Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is an invasive annual grass that alters fire regimes and vegetation communities in sagebrush ecosystems of the western United States, reducing ecosystem integrity and resilience. As temperatures increase as a result of climate change, cheatgrass is projected to move into higher elevation sagebrush areas with wetter climates. Defending these previously uninvaded ecosystems is a high priority for land managers and may require innovative adaptation strategies like targeted grazing, altering the timing and intensity of livestock grazing to manage vegetation, to direct the trajectory of ecosystems undergoing invasion. Kloe’s project is a targeted grazing experiment, using seasonal grazing treatments with domestic sheep managed by herders, to target cheatgrass in higher elevation sagebrush rangelands in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest.

To better understand the potential of targeted grazing as an adaptation strategy, Kloe will analyze the effects of seasonal grazing treatments on the plant community in her study area. These treatments consist of traditional light summer grazing and more intense targeted grazing in spring or fall, when cheatgrass is green and native vegetation is mostly dormant. This way, sheep will consume the cheatgrass while the dormant native vegetation will be left alone. In addition to analyzing grazing treatments, she will conduct semi-structured interviews with sheep herders participating in the project to understand their perspectives on what considerations are vital for the practical application of targeted sheep grazing. For example, herders understand how various factors like sun exposure, terrain; and vegetation type and abundance influence flock behaviors and grazing patterns, information that is integral for making targeted grazing a functional, on-the-ground climate adaptation strategy.

She will work alongside the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, sheep herders and private sheep ranchers to generate tools for land managers about the practical application of targeted grazing. These tools will include the perspectives of agency staff, researchers and sheep herders to help encapsulate their diverse objectives and optimize the ecological outcomes of targeted grazing. In this way, her project will increase understanding of how grazing techniques can be designed to enhance ecological outcomes and promote sustainable land use under climate change, especially in landscapes where domestic livestock are already present.