Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS R6 RW092140
Apply for FWS R6 RW092140
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sentinel Ecology and Pyric Herbivory" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.632 Conservation Grants Private Stewardship for Imperiled Species.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2009 and posted on Jun 25, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 26, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $125,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This is a single source agreement to be awarded to Oklahoma State University.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Sentinel Ecology and Pyric Herbivory grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FWS R6 RW092140) is a Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary cooperative agreement focused on improving how Great Plains refuge landscapes are managed for native biodiversity. The project centers on the idea of pyric herbivory, the long-evolved interaction between fire and grazing, where patchy fire creates a shifting mosaic of vegetation conditions and grazing animals preferentially use recently burned areas. By using this fire-grazing dynamic intentionally, the study aims to restore and maintain habitat heterogeneity, meaning a varied mix of plant structure and composition across the landscape that supports a broader range of native species than uniform management approaches.
A key feature of the work is the use of "sentinel ecology" as the organizing framework for monitoring and decision-making. In this context, sentinel plants are described as species that are among the first to decline when natural processes become imbalanced at either extreme (for example, too much or too little disturbance). Because these plants sit at important points in the ecosystem, changes in their abundance or condition can provide early warning signals about broader ecological stress. The study extends that idea outward to the dependent food web, emphasizing sentinel animals and sentinel habitats that are closely linked to those plants. The practical goal is to build a Strategic Habitat Conservation program that uses these sentinel indicators to guide management actions and evaluate whether patch-burn and grazing treatments are successfully restoring native communities.
Geographically, the work is set in northeastern Montana across a connected landscape that includes UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, surrounding lands on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and adjacent holdings of the American Prairie Foundation. The announcement notes that the effort is a continuation of two years of prior data collection on the Charles M. Russell NWR conducted by university staff, so the intent is not to start from scratch but to extend an existing dataset to capture longer-term ecological responses.
The project objectives are framed around continued field monitoring and translating results into actionable guidance for refuge managers. First, the study will continue data collection on patch-burned sites to measure how plants respond over time to the combined disturbances of fire and grazing, which is essential because many vegetation responses unfold over multiple seasons rather than immediately after a burn. Second, it will monitor animal movements and quantify habitat use and selectivity in areas that burned in previous years, helping determine how long the "attraction effect" of a burn persists and how animals distribute themselves across the burn mosaic. Third, it will compare use of older post-burn areas against recently burned patches to understand how grazing pressure shifts as vegetation recovers, information that directly affects how managers schedule burns and anticipate grazing impacts. Fourth, the grant funds preparation of a series of peer-reviewed scientific papers intended to be useful beyond the study area, specifically to help other Great Plains refuges make management recommendations about treatments that promote heterogeneous habitat conditions.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted June 25, 2009, with an original and current closing date of June 26, 2009, indicating a very short application window typical of a pre-identified recipient action. Total estimated funding is $125,000, with an award ceiling of $125,000 and an award floor of $25,000, and the program requires cost sharing or matching. The announcement specifies that eligibility is single-source and that the agreement is to be awarded to Oklahoma State University, meaning it is not a competitive open call for general applicants. The listed CFDA program reference is 15.632 (Conservation Grants Private Stewardship for Imperiled Species). For access issues related to the full announcement, the contact provided is Andrea Meyer, Contract Specialist, at 303-236-5412.
FAQs: Sentinel Ecology and Pyric Herbivory (FWS R6 RW092140)
What is the Sentinel Ecology and Pyric Herbivory grant opportunity?
This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary cooperative agreement focused on improving management of Great Plains refuge landscapes for native biodiversity. It is identified as the Sentinel Ecology and Pyric Herbivory opportunity under Funding Opportunity Number FWS R6 RW092140.
What is the main management concept behind this project?
