Hi everyone,
This is a version of a letter of intent I wrote, for which I was invited to submit a full research proposal. I have limited experience writing research grants, and would really appreciate your input on experimental design, budgeting, structuring the grant application, etc. The granting agency is the Forest Investment Account, Forest Science
Program (FIA-FSP), a BC government funding agency targeted towards improved forest management in BC. See more at http://www.fia-fsp.ca/
They have specific topics listed for which they put out a call for proposals every year.
The research topic I’m targeting with this proposal is: Effects of grassland vegetation succession (e.g., forest in-growth and encroachment) on soil productivity and forage production for livestock and wildlife habitat at both landscape and site levels.
Funds requested: $28,000
Thanks,
Lisa
Letter of Intent
Project Title: The effects of severe soil disturbance on grassland succession and soil productivity
Geographic Focus (500 chars)
This research will occur across a large area encompassing the Thompson/Okanagan,
Cariboo/Chilcotin, and Rocky Mountain Trench areas. The focal areas are in the Interior
Douglas-fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Bunchgrass Biogeoclimatic Zones.
Project Abstract (500 chars)
Forest encroachment is reducing grassland area. To maintain a natural grassland, trees must be removed and are often burned on site. This burning results in large areas of very disturbed soil. Subsequent natural succession on these disturbed patches may lead to domination by invasive species. We will study natural succession on these disturbed areas in the grasslands, linking this to soil productivity, so as to evaluate range and forage productivity.

Project Description (3000 chars)
Grasslands are important ecosystems in British Columbia, with a disproportionate number of rare and endangered species dependent on grassland habitat. Tree encroachment is reducing grassland area; management and restoration of grasslands often involves tree removal. After felling, trees are often piled on site and burned, creating a patchy matrix of soil disturbance. Natural fires, particularly where there is abundant coarse woody debris, can lead to similar disturbances. This is of particular concern in grassland ecosystems due a combination of mountain pine beetle causing large-scale grassland “decroachment” and climate change increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires.
These intense spot burns have severe impacts on the soil, eliminating soil biotic components, including mycorrhizae, and altering soil structure, chemistry, and pH
1
. The process of natural succession on these areas may be significantly altered from the
“normal” progression, largely through the early colonization of non-native invasive species
2
. These invasive species are largely unpalatable to livestock and their presence decreases the quality of wildlife habitat
3
. These species may also use these burns as a
“window of opportunity”, first colonizing the disturbed area and then invading the surrounding ecosystem
4
.
Succession of grassland vegetation on these severely disturbed soils is poorly understood.
However, research suggests that the lack of soil mycorrhizae may be the most important factor limiting plant growth on severely disturbed soils in arid environments
1
.
Mycorrhizae soon colonize sites after elimination; however, the length of time it takes to do so is unknown
5
. Preliminary work we performed last year in grasslands near
Kamloops lends support to this idea. New burns were dominated by non-native invasive species from non-mycorrhizal plant families. Older burns were dominated by native plants from mycorrhizal plant families, although invasive species were also present.
We propose to expand on this previous work by performing a space-for-time substitution, surveying a broad range of sites with varying disturbance histories. We seek to identify the sites characteristics, measures of soil productivity, and species likely to colonize these disturbances, in order to determine how these disturbances affect the surrounding grassland ecosystem. We will monitor the resultant recolonization of plant communities on severe burn scars and will link succession to soil productivity, particularly to the soil mycorrhizal community.
This research will have two main components:
1) to identify the successional pathway of grassland vegetation communities after severe disturbances; and
2) determine how this pathway affects forage production and wildlife habitat.
References
1. Korb et al. 2004. Rest Ecol 12
2. Dickinson & Kirkpatrick. 1987. Aust J of Bot 35

3. DiTomaso. 2000. Weed Science 48
4. Suding et al. 2004. TREE 19
5. Esquilin et al. 2007. Soil Biol & Bioch 39
Project Objectives (1000 characters)
Short-term
1) Identify appropriate sites to monitor natural regeneration of vegetation on burn scars. These will primarily be associated with the ecosystem restoration program in the Rocky Mountain Trench, but burn locations also occur throughout the dry ecosystems of the Thompson/Okanagan and the Cariboo/Chilcotin.
2) Sample selected burn sites. Sampling effort will be directed at species composition and aboveground biomass, as well as collecting roots of selected species to analyze for mycorrhizal colonization. Soil productivity will also be analyzed with evaluation for nutrient availability, pH, and electrical conductivity.
Efforts will be made to quantify burn severity (e.g. depth of soil discoloration, acquisition of pre-burn data if possible).
Long-term
1) Develop a model of grassland succession following severe disturbance caused by pile burning. This model will be delivered to land managers and will help them direct restoration efforts.
Promotion of Application of Research Results (500 characters)
Results will be used by the Ministry of Forests and Range, as well as by the various municipalities facing large-scale mortality of their surrounding forests, to understand if pile burning leads to decreased rangeland health through the spread of invasive species.
Results will also fill a hole in the academic literature, as few studies have investigated the connection between soil productivity, succession, and disturbances of this severity in grassland habitats.
Budget Justification and Cost/benefit analysis (1500 characters)
Funding of this project will both advance scientific knowledge of the effects of severe disturbances caused by slash pile burning, and increase BC’s ability to effectively manage forests and rangeland for biodiversity and forage productivity. Previous work shows that the natural succession pathway on these areas is not always predictable given the current state of knowledge. We wish to develop a succession model that will give land managers decision-support tools to know when restoration may or may not be needed when pile burning in sensitive ecosystems.