Fire Effects on Vegetation and Small Mammals in Mixed Scrub Grasslands on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

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This announcement is for US Fish and Wildlife Service - San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, Region 2, FY 2010-2015. This announcement includes estimated total funding for this research grant; no guarantee is made that funding will be available as indicated in the Estimated Total Program Funding or Award Ceiling. First year funding is allocated in the amount of $12,000.00 and total estimated funding for $22,000.00 over a five-year period is based on availability of funds. Our goal is to determine the effects of single and multiple burns on vegetation in lower elevation rangelands in the San Andres Mountains in order to inform long-term vegetation management plans. Our specific objectives are to: 1) quantify vegetation cover, species composition, and ground cover on similar ecological sites with different burn histories, 2) quantify response of the small mammal community on similar ecological sites with different burn histories, and 3) compare individual and interactive effects of fire frequency and ecological site to evaluate the efficacy of using prescribed fire to meet vegetation and wildlife management goals in lower elevation grasslands on San Andres National Wildlife Refuge.

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