Identifying Mesquite Canopy Restoration Opportunities

Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed long-term monitoring data from the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) in southern Arizona to learn which native species fared better under mesquite canopies. They also wanted to assess the prevalence of non-native grasses like Lehmann lovegrass under mesquite canopies. To complete these objectives, they looked at transect sampling data from 2011, 2014, and 2017 to identify how managers could leverage the beneficial microclimate beneath mesquite to restore native grasses and other grassland plants that are decreasing in abundance.