Harlow Seminar - June 27, 2024, Laura Jones and Anne Beeman

Rooted in restoration: Collaborative sagebrush management practices and strategies
Speaker: Laura Jones, Grand Teton National Park; and Anne Beeman, University of Wyoming
Time: Thursday, June 27, 5:30pm MT, talk begins at 6:30pm MT
Location: UW-NPS Research Station at the AMK Ranch, in the Berol Lodge
Abstract
Sagebrush habitat restoration represents an essential land management strategy for a biome that has shrunk to half its original area across the American West. Grand Teton National Park has restored 1,500 acres of sagebrush habitat since 2009, learning lessons and adapting practices along the way. Park ecologists collaborate with University of Wyoming researchers to understand drivers of restoration outcomes and techniques to optimize success. An evaluation of monitoring data showed that although native grasses were establishing well, forb and shrub diversity and cover was low. Climate year, soil type, and seed mix influenced plant community composition, compelling Grand Teton restoration practitioners to consider which approaches to modify. We are currently engaged in a study to test the effects of soil tilling and seed mix design on restoration success at the latest 90-acre restoration site. We will collect data at the site two years post-restoration in July 2024. We hypothesize that forb-dominated seed mixes alongside tilled treatments will result in optimal species diversity and shrub establishment. These results will guide future restoration efforts and management techniques within Grant Teton National Park.
Speaker Bios
Laura leads the Vegetation Ecology and Management Branch at Grand Teton National Park. Prior to her five years at the park, she served in resource manager, ecologist, and planner roles at Colorado National Monument, Yosemite National Park, and Boulder County Open. She received her Master of Science in Biology studying estuarine restoration at the University of Southern Maine. Laura loves the challenge of ecological restoration and embraces opportunities to integrate new science and research to uncover better management strategies. Outside of work, Laura enjoys the outdoors with friends, her husband, and her two adventurous daughters.
Anne is a botany master’s student at the University of Wyoming studying sagebrush restoration management strategies in Grand Teton National Park. Specifically, she is observing how tilling treatments and seed mix ratios impact shrub establishment and species diversity. She attended Saint Louis University as an undergraduate and has since conducted vegetation research in a variety of ecosystems, including Great Basin cold desert communities, eastern Oregon riparian communities, and southeastern Alaska temperate rainforest communities. She is excited to collaborate with the park to determine the most effective localized strategies to promote resilient restored sagebrush communities.