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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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CENTRAL PLAINS |
 © Photo: USDA-ARS-CPER |
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| General Description |
This biosphere reserve is situated in the western Central Great Plains in north-central Colorado in the shortgrass prairie. The predominant grass is blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). Other grasses include sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), red threeawn (Aristida longiseta) and buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides). The biosphere reserve has a long history of research on shortgrass prairie ecosystems and the effects of range management practices. Several areas in the biosphere reserve were farmed and grazed for many years and are now embedded in a countryside of intense agriculture. Monitoring is carried out on aboveground and belowground plant biomass and livestock weights. There are four instrumented watersheds under different grazing intensities which are used to obtain data for water budgets. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Temperate grasslands | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Short grass prarie dominated by Blue Grama with Four wing saltbush along the creek bottoms | |||
| Location | 40°50'N, 104°45'W | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 6,210 | |||
| Core area(s) | ||||
| Buffer zone(s) | ||||
| Transition area(s) when given | ||||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | +1,600 to +1,690 | |||
| Year designated | 1976 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Central Plains Experimental Range U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service | |||
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| Brief description |
Vegetation data Land use history Inventory-vascular plants Climate Rangeland management |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Climate. | |||
| Biodiversity | Plants, species inventorying/inventory, vegetation studies/plant cover. | |||
| Socio-economic | n.a. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Land use/Land cover, management issues. | |||
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| Contact address |
Jack Morgan Rangeland Resources Research Unit 1701 Center Avenue 80526 Ft. Collins, Colorado United States of America |
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| Telephone | (1.303) 498 4230 | |||
| Fax | (1.303) 482 2909 | |||
| Contact address |
Mary Ashby Central Plains Experimental Range 58009 Weld County Road 37 80542 Nunn, Colorado United States of America |
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| Telephone | (1.970) 897 2226 | |||
| Fax | (1.970) 897 2463 | |||
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jbt@lamar.colostate.edu mmashby@lamar.colostate.edu |
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| Last updated: 1/31/2002 |
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