Research Focus
Dr. Kreuter’s research program focuses on the Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Management. It aims to inform policy aimed at creating positive incentives for the sustainable use and management of terrestrial ecosystems under a broad range of land tenure systems. This research is driven by Dr. Kreuter’s multidisciplinary interests in ecological economics, rural sociology and environmental psychology. Research projects are conducted at individual property, community and ecosystem scales. Some issues that Dr. Kreuter’s research program have addressed include the effects of shifting social values and human demographics on rangeland management; the effectiveness of incentive programs aimed at improving rangeland health, wildlife habitat and water quality on private lands; the effects of landowner perceptions regarding property rights on ecosystem management; factors influencing the use of fire and herbicides as rangeland management tool; the effectiveness of conservation easements across land ownership generations; and unconventional energy development on rangelands
Current Research Projects
2021-2022. City of Austin, Water Quality Protection Lands, Land Management Plan 2022; City of Austin, Texas (Interlocal Agreement) $120,000 (PI U Kreuter; CoPIs B Wilcox, J Veldman).
2021-2024. Grazing management effects on soil health, the delivery of ecosystem services and economic profitability on cattle ranches in the Southern Plains. USDA-NIFA (Grant # 38-3A75-5-180) $500,000 (PI U Kreuter; CoPIs A Noormets, P Smith).
Previous Research Projects & Funding
2018-2021. Dynamics of dung invertebrate communities and their contributions to profitability in regenerative rangelands. North Central Region Sustainable Agricultural Research & Education (NCR SARE) (Project #LNC18-410) $200,000 (PI. J Lundgren; Co-PI: U Kreuter).
2016-2021. Fighting Wildfire with Prescribed Burning in the Southern Great Plains: Social and Regulatory Barriers and Facilitators; Bureau of Land Management Joint Fire Sciences Program (Contract # L16AC00206), $358,250 (PI U Kreuter; Co-PIs F Fleischman, M Russell, P Bixler, S Fuhlendorf).
2017-2019. Impacts of Afforestation on Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Communities in India; NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (15-LCLUC15_2-0050) $749,999 (PI F Fleischman; CO-PIs A Chhatre, A Filippi, H Fischer, U Kreuter, P Rana, C Rodriguez-Solorzano, E Coleman, B Guneralp).
2014-2017. Slowing the Expansion of Woodlands and Increasing the Resilience of Grasslands in the Southern Great Plains; NSF Dynamics of Coupled Human and Natural Systems Program (Contact # DEB-1413900), $1,369,990 (PI: B Wilcox; Co-PIs U Kreuter, M Sorice, W v. Leewen, C Zou).
2013-2015. Impacts of oil and gas interests on private lands conservation in environmentally sensitive coastal areas of Texas; Houston Advanced Research Center (Contract # CITP0910-TALR0513). $99,902 (PI, Zach Hurst – Co-PI).
2012-2013. Restoring Ecosystem Services and Enhancing Livelihoods on Degraded Rangelands in Southern Africa through the Development of Culturally Appropriate Livestock Grazing Strategies; Ukulima Research Farm, South Africa (Agreement # 0000406507). $74,122 (Co-PI with Richard Teague – PI; William Rogers – Co-PI)
2011-2014. Stakeholder Perceptions of Low-temperature Geothermal Energy Development in Environmentally Sensitive Coastal Areas in Texas; Houston Advanced Research Center (Contract # CITP07-TAL0212). $75,000 (PI, Marian Higgins – Co-PI)
2011. Assessing landowner incentives to improve range management practices that enhance sustainability and the quality of water discharging from the Burdekin Catchment in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, in the face of climate change; CSIRO, OCE Distinguished Visiting Scientist Award. A$12,500 (PI)
2010-2013. Future Viability of Perpetual Conservation Easements as a Tool for Maintaining Ecosystem Integrity; The Nature Conservancy. (Unnumbered Grant). $10,000 (PI with Dianne Stroman – Co-PI)
2009-2013. A Graduate Program in Forest Resources: Developing Integrated Expertise in Forest Resource Management, Conservation and Restoration; USDA CSREES – Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants (Award # 2009-38420-05631). $234,000 (Co-PI with K. Krutovsky and 11 Co-PIs).
2008- 2012. Watershed Conservation on Grazinglands in Central Texas: Cowhouse Creek Case Study. USDA CSREES Conservation Effectiveness Assessment Program (2008-51130-19562). $659,494. (Co-PI with Bradford Wilcox – PI, William Fox – Co-PI).
