OpportunityTitle: Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.  CESU&#191;s are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education.  Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
Description: US Geological survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to for research to determine the role of climate-driven disturbance (e.g., fire) in driving vegetation type-conversions to oak shrub dominance in former woodland, pine forest, and mixed conifer forest types in the Southwest US (Arizona, New Mexico, and adjoining portions of southern Utah and Colorado). The primary research objective is to determine the degree to which fire alone, or other variables (e.g., topographic position, geologic substrate, regional climate, regional vegetation gradients, etc.), explain the regional-scale presence and variability of large (&gt; 100 ha) patches of Quercus gambelii. This research must work with digital distribution maps of oak woodlands across the Southwest US. Additionally, this project aims to develop insights into past and present process drivers of changes in the distribution of oak shrublands at centennial to millennial time scales.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: fgraves@usgs.gov
GrantorContactText: Faith Graves, 703-648-7356&lt;br/&gt;fgraves@usgs.gov&lt;br/&gt;