Our Public Lands
A podcast about our beloved and treasured public lands where I interview subject matter experts and activists from across the country who are working to protect and advocate for our public lands and their wildlife, wilderness, and cultural values.
Our Public Lands
#15 - How to Starve an Entire Ecosystem
In this episode, I interview Roger Long an ecologist and professor. We discuss his career trajectory that led him from computer programming to teaching and focusing specifically on the shrub steppe ecosystem. After switching careers and completing his master's and dissertation, Roger continued studying nitrogen cycling and the impact of cattle grazing on shrub steppe vegetation and wildlife. His findings underscore the depletion of nitrogen due to cattle grazing, which has critical implications for the ecosystem's health. Roger recalls his experiences with falconry, hunting, and fishing, which fueled his interest in how agricultural practices affect native wildlife and plant species. The episode concludes with Roger's perspectives on public lands and their significance to him, particularly in preserving natural habitats and promoting biodiversity.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
00:13 Transition from Programming to Field Work
01:41 Insights from Field Work and Career Shifts
04:08 Grazing Impact on Shrub Steppe Ecosystem
06:13 Nitrogen Cycling and Ecosystem Health
08:28 Challenges in Grazing Research
11:40 Forbs and Grazing Effects
15:39 Nutrient Transport and Ecosystem Impact
21:40 Kleiber Curve and Ungulate Metabolism
25:33 Dissertation Methodology and Findings
31:13 Transect Methodology and Initial Findings
32:21 Stable Isotopes and Nitrogen Content
35:19 Grazing Regimes and Sample Collection
35:44 Impact of Grazing on Vegetation
37:29 Wildlife and Ecosystem Interactions
41:23 Challenges in Sagebrush Restoration
47:45 Public Lands and Grazing Policies
53:40 Personal Reflections on Public Lands