2008-2011. Attitudes of Landowners in the Vicinity of the City of Austin’s Wildlands. City of Austin (Agreement 405617. $90,016 (PI).
2007-2009. Using summer fire to control Opuntia cacti: An innovative approach to resolving a pressing environmental issue. NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant – Texas (Grant # 68-7442-7-481). $73,697 (Co-PI with William Rogers – PI).
2007-2013. Applied Biodiversity Science: Bridging ecology, culture, and governance for effective conservation NSF Integrative Grad. Education & Research Traineeship (DGE 0654377). 3,002,000. Co-PI with Lee Fitzgerald – PI, Amanda Stronza, Kirk Winemiller and Thomas Lacher – Co-PIs).
2007-2008. Understanding Landowners’ Place Identity for Open Space Conservation. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD PO # 174662-1). $20,401 (PI).
2005-2008. Ecological, economic and social dimensions of using summer fire to restore ecosystem in the Southern Plains of the US. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation (Grant # 38-3A75-5-180). $376,534 (PI with Richard Teague, Richard Conner, William Rogers – Co-PIs).
2005-2007. Assessing the value of landowner associations for coordinated resource management: Wildlife and groundwater in the Edwards Plateau, Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inter-Agency (Contract # 157693) and Sand County Foundation Bradley Fund for Conservation Grant. $39,424 (PI)
2004-2005. Community-based natural resource management in Paraguay: An integrated model-based evaluation of sustainability. Texas A&M University Vice President for Research Interdisciplinary Program (Grant # 464121). $14,802 (PI)
2005-2006. Towards restoration of ecosystem function on mesquite and juniper rangeland. 2005-2006. USDA CSREERS Joe Skeen Institute for Rangeland Restoration Grant (Unnumbered Grant). $35,000 (Co-PI with Richard Teague – PI, James Ansley and Wayne Hamilton – Co-PIs).
2003-2004. Towards restoration of ecosystem function of mesquite rangelands. USDA CSREERS Joe Skeen Institute for Rangeland Restoration (Unnumbered Grant). $35,000 (Co-PI with Richard Teague – PI, James Ansley and Wayne Hamilton – Co-PIs).
2001-2005. Effects of urbanization on ecological services in a semi-arid region of the USA. NASA Land Cover Land Use Change (Program Award # NRA-00-OES-08). $599,234. (Co-PI with Ron Lacey – PI, Richard Teague – Co-PI).
2001-2002. Ecosystem and wildlife implications of brush managements systems designed to improve water runoff and percolation. US Department of Army Corps of Engineers Research Program (Grant # W-45XMA10599597). $135,426. (Co-PI with Richard Conner – PI, Wayne Hamilton – Co-PI).
2000-2002. Rangeland fragmentation in Texas: The effects of fee hunting enterprises in Central and South Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Research Program Inter-Agency (Contract # 80808). $15,000 (PI).
2000-2002. The influence of property rights orientations on rangeland management and community stability in areas of rapid population expansion. US Department of Agriculture CSREES National Research Initiative Competitive Grant (Grant # 00-35401-9255). $60,000 (PI, Richard Krannich – Co-PI).
1999-2001. Assessing the factors influencing the willingness of landowners in the eastern Edwards Plateau to participate in a brush control cost-sharing program to improve off-site water yields. Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (Contract # 403138). $43,865. (Co-PI with Richard Conner – PI, Wayne Hamilton – Co-PI).
1998-2001. Factors affecting the adoption of Brush Buster in Texas. Dow AgroSciences LLC. Research Grant (Unnumbered Grant). $32,000. (PI).
1998-1999. Sustainable development and conservation in Paraguay: Integration of environmental, social and economic issues. Texas A&M University Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives Grant. $15,635. (Co-PI with Lee Fitzgerald – PI, Scott Shafer and Tazim Jamal – Co-PIs).
1998. Factors affecting the adoption of the Brush Buster Program in Texas. Texas A&M University Faculty Mini-Grant (# FMG 98-146). $1,300 (PI).
1993. Elephants and whales: Resources for whom? Earhart Foundation Research Fellowship. $12,305 (PI).
1990-1993. Comparative economics of cattle and wildlife ranching in the Zimbabwe Midlands. World Wide Fund for Nature Research Grant and Rothmans of Pall Mall Research Grant. CHF10,960 and Z$35,000 (PI).