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The Ninth Biennial Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau

9th Bicentennial Conference Logo Integrating Science and Management on the Colorado Plateau

Program

On Monday October 29, 2007 there are no scheduled presentations or scientific sessions, but a variety of meetings will be held in conjunction with the conference. For additional details please see the Client's Day page.

The Biennial Conference will include submitted oral and poster presentations as well as special sessions and symposia. Planned special sessions for the Biennial Conference include:

Climate Change and Ecosystem Impacts organized by Kirsten Ironside, Neil Cobb, and Ken Cole. This special session will focus on current climatic trends and predicted consequences for the Colorado Plateau and the Southwest. Talks will cover climate modeling, predicted vegetation responses, as well as drought and drought impacts on dominant plant species and ecosystems. There will be an emphasis on the various ways that climate influences the distribution, phenology, and physiology of plants. View Schedule -- .pdf format (241 KB)

The Restoration of Fossil Creek: Results of Research, Monitoring and Management Since the Return of Full Flows organized by Michele James. Fossil Creek, located in central Arizona just below the Mogollon Rim, had full flows returned to it in June 2005 after nearly 100 years of diversion for hydroelectric power. In conjunction with the return of full flows, a native fish restoration project was completed, returning nearly 10 miles of the stream to a native fishery. The return of full flows and the restoration of the native fishery have provided unique research, monitoring and management opportunities. This special session focuses on the research and monitoring results to date including the growth of travertine structures and pools, native fish recovery, crayfish populations, the status of efforts to stock threatened and endangered fishes, the development of a collaborative research model for dam decommissioning projects, and the results of surveys of local residents' attitudes toward stewardship of Fossil Creek.

The Role of Conservation Biology on the Colorado Plateau organized by Matt Johnson. A panel discussion of the current status and future outlook of conservation on the Colorado Plateau specifically focused on topics of how can we address the challenges of applying conservation biology to management decisions and research? And what are future challenges of conservation biology on the Colorado Plateau and what have we learned to address these challenges? Panel members include Jan Balsom, Paul Beier, Jim Catlin, Charles van Riper III, Ethan Aumack, Jane Belnap, Tom Fleischner, Ed Grumbine, and Dave Mattson.

CPCESU Facilitation of Cross-boundary Research and Management on the Colorado Plateau organized by Ron Hiebert.

Cave Research in the Western United States organized by Jut Wynne. The purpose of this special session will be to improve, through a series of presentations, our understanding of the current status of cave research in the western United States. The session (exact date not confirmed) will provide a unique opportunity for researchers and managers to discuss the status of caves and cave research in the West. With the human population on the rise across the west and the global climate change afoot, a scientific baseline of caves and their natural resources is highly desirable to best manage and protect these resources. The overall aim of this special session will be to provide a venue for researchers and managers to target areas of future research and begin the dialogue of how best to research and manage caves and their natural resources in a changing western landscape.

Using Native Plants in Ecological Restoration organized by Judy Springer. This session will focus on research and techniques for increasing the use and survival of native plant species for ecological restoration projects and for revegetation following wildfires in the Southwest. Speakers will present research from a wide range of ecosystems throughout the Colorado Plateau, including deserts, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests. Techniques that will be covered include seeding, transplanting and modification of habitat.

Native Plant Production and Seed Increase organized by Judy Springer. With the recent push by federal land management agencies to use native plants in restoration projects and for seeding following wildfires, the demand for native plant seed outpaces the available supply by a large margin every year. This session is designed to promote research and best practices for production of native plant materials to be used in restoration and revegetation projects. Speakers from the Great Basin Native Plant Selection & Increase Project and the Uncompahgre Plateau Project will share their experiences with developing additional supplies of native plants.

Tribal Lands of the Colorado Plateau: Scientific Assessment of Climate Change Impacts to Landscapes and Ecosystems organized by Amy Whipple, Diana Anderson, and Marnie Carroll.

Overall Objective: To highlight the unique vulnerabilities of tribal populations to the impending climate change and to provide an impetus for future assessment of climate change impacts on CP tribal lands.

Target Audience: Researchers conducting work on tribal lands or in ecosystems relevant to tribal lands, tribal officials, tribal members, social workers, health professionals, and K-12 educators.

Integrating restoration and conservation at the landscape scale: the Kane 2 Mile Ranch Project organized by Eli Bernstein. Across the Colorado Plateau, conservation and restoration projects are moving forward in a dizzying array of overlapping efforts. Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of these efforts requires integration at scales relevant to multiple ecological processes and management practices. While watersheds provide natural and discrete units for organizing and coordinating efforts within many regions, the unique geomorphology and land tenure of the Colorado Plateau suggests a landscape-scale approach for organizing restoration and conservation efforts. In 2004, the Grand Canyon Trust and the Conservation Fund, working with local, state, and federal partners, launched the Kane and 2 Mile ranch project, spanning 850,000 acres of the Arizona Strip, and including some of the West's most remote places and spectacular scenery. This effort provides an ongoing case study of how collaborative projects are promoting new understanding and strategic approaches to landscape planning across ecosystem and jurisdictional boundaries. In this session, the interrelationships between diverse research and management projects are highlighted to emphasize their integration into a conservation and restoration plan that is visionary, scientifically grounded, and practical. In the final session of this symposium, presenters will look to the audience of land managers, researchers, and engaged citizens for ideas and guidance on how this novel project might be strengthened through increased partnerships in science and management.