Management of Water Resources in the Ecosystem Transition Zone
The forest-grassland transition zone in the south-central Great Plains is rapidly transforming to woodland primarily by the encroachment of eastern redcedar trees. Given the speed, magnitude and extent of the observed and projected encroachment, a logical question is:
- How will increases in eastern redcedar cover and associated management like fire application modify water quantity and quality in the Great Plains where water shortages are increasing?
To address this question relevant to state legislators, landowners, and water resource long-range planners, the Watershed Hydrology and Ecohydrology Lab at OSU established 10 experimental watersheds at the Cross Timber Experimental Range (CTER), 12 miles southwest of Stillwater in 2009. These watersheds have been equipped with H flumes and ISCO samples to collect runoff, sediment, nutrient, and E coli efflux under different vegetation cover or land use management. In addition, soil moisture profile sensors and eddy covariance systems were recently added to contrast the transition zone's water and carbon fluxes between prairie and forest systems.
Researcher assistants will gain full access to the research site, equipment, the project vehicle, the laboratory on campus, and historical data. The researcher will work closely with interns, graduate students, postdocs, and research specialists currently working on this site and will have the opportunity to work on various research questions. For example:
- How does the annual aboveground productivity compare among different vegetation types?
- How will vegetation types affect the water quantity and quality?
- Will prescribed fire in prairie improve water quantity and quality?
- Does land use alter the temporal dynamics of soil water storage and the runoff in the watershed?
The researcher will develop skills in all aspects of conducting field-based ecological and hydrological research, including biomass sampling for herbaceous and tree, measuring runoff and sediment using H flume and ISCO sampler, determining soil hydraulic conductivity using infiltrometer, measuring soil moisture content and storage using TDR sensors, soil carbon sampling and analysis, quantifying ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange and water flux using eddy covariance method, data analysis and data management, data analysis. In addition, the researcher will have the opportunity to participate in the regular lab meeting for the graduate students, which focuses on developing oral communication skills for academic presentations and writing skills for posters, reports, and research papers.
Network Mentor: Dr. Chris Zou