Addressing Woody Species

Articles and Resources

• Recent blog, “To Tree or Not to Tree”

• The Great Plains Grassland Extension Partnership has released three informative factsheets:

  • Brush Management

  • Rangeland Production loss due to Woody Encroachment

  • Integrated Pest Management for Woody Encroachment

• Invasive Woody Plant Social Science Review: A synthesized report of landowner motivations, barriers, and future needs for invasive woody plant management across the Great Plains

• Rangeland Production Lost to Tree Encroachment

• Read about WLFW Framework’s nature based and climate smart solution for restoring grasslands through targeted tree removal. This story was published on wire.com in the Fall of 2022 and is now reaching their 53.1 Million readership! This comprehensive approach weaves together the individual components of grasslands, forage, water, wildlife habitat and rural communities into a unified and comprehensive story that resonates with so many.

• Webinar Recording: Reducing Woody Encroachment to Conserve Rangeland Production in the Great Plains

  Woody encroachment and associated large-scale collapse of rangeland in the Great Plains may contribute to increased wildfire events, declines in livestock production, heightened risks to water resources, and reduced biodiversity. On December 8, Dr. Dirac Twidwell of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln presented on the rapid adoption of new strategies to reduce woody encroachment on rangelands, driven by the emergence of new science documenting how woody plant expansion is causing nationwide declines in rangeland production.

  This presentation focused on use of the Rangeland Analysis Platform, a tool that supports rangeland monitoring, decision-making, and more effective management. By effectively reducing woody encroachment, land managers across the Great Plains can restore and maintain healthy grasslands ecosystems and improve forage production.