The project is built around pyric herbivory, the long-evolved interaction between fire and grazing. In this approach, patchy fire creates a shifting mosaic of vegetation conditions, and grazing animals tend to concentrate use on recently burned areas. The project uses that dynamic intentionally to restore and maintain habitat heterogeneity across the landscape.
What does "pyric herbivory" mean in this context?
Pyric herbivory refers to the coupled effects of fire (pyric) and grazing (herbivory) where burns are applied in patches and grazing animals preferentially select recently burned patches. This creates changing patterns of plant structure and composition over space and time.
Why is habitat heterogeneity a goal of the project?
Habitat heterogeneity means having a varied mix of plant structure and composition across the landscape rather than uniform conditions. The opportunity statement emphasizes that this variability supports a broader range of native species than more uniform management approaches.
What is "sentinel ecology" as described in the opportunity?
Sentinel ecology is the organizing framework for monitoring and decision-making in the project. It focuses on using sentinel indicators to detect early signs of ecological stress or imbalance and to guide management actions.
What are sentinel plants in this project?
Sentinel plants are described as species that are among the first to decline when natural processes become imbalanced at either extreme (for example, too much disturbance or too little disturbance). Because they sit at important points in the ecosystem, changes in their abundance or condition can serve as early warning signals of broader ecological stress.
Does the project consider sentinel indicators beyond plants?
Yes. The description extends the sentinel concept to the dependent food web, emphasizing sentinel animals and sentinel habitats that are closely linked to those sentinel plants.
What is the practical management outcome the project is trying to build?
The practical goal is to build a Strategic Habitat Conservation program that uses sentinel indicators to guide refuge management actions and evaluate whether patch-burn and grazing treatments are restoring native communities.
Where will the work take place?
The work is set in northeastern Montana across a connected landscape that includes UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, surrounding lands on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and adjacent holdings of the American Prairie Foundation.
Is this a new study or a continuation of prior work?
It is described as a continuation. The announcement notes that it builds on two years of prior data collection on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge conducted by university staff, with the intent to extend the existing dataset to capture longer-term ecological responses.
What are the main project objectives?
The objectives center on continued field monitoring and translating results into actionable guidance for refuge managers, including long-term vegetation response monitoring and analysis of how animals use burned and recovering patches over time.
What does the grant fund in terms of plant monitoring?
The study will continue data collection on patch-burned sites to measure how plants respond over time to the combined disturbances of fire and grazing. This is highlighted as important because many vegetation responses occur over multiple seasons rather than immediately after a burn.
What does the grant fund related to animal movements and habitat use?
The project will monitor animal movements and quantify habitat use and selectivity in areas that burned in previous years. A key question is how long the "attraction effect" of a burn persists and how animals distribute themselves across the burn mosaic.
How will the project compare recently burned areas to older post-burn areas?
The project will compare use of older post-burn areas against recently burned patches to understand how grazing pressure shifts as vegetation recovers. This information is intended to help managers schedule burns and anticipate grazing impacts.
Does the opportunity include producing publications?
Yes. The grant funds preparation of a series of peer-reviewed scientific papers intended to be useful beyond the study area, specifically to help other Great Plains refuges make management recommendations about treatments that promote heterogeneous habitat conditions.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on June 25, 2009. The original closing date and the current closing date are both listed as June 26, 2009, indicating a very short application window.
How much funding is available under this opportunity?
Total estimated funding is $125,000. The award ceiling is $125,000 and the award floor is $25,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity states that cost sharing or matching is required.
Is this an open, competitive funding opportunity?
No. The announcement specifies single-source eligibility and states that the agreement is to be awarded to Oklahoma State University, meaning it is not a competitive open call for general applicants.
What type of award is this?
It is described as a Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary cooperative agreement.
What CFDA program reference is listed for this opportunity?
The listed CFDA program reference is 15.632 (Conservation Grants Private Stewardship for Imperiled Species).
Who is the contact for access issues related to the full announcement?
The contact listed for access issues is Andrea Meyer, Contract Specialist, at 303-236-5412.
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