When we think of livestock grazing, we often focus on the immediate impact on rangelands. But grazing can directly influence (good or bad) long-term organic material and carbon stored in soil. 2024 research published in Nature Climate Change highlights the critical role that grazing plays by analyzing global carbon stocks dynamics from 1,473 samples from across the world.
Indiana Prescribed Fire Entrapment – Incident Review
On March 18, 2025, a routine prescribed fire at Indiana Dunes National Park turned into a serious safety incident when a firefighter sustained first and second‑degree facial burns, and a UTV caught fire during suppression efforts.
The team was tasked with burning a 10‑acre section just north of Long Lake, Indiana. Winds were at the upper limit of the prescription, but initial operations proceeded normally.
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Management & Microbes: How Fire and Grazing Shape Soil Life Below the Surface
When we think about the effects of fire and grazing, we often focus on what’s visible—charred grasses, shifting plant communities, and changes in wildlife behavior. But just beneath our feet, a powerful shift is also happening. Fire and herbivory don’t just impact the surface—they reshape entire microbial communities within the soil, influencing how rangelands recover, grow, and function long after the flames cool off or the herd moves on.
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Beware of a New Invader in the Concho Valley: Jointed Goatgrass
If you’ve noticed a wiry, unfamiliar grass growing along Texas roadsides—especially in the Edwards Plateau—you might be looking at Jointed Goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica). This invasive cool-season annual, part of the Poaceae (Grass) family, is becoming an increasing concern for landowners, farmers, and rangeland managers across the Concho Valley region.
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Managing Cheatgrass on Texas Rangelands: Practical Strategies for Landowners
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) concerns in Texas may sound impossible, unfortunately, it is growing into a real concern in the Upper and Lower Rolling Plains. As an invasive annual grass, cheatgrass poses a serious threat to native ecosystems, forage quality, and wildfire risk— dominating landscapes into potential future monocultures.
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Fire and Follow-through!
We are so grateful to showcase the amazing work of our department’s graduate students in RWFM 621! We worked with a devoted team of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students on developing a Communications Strategies and Extension Publication final project. This team took on an exciting task of making new science readily available to ranchers, landowners, and prescribed fire practitioners. Well done ya’ll and THANK YOU!!
For thousands of years, fire has played a vital role in shaping healthy grasslands across the Great Plains. From Indigenous communities using fire to manage hunting grounds to today’s producer striving for resiliency in rangeland pastures, prescribed fire continues to be a powerful process for rangeland stewardship. But as NEW research shows, it’s not just about the initial fire—it’s about timing, consistency, and PROCESS.
Bugs and Blades: The Overlooked Impact of Wind Energy on Insects
When contemplating alternative energy, how often do rangeland managers and landowners think about bugs? Believe it or not when thinking about systems and ecosystem services, it is important to pause and consider the unintended consequence of rangeland choices, especially for some of our most vital, yet vulnerable, creatures: insects.
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Prescribed Fire – An Ecological Necessity Ensuring Habitat & Ecosystem Integrity
We’re excited to feature a guest blog this week, written by Samuel Campassi! Samuel brings a unique perspective and valuable insight to this topic—be sure to check out his full bio below.
Howdy! My name is Samuel Campassi. I am a senior Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management (RWFM) major at Texas A&M University. As a generational hunter and outdoorsman, I am deeply passionate about all things conservation and priming the next generation of land stewards. This summer, I have the great honor of working under renowned range specialist and prescribe fire expert, Dr. Morgan Treadwell. I am so excited to be able to learn from Dr. Treadwell, and gain valuable range management skills that will benefit my career as a dedicated conservationist.
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Getting to the Root of It: Understanding Grassland Decline in a Drying World
Our grasslands are incredible ecosystems, vital for everything from supporting wildlife to producing our food. But what happens when snaps of extreme climate occur and prolonged drought becomes the new norm? A fascinating new study, dives deep into the unseen world beneath our feet to show us the progression of grassland decline under increasing aridity and desertification.
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Understanding Nitrate Leaching: The Hidden Threat After Extreme Weather Shifts
Texas summers all too often bring rapid and/or prolonged drought conditions, whereas our Texas winters can deliver heavy rains with extended saturated conditions. While rangeland managers welcome any rains, this combination and rapid shifts of extreme weather events from dry to wet or vice versa can lead to a hidden problem: nitrate-contaminated groundwater.
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