Programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform science-based management of the…

The University of Nevada, Reno will provide $112,936.54 in programming support through December 2025 under a Cooperative Agreement awarded by the National Park Service Pacific West Region. The funding will facilitate a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform the science-based management of the National Park System. Specifically, the University will assess the impacts of broadcast burning on plant communities, rattlesnake habitat use, and small mammal densities in local areas. Vegetation characteristics and plant composition effects on small mammals and rattlesnakes will also be evaluated. The research will benefit federal, state, local, and tribal governments as well as non-profit organizations. The official federal grant program is the Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System (CFDA #15.945).

Programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform science-based management of the national park system. The study units facilitate multi-disciplinary science and integrated information products across multiple geographic regions of the national park system. This project will assess the impacts of management activities (broadcast burning) on plant communities, rattlesnake habitat use and local densities, and small mammal densities. This project will also assess the impacts of key characteristics of vegetation structure and plant community composition on the local densities of small mammals and rattlesnakes and assess the local effects of rattlesnake presence on small mammal densities. Beneficiaries include state and local governments, federally recognized indian tribal governments, public private nonprofit organizations, nonprofit institutions of higher education, and the general public).