The January 2006 workshop was held in conjunction with the Arizona Section of the Society for Range Management winter meeting and drew together over 140 participants representing private ranches as well as land managers from federal, state, and local land management agencies. Eleven presenters from the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, New Mexico State University, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided cutting edge information on recent climate changes, climate change projections and the implications for range management. A workshop exercise integrated future climate change projections with state & transition models to provide a framework for participants to manage a hypothetical land unit under change climatic conditions into the future.
Presentations (Not for further distribution or use without consent of authors)
- A Range Manager’s Perspective on Recent Climate Trends, Mr. Dennis Moroney, Society for Range Management- Arizona Section
- Climate Change and Southwest Rangelands: Past, Present and Future, Dr. Gregg Garfin, University of Arizona
- Climate-induced Threshold Responses in Rangelands, Dr. David Breshears, University of Arizona
- Recent Fire Events in Arizona Rangelands, Mr. Jeff Whitney, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Climate Change and Arizona’s Rangelands: Management Challenges and Opportunities, Dr. Michael Crimmins, University of Arizona
- State & Transition Models: Moving Beyond Boxes and Arrows, Dr. Steven Archer, University of Arizona
- Grazing and Grasslands under Changing Climate: Concepts, Questions, and Anticipatory Decision-making, Dr. Tom Sisk and Dr. Matthew Loeser, Northern Arizona University
- Invasive Plants and Rangelands, Dr. Larry Howery, University of Arizona
- Insects and Rangelands, Dr. David Lightfoot, University of New Mexico
- Atmospheric Carbon Fertilization and Rangelands, Dr. George Koch, Northern Arizona University
- Range/Livestock Economics, Dr. George Frisvold, University of Arizona
Workshop Materials
- General Workshop Information
- Agenda
- Speaker's Biographies
- Article in Februray 2006 Southwest Climate Outlook, "Grassland dynamics shift with climate fluctuations" by Dr. Melanie Lenart, University of Arizona
- Workshop and exercise evaluation report (draft)
Workshop participants in small groups for the state & transition/climate change exercise (San Carlos, AZ, January 2006)
Workshop Exercise: The Game of States and Transitions
A state & transition model developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for an Arizona sacaton grassland was used as the framework to explore the complex interactions between climate variability/change and range management decisions. Workshop participants worked in 7-10 person teams to collectively manage a hypothetical 1000 acre parcel using this state & transition model in conjunction with artificial climate data going 70 years into the future. Precipitation data maintained the same variability as seen in Arizona for the past 70 years while temperature data had a 1 degree Fahrenheit per decade increasing trend in average temperatures imposed on the time series. These data were used in conjunction with the vegetation states outlined in the state & transition model to create a role playing exercise for range managers to explore how management decisions may change with a changing climate. (Click here for an overview presentation on the exercise by M. Crimmins and G. Zaimes)
Workshop Organizing Team
Page maintained by M. Crimmins, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Climate Science Applications Program
Last Updated: 3/17/06© 2006 The Arizona Board of Regents. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.
