breccia pipes.

GEOSCAPE: a new technique to identify location of small wild bird origins for tracking zoonotic disease sources and heavy metal contamination on the Colorado Plateau

VAN RIPER, C. III1

1U.S. Geological Survey, SBSC and School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, charles_van_riper@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: GEOSCAPE is a new tool that utilizes mineral maps to help refine the location of bird origins. Using mass spectrometry, levels of heavy metals in bird feathers can be tied to new mineral maps that have recently been completed by the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Division. Through coupling GEOSCAPE with existing techniques such a stable hydrogen isotope deuterium maps of North America, one can determine a fairly accurate location of bird feather origin. Examples will be provided of pinpointing the origin of a potentially dangerous zoonotic disease (Avian Influenza) on the Colorado Plateau, followed by a discussion of how GEOSCAPE was used to document a recent introduction in Arizona of a heavy metal contaminant into the environment.

Remote sensing time series approaches for assessing vegetation recovery on abandoned oil and gas pads of the Colorado Plateau

VILLARREAL, M.L.1, E.K. Waller1, T.B. Poitras1, T.W. Nauman2, M.E. Miller3, and M.C. Duniway, M.C.

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA, mvillarreal@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA; 3Bureau of Land Management, North Slope Science Initiative, Anchorage, AK 99513 USA

ABSTRACT: Energy development on the Colorado Plateau has increased substantially in recent decades, causing considerable habitat fragmentation, dust emissions, and soil loss from erosion. Oil and gas well pads are often developed and then abandoned when they are no longer sufficiently productive. However, the rate and degree of recovery of these abandoned sites to a relatively natural state remains unclear. With the goal of developing a remote-monitoring approach for assessing recovery of abandoned sites, we evaluated the ability of Landsat spectral indices to characterize surface variability of vegetation cover and bare ground across a range of vegetation community types. We found the Soil-Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI) provided the most consistent estimates of bare ground across vegetation community types, and we used SATVI to assess pad recovery over time. We used the Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform to develop dense time series (1984-2011) of Landsat data for 510 abandoned well pads as well as nearby control areas of similar environmental conditions, which helped to standardize the assessment. We used the package BFAST in R to identify breaks in the time-series related to initial site disturbance and active pad use, and to quantify the magnitude, duration, and rate of recovery after abandonment. We analyzed recovery rates relative to climate and other spatial variables and found that recovery showed some geographic patterning, with a weak but possibly important correlation with drought indices for the first two growing seasons following abandonment. However, many sites where bare ground decreased over time were dominated by exotic grasses and weedy annual plants.

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Acoustic monitoring in the field

VITTUM-JONES, A.1

1Southern Utah University, Department of Psychology, Cedar City, UT 84720 USA, alexvittumjones@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Working in cooperation with Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument staff and an acoustic technician from the National Park Service Natural Sounds Program, sites suitable for the placement of acoustic monitors were selected in the fall of 2014 in Phase I of this project. The following considerations were made in site selection to ensure representative data for all identified acoustic zones of the monument. Acoustic zones are often determined based on vegetation, elevation, geologic features, fauna, and visitation rates. Other considerations include specific management objectives, specific sound-sensitive areas, proximity to natural and anthropogenic sound sources, and equipment capabilities (security, solar exposure, visibility). Once the sites had been identified, site scoping took place to determine the best possible location to place the acoustic monitors. Acoustic monitoring equipment was loaned from the National Park Service and includes the standard equipment that has been used in various natural areas over the past decade. Equipment includes a microphone, digital recorder, sound pressure level (dB) meter, a weather station, and batteries. At each acoustic monitoring site, the equipment recorded sound pressure levels (dB) and frequency readings (Hz). Sound equipment captured sounds in the 12.5 to 40,000 Hz range. Loudness (dB) was recorded every second for each of 33 octave bands. A digital audio recorder captured all sound to create a 24-hour archive of the actual physical sound exposure of each site. Acoustic data was collected at each site over one-three months to ensure a complete data set. Seventeen distinct sites have been acoustically monitored over the past three years, including Lower Calf Creek Falls, Dry Forks slot canyons, Dance Hall Rock, Wahweap Hoodoos, and Paria.

