Dave Engle, Ph.D.

Oklahoma State University
Project Role: Vegetation response; fire and grazing

Role on Project

My primary role is to evaluate vegetation response to patch-burn grazing and to provide strategic guidance on fire and grazing management as tools for restoring prairie in a working landscape.  My research associate, Ryan Harr, graduate student Devan McGranahan, and I are examining plant community composition related to land-use history, presence of invasive species, and patch-burn grazing.  We also are exploring the influence of patch-burn grazing on disturbance pattern associated with cattle trails, on fuelbed characteristics, and on fire spread.  Because of pervasive invasion of prairie by plants with anti-herbivory traits, we are involved in collaborative research efforts testing the hypothesis that patch burning changes the scale of forage species preference from the plant to the patch.  The ISU researchers’ test species are tall fescue and reed canarygrass.  Researchers at Oklahoma State University are testing the hypothesis with sericea lespedeza and Old World bluestem.  Finally, we are providing habitat data to integrate our research with the work of other team members.

Dr. David M. Engle
NREM, 008C Ag Hall
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078
Phone: 405-744-5615
Fax: 405-744-3530
Email: david.engle@okstate.edu