Canyonlands Research Center
Canyonlands Research
Publications are archived here to facilitate research conducted by the Canyonlands Research Center.
The Canyonlands Research Center is a groundbreaking, collaborative effort designed to provide answers to the most pressing natural resource questions facing communities on the Colorado Plateau. As pressures on our lands and waters increase, the need for research as well as the development of new land management solutions has never been greater. This active search for both knowledge and solutions is the mission of the Canyonlands Research Center.
Ideal Location
With The Nature Conservancy’s Dugout Ranch at its core, the Canyonlands Research Center study area spans lands managed by the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Canyonlands National Park, giving scientists the opportunity to study wide gradients of elevation, ecology, and land-use histories. Situated along the boundary of the southwestern monsoon climate zone, this location is particularly sensitive to climatic variation. The center will provide new information about how temperature, rainfall, and land uses combine to affect the productivity and health of natural resources on the Colorado Plateau.
The Right Science
The center brings together scientists, public land managers, ranchers, and other local stakeholders to answer the questions that will define the future of the Colorado Plateau's environment and economy. Research topics are designed to translate into land management tactics and strategies that will produce tangible results. Answers generated at the center will help rural Utah as it strives to:
- Maintain multiple land uses that meet human needs in an ecologically sustainable fashion.
- Ensure adequate water quantity and quality.
- Control invasive species, which promote massive fires and degrade streams and soils.
Powerful Partnerships
The center is formed by a suite of diverse partners who support the importance of its mission and research. Current partners include:
- The Nature Conservancy
- Utah State University
- U.S. Geological Survey
- National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
- Indian Creek Cattle Company
For more information, visit the Canyonlands Research Center website at http://canyonlandsresearchcenter.org/.