The science and art of community engagement in public archaeology: the case of Nine Mile Canyon (Utah)

VOGT, C.A.1,2, J. Lindblom 1,2, and A. Koski3

1Arizona State University, Center for Sustainable Tourism, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA, chrisv@asu.edu; 2 Arizona State University, School of Community Resources and Development, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA; 3Price Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Price, UT 84501 USA

ABSTRACT: Public land management is dynamic and the role of the public and interested parties may change depending on economic, cultural, environment, and political priorities and conditions. An archaeological site that has held interest for over 100 years is currently in an active excavation phase. Rather than involving just technical archaeologists and public land managers, the Nine Mile site excavation is using a contemporary approach that reaches youth and trains them as citizen archaeologists, shares the experience through social media before and during the excavation, and considers the tourist draw of the site and places the story within tourism publications and media. These extensions of community archaeology are directed toward enhancing community engagement and are intended to increase place attachment to the site and its history, foster respect and security for the site, and contribute to the local and regional economy by drawing tourists to the site and promoting the story of Western migration across a rugged landscape. Qualitative research methods (interviews, content analysis) and management and marketing techniques are being applied to this project. At the time of the presentation, planning and a first implementation of a weekend youth-focused archaeological excavation will have occurred. This project and presentation is a representation of social scientists and a public land manager working together. The specific focus of the presentation will be on

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the theory and framing of community engagement in public archaeology; actual efforts in public relations and outreach to communities, tourism organizations and tourist markets, schools and education organizations, and history and archaeology organizations; and actual efforts in youth recruitment and engagement. Our research findings and lessons learned will demonstrate the unique impacts that community engagement can play in the success of archaeology.

A fecal sequel: limits of detection of a genetic assay for species identification from guano

WALKER, F.M.1,2, V.Y. Fofanov3, A. Tobin1, C. Sobek1,2, D.E. Sanchez1,2, and C.L. Chambers1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Faith.Walker@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 AZ

ABSTRACT: At the 13th Biennial Conference we reported on the development and coverage of a genetic assay for identifying bat species across Chiroptera from guano. Here, we explore the limits of detection of the species from feces assay (nau.edu/batdna), which uses high-throughput amplicon sequencing to identify bat species from hundreds of fecal pellets simultaneously, for increased utility and decreased costs. In controlled tests, we determined how rare guano from a bat species can be in a pooled sample and still be detected, and examined whether read number reflects the proportion of a species’ feces. We further examined the sensitivity of the assay, and new applications, by testing soil samples collected at roosts and guano fertilizer of unknown age. Finally, to illustrate effectiveness of the approach, we identified bat species that contributed to guano samples collected from across >40 subterranean roosts in the southwestern U.S. For limits of detection, we found that all bat species in mock communities were detected to a 1:192 fecal DNA dilution along with other high concentration bat species. In practice, soil and fertilizer samples readily PCR amplified bat DNA, with species-level discrimination. Bat species were also genetically detected in all mines (1-4 species each), whereas in only 58% of mines were bats visually identified. We show that the Species from Feces assay is a sensitive, powerful, and practical means to survey roosts.

Variations in soil-trace element concentrations and gamma radiation at breccia pipe uranium mines during the mining-life cycle

WALTON-DAY, K.1, D. Naftz2, C.R. Bern1, and M. Duniway3

1U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, CO 80225 USA, kwaltond@usgs.gov; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Helena, MT 59601 USA; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Research Science Center, Moab, UT 84532 USA

ABSTRACT: Five breccia-pipe uranium deposits and mines in the Grand Canyon region were sampled for soil trace-element concentrations and gamma radiation to depict variations in these properties near and within the mine properties throughout the mining-life cycle. The EZ2 deposit represented pre-mining, pre-development conditions; the Canyon Mine represented pre-mining conditions sampled during mine development; the Pinenut Mine represented mining conditions; the Arizona 1 Mine represented post-mining conditions before reclamation; Kanab North Mine represented post-mining conditions, during reclamation. Integrated soil samples were collected over large (up to approximately 30,000 square meters) and small (approximately 10 square meters) areas. Gamma radiation measurements (in microRoentgens per hour, µR/hr ) were collected at varying scales within (where possible) and outside the mine properties. Results indicate that soil trace-element concentrations (U, As, Cu, Mo, and possibly Se) increase in areas proximal to and also along the prevailing downwind direction away from the mines

