Project PERIOD8 15 248 14 25PROJECT titlepromoting successful reclamation on western landsenergy development has opened vast parts of the western unites states to the development of energy resources…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under CFDA Program 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection) provides $123,937 to Northern Arizona University (NAU) to conduct research and promote successful reclamation on western lands impacted by energy development activities.

The project aims to identify appropriate monitoring methods and management practices that can improve post-reclamation outcomes in water-limited ecosystems facing increasing drought and aridity. NAU will review existing literature and field data, perform field and remote sensing research, and engage stakeholders to develop decision-support tools that enhance the efficacy of reclamation treatments. The research seeks to address challenges such as soil disturbance, loss of native vegetation, and altered water/nutrient cycles resulting from energy exploration and development on western lands. The 5-year project period runs from August 2024 to August 2029.

Project PERIOD8 15 248 14 25PROJECT titlepromoting successful reclamation on western landsenergy development has opened vast parts of the western unites states to the development of energy resources oil gas solar and wind. Energy exploration and development activities entail disruption of plant communities and soil disturbance. Abandoned oil and gas drill pads often have severely altered topsoil compacted surface soils reduced shrub and perennial grass cover and increased bare soil. Water and wind erode surface soils invasive exotic annual species dominate the vegetation thereby inhibiting recovery of native plant cover. These disturbances in combination with global change pressures can result in reduced perennial vegetation cover and wildlife habitat altered water and nutrient cycling and increased soil erosion. There is a critical need to understand the constraints caused on successful reclamation to improve postreclamation monitoring programs and identify management practices that promote reclamation success. To meet these needs northern arizona university NAU will review available literature and use existing field survey data available from the U.S. Geological survey and bureau of land management collaborators to identify appropriate monitoring methods including intensity and timing and conduct field and remotesensing based research to identify approaches that promote successful reclamation. Based on ongoing and existing research in concert with findings in the literature NAU will identify and promote management practices that promote reclamation success which is the overarching goal of the project. Propose to use scientific analysis and tools in combination with stakeholder engagement and decisionsupport to increase the efficacy of reclamation treatments across waterlimited ecosystems and finds innovative approaches to mitigate large disturbances under the pressures of increasing drought and aridity.