Prioritizing Areas for Landscape-Scale Ecological Restoration
Research Location: Montana, USA
Conservation Partner: American Prairie Reserve
Faculty Mentor
2025 Student Researcher
Noa Rudisch '27, Majors: Integrative Conservation and BiologyProject Description
Grassland ecosystems support globally important biodiversity, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic and cultural values for many communities. Restoring landscape-scale and resilient grassland ecosystems across Montana, therefore, requires an integrative approach to understanding the ecological and socioeconomic dimension of the ecosystem.
American Prairie and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) are collaborating to develop a plan for landscape-scale prairie ecosystem restoration and reconnection in Montana. To inform the American Prairie conservation strategy, the team is identifying priority zones for restoration, considering diverse factors such as ecosystem functionality, biodiversity, landscape connectivity, wildlife space use, restoration potential, socioeconomic and cultural activities, and human perceptions.
W&M students join a team of researchers working to identify priority zones for restoration from an integrative and just lens, informing American Prairie's strategy to restore connected prairie ecosystems across Montana.
Project ID - Format
25-010-25 - CRP Year