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as the mining-life cycle progresses. Concentrations are generally greater in smaller-area integrated samples and are diluted in the larger-area integrated samples. Gamma radiation around the mines was greatest at the Pinenut Mine (up to about 150 µR/hr) when uranium ore was stored at the surface. Within the Kanab North Mine yard, radiation was greatest over locations of the former ore pile (as much as 450 µR/hr), but had decreased compared to measurements made before reclamation commenced. These measurements contrast with those ranging between 9-13 µR/hr found directly over and around the undeveloped EZ2 deposit before any mine development had occurred. Together, these results indicate that trace-element and gamma-radiation enrichment occur around, and have a greater spatial extent downwind from, active or formerly active mines. These patterns are likely caused by dispersion of dust from geologic materials (ore and waste rock) stored at the surface during the mining-life cycle.

A multi-scale optimization modeling framework for analyzing non-stationary species-habitat relationships: the Mexican spotted owl in Arizona and New Mexico as an example

WAN, H.Y.1, and S.A. Cushman2

1Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, hw293@nau.edu; 2USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA

ABSTRACT: Habitat loss and fragmentation are threats to many species, and climate change is expected to continue exacerbating their negative impacts. In this context, habitat selection models are increasingly important for prioritizing areas for conservation and management efforts, but developing a model for species with a broad geographic range can be challenging because of non-stationarity of species-environment relationships. We used the threatened Mexican spotted owl (MSO) as a case study to demonstrate a multi-scale optimization framework for modeling species-habitat relationships across broad spatial scale and evaluating potential non-stationary environmental factors that affect habitat selection. We compared results between two MSO populations that occur in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico and in the Mogollon Plateau of Arizona, respectively. Habitat variables and their optimized scales differed between the habitat models of the two study areas. In the Sacramento Mountains, forest composition variables such as percent tree cover and percent cover of mixed-conifer strongly explained variance in the habitat model. Whereas, owl habitat selection in the Mogollon Plateau was most associated with topographic variables such as slope and topographic positional index. Percent canopy cover was selected at a fine scale (100 m) in the Sacramento Mountains, but at a broader scale in the Mogollon Plateau (2,700 m). Percent cover of mixed-conifer was selected at a much broader scale (5,000 m) in the Sacramento Mountains, but at a finer scale (500 m) in the Mogollon Plateau. Differences in results between the two study areas suggest that effective MSO conservation may require different habitat management strategies in different landscapes. This study underscores the advantage of scale optimization and replicated studies in analyzing non-stationary habitat selection.

Managing aspen in the US Southwest: developing resilience through regeneration

WARING, K.1, J. Ouzts2, M. Nabel3, L. Arciniega4, and R. Baierlein5

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Kristen.Waring@nau.edu; 2Kaibab National Forest, Williams, AZ 96046 USA; 3Cononino National Forest, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 USA; 4Carson National Forest, El Rito, NM 87530 USA; 5Friends of Northern Arizona Forests, Flagstaff, AZ 86003 USA

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ABSTRACT: Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) across the West has been declining in recent decades and climate models indicate that its range will decrease in the US Southwest in the future. With high mortality rates in the overstory and low recruitment of understory aspen, the resilience of aspen in the Southwest is uncertain. Regenerating aspen in the US Southwest can be challenging and often includes significant management efforts such as fencing. Historically, managers relied on natural regeneration by suckering to regenerate aspen stands. Artificial regeneration of aspen as a supplement to natural suckering or where natural regeneration has failed may be key to restoration and resilience of aspen in the southwestern landscape. Understanding where and under what circumstances natural regeneration thrives is equally important, including whether management strategies such as jackstrawing (felling overstory trees to impeded ungulate movement and reduce browse) are effective for increasing regeneration success. Managers on the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests, AZ, have been planting aspen propagated in the greenhouse and tracking post-planting success, as well as monitoring natural regeneration under an array of sites and management strategies. We will present on the management challenges associated with sustaining aspen in the Southwest followed by results from experimental plantings and natural regeneration surveys. For example, a recent study in northern Arizona found that apparent resistance to browse is likely site-specific, as all regeneration planted from apparently resistant genotypes at new sites were deemed unhealthy 1-3 years post-planting, while between 26-82% of control clones in fenced exclosures nearby remained healthy. Surveys of natural regeneration, also in northern Arizona, indicate that natural regeneration abundance following severe wildfire may be enough to surpass browse pressure by elk. Jackstrawing increases regeneration abundance but fails to remove browse pressure, resulting in fewer aspen stems than the fenced exclosures. Sustaining aspen in the southwestern landscape into the future will be challenging and require continued dedication and collaboration to be successful.

