OKLAHOMA: EPSCoR researchers publish “Switchgrass Conversion of Marginal Grassland = Min. Impacts Land/Water Systems”
Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR S3OK researchers Drs. Chris Zou and Rodney Will, professors of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University (OSU) collaborated with Dr. Lixia Lambert and Mr. Joshua Everett also from OSU to study land and water system dynamics (i.e., runoff and sediment yield) that were related to the conversion of a marginal grassland watershed to a switchgrass biomass production system. The research team used two experimental watersheds that were previously established at OSU’s Range Research Station. One watershed served as the untreated Control Watershed and the second as the Impact Watershed that was converted into “Alamo” switchgrass production system.
“Our study implies that the conversion of grassland to a switchgrass production system will have minimum impact on the existing land water systems and will potentially minimize woody plant encroachment, which has become a significant problem on marginal grasslands in the SGP,” said Dr. Rodney Will.