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--Ecology and Management of Wildlife and Their Habitats |
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Rangeland Management and RestorationThe Borderlands region contains a wide variety of geologic types and soil types as well as significant climatic variation which yields many different vegetation communities. This vegetation is important to land managers as they work with livestock, wildlife, watersheds, riparian areas, and aesthetics of the land.
To support the main focus of the range research program and provide information on vegetation management, the range program will also work on 1) establishing a native plant materials center, which will allow seeds from plants adapted to the Borderlands region to be used in restoration, and provide an economic benefit to land managers through seed harvest and sales, 2) utilizing fire as a management tool to meet a land manager’s goals, 3) promote the removal and management of invasive plant species, and 4) manage habitat and range resources at watershed levels.
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One of the central focus areas is rangeland restoration. Due to many reasons, the present vegetation community may not meet a landowners needs for managing livestock, wildlife, and water. Research on large scale projects on private lands will encourage the development of economically feasible ways to decrease bare ground cover, decrease undesirable species, and increase desirable species. This type of restoration is incredibly important in the riparian areas and associated uplands of the Borderlands region. These areas provide oases in the desert, but are threatened by watershed degradation and invasive species including salt cedar and mesquite. Once these species are removed, native riparian species that support the hydrology and wildlife community of these areas need to be restored.