The Cedar Mesa Perishables Project: restoring the research potential of a forgotten archaeological collection

WEBSTER, L.D.1

1University of Arizona, School of Anthropology, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA, ldwebster5@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: During the 1890s, more than 4000 well-preserved textiles, baskets, wooden implements, hide and feather artifacts, and other organic materials were excavated by local “cowboy” archaeologists from Basketmaker and Pueblo-period archaeological sites in the greater Cedar Mesa area of southeastern Utah. Most were shipped to museums outside of the Southwest, where they were largely forgotten by archaeologists and the public. In 2011, the Cedar Mesa Perishables Project was born to “re-excavate” and interpret these remarkable collections and make them more accessible to researchers, the general public, and tribal communities. Our work with these 700 to 2000-year-old artifacts has documented a wide range of fiber, wood, horn, and feather traditions related to textile and basketry production, woodworking, hideworking, animal and bird procurement, farming, personal adornment, and other social and economic practices. In this presentation, I discuss some of what we have learned about the uses and manufacture of these perishable technologies, how they have broadened our understanding of Basketmaker and ancestral Puebloan societies, and our efforts to create a digital archive to make these collections more available for research, interpretation, and study.

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Working partnerships for the ‘science’ in science-based management on the North Rim Ranches: the Southwestern Experimental Garden Array (SEGA)

WHIPPLE, A.V.1,2 and D. Hope2

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, amy.whipple@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The Southwest Experimental Garden Array (SEGA) is a multi-site, field-based instrument for studying the effects of climate change on plants and ecosystems. By providing research sites along an elevation-temperature gradient, SEGA enables experimental work separating genetic and environmental influences on the responses of plants and other organisms to environmental change. SEGA relies on partnerships with non-profits, agencies, and private landowners and strong working relationships and shared goals are critical to the initiation and maintenance of these partnerships. The Grand Canyon Trust initiated efforts to integrate SEGA into their North Rim Ranches project. The Trust brought SEGA into Kane and Two Mile Ranch Research and Stewardship Partnership meetings to discuss shared goals with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish, North Rim Ranches and the Grand Canyon Trust. Overlapping interests by the stakeholders in water, plant, and animal resources in the region provide a basis for shared efforts and expenses. SEGA’s goals include sponsoring research that will be applied on the landscape to help maintain native plant productivity on the North Rim to support natural and human capital into the future.

Using the Southwest Experimental Garden Array to understand epigenetic and genetic plant modifications under environmental change

WHIPPLE, A.V.1,2, L.M. Holeski1,2, E. Moler1, E. Bucholz3, and K. Waring, 3

1Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Amy.Whipple@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms by which plants and plant populations respond to their environment are complex. Work in animal and plant model systems have added new depths to our understanding of the ability of epigenetic machinery in all species to modify gene expression in response to environmental stress, and thereby improve biological fitness within and across generations. This plasticity of gene expression interacts with well understood mechanisms of trait inheritance via genetic sequence variation across generations to result in a more realistic view of how organisms respond to environmental change. The contribution of gene sequence and induced gene expression to plant traits can be elucidated with carefully designed studies using combinations of genetic assays, landscape surveys, and experimental gardens. Current work with southwestern white pine and black cottonwood illustrate these approaches. The importance to management will include understanding whether cultivation practices, gene sequences, or both are critical when preparing plant materials for revegetation projects.

