Resilient Landscapes: Forest thinning and fire impacts on wildlife-habitat interactions, Phase I: Restoration effects on non-native invasive plant species. | P17AS00299

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00299

This funding opportunity, titled "Resilient Landscapes: Forest thinning and fire impacts on wildlife-habitat interactions, Phase I: Restoration effects on non-native invasive plant species" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00299), is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on natural resources research tied to forest restoration treatments. The work continues an existing project examining non-native invasive plants in areas that have been mechanically thinned and/or affected by prescribed fire or wildfire, with the added goal of expanding the ecological picture by incorporating ants as a key part of the invasive plant story. The core idea is that restoration actions like thinning and burning can shift habitat conditions in ways that influence which plant species establish and spread, and those plant responses can be shaped by animal interactions that are easy to overlook if the project only measures vegetation.

A central addition in this phase is an analysis of ant assemblages across the same treated landscapes. Ants are highlighted because they play multiple roles that directly affect plant communities, including dispersing seeds, consuming seeds, and influencing which seeds survive long enough to germinate. Since ants interact with both native and non-native plants, changes in ant community composition, abundance, and colony structure can help explain why invasive plants may increase or decline following restoration treatments. By documenting which ant species are present, and how their populations differ across sites influenced by thinning and fire, the project aims to strengthen understanding of invasive plant ecology in a real management context relevant to the National Park Service.

The sampling workflow is collaborative. NPS entomologists collect ant specimens in the project areas and sort them in the laboratory. After sorting, the ant samples are shipped to Texas Tech University (TTU), where ant specialists identify the specimens. The data to be recorded are clearly defined and include ant species identifications, the associated site and trap number for each sample, the collection date, and counts of individuals by caste (such as workers, soldiers, queens, and other relevant forms depending on the species). Recording caste structure is important because it can provide insight beyond simple presence/absence, helping infer colony dynamics and reproductive potential, which may be linked to how strongly ants influence seed fate and, ultimately, plant community outcomes.

Deliverables emphasize practical outputs for NPS decision-making and long-term scientific value. The project will produce datasets and analytical reporting on the ant fauna in the treated landscapes, and results will be incorporated into annual and final reports submitted to the National Park Service. In addition, the project will generate a voucher reference collection representing all ant species documented. This type of curated reference set supports quality control for identifications, enables future re-checking of species determinations as taxonomy changes, and provides a permanent record of the community present during the study period.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, reflecting substantial involvement and collaboration between NPS and the research partner rather than a simple pass-through grant. The eligible applicants are public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the role TTU is already playing in the ongoing invasive plant work. The award ceiling is $31,974, with one expected award. The opportunity was created May 25, 2017, with an original closing date of June 3, 2017, and is associated with CFDA number 15.945 under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Overall, the scope is narrowly targeted: extend an existing invasive plant study in thinned and burned areas by adding rigorous ant community identification and reporting, creating a stronger basis for interpreting how restoration treatments ripple through wildlife-habitat interactions that can either hinder or facilitate non-native plant invasion.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Resilient Landscapes: Forest thinning and fire impacts on wildlife-habitat interactions, Phase I: Restoration effects on non-native invasive plant species." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 25, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $31,974.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for P17AS00299

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