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Fire history on a cultural landscape: Navajo Nation

WHITEHAIR, L.1, P. Fulé1, A. Sánchez Meador1, Y.-S. Kim1, and M. Begay

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA, lw225@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: The Chuska Mountains in northeastern Arizona is located on the Navajo Nation and presents a unique forest landscape in which cultural use (sheepherding, medicinal herb collection, ceremonial wood harvesting) of the forest is still practiced today. The use of the forest remains a source of identification for the people and their livelihood is dependent on the resilience of the land. However, the Chuska Mountains experienced fire decline, beginning in the early 1800s. This has been attributed to livestock grazing and differs from other southwestern forests in which fire decline did not begin until the late 1800s. The exclusion of forest fires and the limited number of studies conducted on Navajo Nation tribal lands further stresses the importance of fire history research. We fixed a 50-km2 grid on the northern Chuska Mountain range which included 5-ha plots at each grid. From these plots we obtained 248 fire-scarred samples to develop a spatially explicit fire reconstruction for this landscape. Our preliminary results show that frequent forest fires continued until the end of the 1800s, in contrast to other Navajo Nation landscapes where fire regimes were altered earlier.

Using the Southwest Experimental Garden Array to enhance riparian restoration in response to global change: identifying and deploying genotypes and populations for the future

WHITHAM, T.G.1,2, K.C. Grady1,2, G.J. Allan1,2, and C.A. Gehring1,2

1Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Thomas.Whitham@nau.edu; 2Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA

ABSTRACT: The role of genetics in restoration has largely revolved around the policy of restoring with local genotypes based on the logic that local plants are best adapted to local conditions. In a relatively stable environment, this is a sound practice; however, climate change, invasive species, and other anthropogenic impacts on the landscape have largely rendered this policy as inadequate at best and damaging at worst. Because of rapid environmental change, plants that are locally adapted today are likely to be locally maladapted to tomorrow’s environments. Thus, in regions of especially rapid change such as the American Southwest, local populations are likely to lack sufficient genetic variation to adapt to these new environments. Similarly, with rapid change and a fragmented landscape, many species cannot migrate fast enough to reach favorable environments. Ignoring this “global change reality” will likely result in restoration failure, high biodiversity loss, and the loss of restoration funding. With foundation species that support 1000s of other species (e.g., Fremont cottonwood, coyote willow), it is crucial to identify the individual plant genotypes and populations that can survive both current and future environmental conditions. By focusing on these foundation species that are community and ecosystem drivers, we can also save many of their associated species that are dependent upon them for their survival. To achieve this goal, new experimental approaches are required that identify the genetic components of local adaptation to current and future conditions to maintain biodiversity, community stability, and ecosystem processes. Key to this approach is the use of field trials embedded in lands to be restored such as the Southwest Experimental Garden Array (http://www.sega.nau.edu). Based on the findings in these trials, restoration biologists can then deploy superior genotypes and populations that are most likely to survive in a changing environment.

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Quantitative precipitation estimation over the Four Corners Region

WILLIE, D.1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA, Delbert.Willie@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) remains a primary objective for weather researchers and forecasters. The purpose of this paper is to present the assessment of the National Weather Service (NWS) QPE process known as the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor QPE (MRMS QPE) over a region that has very poor to no radar coverage. MRMS is designed to ingest a combination of individual radar scans, and then merge them into a mosaic of QPE, such that the rain rate is derived from reflectivity measurements and then corrected using rain gauge information. The output of this system is evaluated over a domain that covers the Four Corners region of the United States, which spans over portions of southeastern Utah northeastern Arizona, southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The rainfall events considered for this analysis are during the seasonal monsoon timeframe of 2016, which typically occur during the end of July and the beginning of August. The objective of merging weather radar with rain gauge data is to gain more reliable estimates of rainfall rate and accumulation as well as to further recognize intense precipitation and issue flood warnings. Scanning weather radars offer the ability to observe precipitation over broader areas within shorter timeframes as compared to rain gauges allowing for improved situational awareness, accurate, and reliable warnings of imminent precipitation and flooding potential. The surrounding NWS WSR-88D radars are KFSX located near Flagstaff, AZ, KICX near Cedar City, UT, KGJX near Grand Junction, CO and KABX near Albuquerque, NM. However, the distance from the radar sites to this region are such that beam broadening and terrain obstacles make it difficult to assess the accuracy of rainfall measurements given by MRMS. Validation of the rainfall products will be performed using local rain gauges that are not ingested into the MRMS QPE system. The gauges considered are recorded by the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) and record 24-hour accumulation. The error between QPE and ground based rain gauges are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the MRMS system, where the statistics of interest are the normalized bias and normalized standard error.

Remote sensing analysis of vegetation impacted by restoration in the San Bernardino Watershed, SE Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico

WILSON N.R.1 and L.M. Norman1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA, nrwilson@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Watershed restoration efforts have been made to rejuvenate vegetation, biodiversity, and land productivity at San Bernardino, in SE Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico. Previous research shows that restoration supports and even increases vegetation health despite ongoing drought conditions in this arid watershed. However, the extent of restoration impacts is still unknown, despite some qualitative observation. Rock detention and earthen berm structures were built on the Cienega San Bernardino, an important wetland in the region, over the course of 3 decades, from 1984 to the present. We analyzed spatial and temporal trends and applied two vegetation indices (NDVI and NDII) to dry Summer season Landsat imagery from 1984-2016. Long-term trends were identified by linear regression and tested for monotonicity (Mann-Kendall test). A threshold was developed for both indices to identify areas of healthy vegetation in the riparian corridor; the resultant areal trends were identified using linear regression. Correlation to Spring precipitation was analyzed and local patterns in vegetation response identified. Restoration impacts are recognized using higher greenness and moisture levels, greater increases in greenness and moisture through time, and decoupling of vegetation greenness and

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moisture from Spring precipitation. Restoration impacts were detected up to 5 km downstream. A human settlement confounded analysis between 6 and 10 km downstream but further than 10 km downstream no restoration impacts were identified. Restoration impacts were also detected 1 km upstream. Our results confirm our hypothesis that restoration impacts extend downstream of the restoration, demonstrating contiguity at least 5 km downstream and 1 km upstream.

Refining site chronology and preservation in the Bears Ears National Monument: a volunteer story

WINDES, T.1

1University of New Mexico, Department of Anthropology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA, windes@unm.edu

ABSTRACT: The newly created Bears Ears National Monument and adjacent areas contain a multiple of resources, of which cultural resources and their important affinity to various present tribes is primary. For the past 18 years, an all-volunteer archaeological crew called the Wood Rats has been documenting many historic and prehistoric cultural sites that are threatened by increased visitation and other degrading conditions. These sites are mostly found in the canyons that comprise much of the topography, although few have been extensively recorded. Our work focuses on the perishable structural wood elements within these sites, to document their presence, their in-situ locations, their various attributes, and to help refine the temporal construction and reuse of these site resources as well as to help preserve their invaluable environmental history. No cultural or natural resource item provides more information in archaeology than wood resources. Although documentation and tree-ring sampling of the structural wood is a primary task, our work also includes documentation of the many items of materials culture and the standing architecture. In addition, we spend considerable time to produce detailed plan views of the overall site and adjacent topography as well as plans and elevations of the partially or fully intact structures containing structural wood. This helps to provide important base-line data for the various land-managing agencies (BLM, NPS, and USPS) for whom we work. Finally, our goals are to help refine the temporal chronology of the late Puebloan occupations and subsequent migration out from the southeast Utah area of the Northern San Juan Cultural Area, which is relatively poorly known in contrast to the Central San Juan, and to provide information to other colleagues and institutions pursuing related research in the region during the AD 1100s and 1200s.

Using LiDAR-Derived Datasets of Vegetative Structural Conditions to Inform Landscape Scale Forest Restoration Planning Efforts

WOOLLEY, T.1, Sanchez-Meador, A.J.2, Leonard, A.3, and Stein Foster, V.3, 4

1The Nature Conservancy (Arizona Chapter), Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA, twoolley@tnc.org; 2Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA; 3Kaibab National Forest, Planning, Williams, AZ 86046 USA; 4U.S. Forest Service, Washington Office Business Operations, Enterprise Program, Durham, NH 03824 USA

ABSTRACT: Restoration of dry forests in northern Arizona, and planning of restoration treatments has recently begun to approach landscape scales. This approach has gained traction because large and uncharacteristically severe wildfires are pushing forests farther from desired conditions and exemplifying the lack of resiliency across these forested landscapes. Ponderosa pine forests of the North Kaibab are generally denser and more continuous than compared to historical reference conditions. Much of the restoration work to move landscapes towards desired conditions and re-establish fire regimes emphasizes mechanical thinning as a tool for reducing tree densities so natural and managed

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fire can be re-introduced into the system. When planning landscape scale (> 10,000 acres) restoration projects, it can be challenging to obtain site-specific data on existing conditions over these larger areas. The ability of remotely sensed data sets such as LiDAR, and innovative approaches to applying that data, are key to assisting project planners and specialists with large landscape scale restoration projects. For this project, the Burnt Corral Planning and Analysis area on the North Kaibab Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona was used as a case study to develop and provide useful information regarding existing forest structure, particularly related to large tree and canopy cover components. Across the southwest, large tree occurrence is infrequent compared to historical conditions. Their retention across the landscape is of considerable importance given that the ecosystem services they provide are disproportionately high given their limited abundance on the forest. We developed analytical methods to better integrate existing LiDAR data into project level planning and analysis leading to more informed management, improved transparency, and stakeholder consensus. Using the existing LiDAR dataset and spatial data developed by the Remote Sensing and Applications Center (RSAC), procedures and resulting data layers can improve the identification of existing forest structural conditions.

Connecting communities through partnerships

WRIGHT, K.J.1

1Dixie National Forest, Cedar City, UT 84721, kevinjwright@fs.fed.us

ABSTRACT: Approximately two-thirds of the state of Utah is under federal ownership. The Dixie National Forest covers a little under 2 million acres in southwestern and southcentral Utah where acreage of some counties is upwards of 93% federally owned. Local rural communities in this area seek diverse economies that are not only tourism and service based, but also based in traditional uses like agricultural, mining, and timber. This objective creates a social and political environment where local community values are often pitted against federal land management agency processes and regulations. One of the tools the Dixie National Forest uses to bridge this gap, strengthen ties to local constituents, and to ensure future relevance, is actively engaging youth in adjacent local and underserved communities in a tiered approach. This tiered approach seeks to engage youth as early as elementary and middle school in land management activities and conservation education. Activities continue through high school with field going work crews and college through varied types of internships with the forest. The overarching goal of this tiered approach is not only to develop public land management leaders for the future and support local economies through youth employment, but also raise awareness and build advocates for public land management issues and increase agency relevancy through a more knowledgeable voting constituency. In an era of diminishing budgets, the capacity to accomplish these objectives is only possible with a multitude of strong partnerships, including the Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative.

Using Charcoal to Recreate a Fire Signal in the Bonneville Basin

WULMONT, S.1

1University of Utah, Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA, slw11@utah.edu

ABSTRACT: Paleoecological reconstructions are critical when understanding prehistoric human occupation in the west desert in Utah. Here we present a multiproxy record for Simpson Spring for the past 10,000 years. Charcoal, x-ray fluorescence, magnetic susceptibility, and loss on ignition provide a record of fire, disturbance, and environmental shifts throughout the Holocene. Changes in the fire regime are related to biomass availability, productivity, and moisture availability on the landscape. Here we are able to identify periods of aridity related to changes in climate. Simpson’s Spring is a mid-

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elevation site providing the closest freshwater source to humans occupying Camels Back Cave. Camels Back Cave an important archeological site located on Dugway Proving Ground in the Dugway Range. Preliminary data presented here is part of a larger study with multiple sites across the west desert of Utah.

Inferring species interactions to inform endangered species management in the Grand Canyon

YACKULIC, C.B.1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ USA, cyackulic@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT: Introduced species are frequently implicated in population declines and extinctions of native species. In some instances, the interactions between introduced and native species have been well studied and strong inferential links have been established. However, in many more cases, evidence linking introduced species to native declines is weak and multiple other drivers of decline are equally plausible. In the Colorado River in its Grand Canyon reach, there is a long-standing controversy regarding the relative importance of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) versus other factors (especially temperature) as drivers in the population dynamics of endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha). Earlier analyses that focused on interpreting changes in adult abundances as lagged responses to factors affecting earlier life stages were inconclusive. Here, we introduce a two-species mark-recapture population model in which the vital rates (and detection probability) of one species are allowed to vary in response to the abundance of the other species. Joint modelling of population dynamics of adult rainbow trout and juvenile humpback chub in Grand Canyon using mark-recapture data for both species suggests the survival probabilities of juvenile humpback chub are depressed when rainbow trout abundances are higher. Temperature and turbidity also play important roles in driving growth and survival of juvenile humpback chub. However, interspecific interactions and environmental factors together explain less than 50% of the variation in growth and survival suggesting other factors may play a more important role than previously thought. We also show how estimates from the model can be combined with other estimates of humpback chub vital rates to predict species viability under a variety of management scenarios, including the recently completed environmental impact statement associated with the operations of Glen Canyon Dam.

Healing our People through healing our land: using watershed planning to restore traditional forms of land management and ecological stewardship for climate change adaptation

YAZZIE, J.1

1Little Colorado River Watershed Chapters Association, Janene.y@sixth-world.com

ABSTRACT: The Little Colorado River Watershed Chapters Association is a community-led watershed restoration movement comprised of 35 Navajo communities and their diverse stakeholders residing across the sub-watersheds of the Little Colorado River. On the frontlines of anthropogenic climate change, Navajo stakeholders came together to create a dynamic model of cultural and ecological recovery and rehabilitation. Using a Diné planning paradigm to restore our traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) we are rediscovering and evolving our traditional lifeways to nurture water security and food security. As a necessity, we had to address the legacy of historical trauma in order to overcome the local land conflicts, poor land management practices, apathy, and other socio-economic and political issues that inhibit local agency in addressing shared resource concerns. From “Manifest Destiny” to the

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Dawes Act, western political and social institutions legitimizing settler colonialism severely diminished tribal sovereignty, nearly eliminating the practice of communal land management and large-scale ecological stewardship. The ultimate result is the replacement of collective rights with alienable individual freeholds subject to complicated interpretations of jurisdiction and paternalistic land management policies and principles which privilege corporate rights and unsustainable development practices that plague native and non-native peoples in rural and urban communities across the Colorado Plateau. This presentation will highlight the lessons learned in our path to nurture climate change adaptability and resiliency using a TEK framework and a place-based education model that combines western and traditional science in an interdisciplinary approach to community capacity building. The result is an inter-generational movement centered on the fundamental belief that the health of the land and the health of the people are inextricably interconnected and that climate change adaptation efforts are more successful when it is a collaborative effort to heal our relationships to each other, and to honor our responsibilities to our watersheds and the ecosystems they support.

Diné kinship: managing for multiple species under climate change

YAZZIE, J.O.1, P.Z. Fulé1, and Y.S. Kim1

1Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA, joy2@nau.edu

ABSTRACT: Climate change effects will impact forest ecosystems and ecosystem services of the Navajo (Diné) Nation. Ecosystem services are benefits and goods derived by human populations through ecosystem processes and functions. Because most Diné tribal members depend directly on the land for their livelihoods and cultural traditions, extreme ecosystem changes will directly affect the Navajo Nation and the ecosystems services used. The forest plays a vital role in the Diné way of life through social, cultural, spiritual, subsistence, and economic factors. Indigenous ways of life are based on respect, reciprocity, responsibility, and reverence between people, living beings and systems of the spiritual and natural world. Trees, in particular, are connected to this diverse system, providing provisional, sustenance, and cultural services to people, animals, and other plants. We focus on the Navajo forest and how climate change will affect the composition and distribution of tree species. The objectives of this study are to (1) simulate future forest characteristics under alternative climate change scenarios and management strategies on the Navajo Nation; and (2) assess impacts of climate-altered ecosystem services, specifically; biodiversity in ponderosa pine dominant and mixed conifer forests. To project future forest characteristics, we ran tribal Continuous Forest Inventory data through the Climate-Forest Vegetation Simulator model to output future forest characteristics under alternative scenarios of various management systems and projected climate models. Climate change is predicted for this area using Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory scenarios of three Representative Concentration Pathways. Output scenarios allows us to evaluate and compare impacts of climate change in the Navajo Nation. We anticipate management will be vital in influencing favorable outcomes for tribal forests and scenarios will identify effective management treatments for maintain or increasing multiple tree species and biodiversity within forest stands. Our approach is an important step forward for developing better strategies to sustain natural resources and livelihoods.