OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

SRM Annual Meeting - Spokane 2025

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A Systems-based Understanding of Rangeland Watershed-Riparian Systems in Eastern Oregon

The long-term goal of this project is to enhance production and ecological resilience in rangeland watershed-riparian systems by providing science-based information aimed to improve land management practices and to inform policy related to water quality and water quantity issues influencing land use-environment relationships.

Unmanned Aerial Systems

During the last two weeks of November 2018, Nicole Durfee, a Ph.D. student in our Ecohydrology team, will be leading a series of presentations based on her doctoral work on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at OSU. During her various presentations, she will speak to various groups in the Falkland Islands, in South America, on the use of UAVs on agricultural, rangeland, and forestry applications. Several workshops will be held over this time to provide participants with “hands-on” experience with UAV operation, mapping, and basic image processing. Nicole's participation in this event is possible through a partnership with the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute’s Coastal Habitat Mapping project, through the Shackleton Scholarship Fund.

Land Use-Environment Relationships in Agricultural Settings of the Willamette Basin

Land use & land cover relations with stream water quantity & water quality indicators.

Studying the Ecology and Hydrology of Western Juniper

Ongoing research regarding the long-term paired watershed study in central Oregon was discussed during the OSU Range Field Day that focused on the ecology and hydrology of western juniper ecosystems. Morning presentations by OSU researchers Carlos Ochoa, Phil Caruso, Tim Deboodt, and Michael Fisher (COCC) were followed by a guided tour to the study site.

Student Funding

Funding opportunities and other useful information.

Semiarid Riparian System - Oregon

Investigating water quantity/quality issues in riparian corridors of eastern Oregon

Student Involvement

Students are involved in multiple field and lab activities related to our Ecohydrology projects.

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About

Researching the connections between ecohydrological processes and human interactions in an ever-changing climate.

  • We investigate land use effects on ecological and hydrological processes and interactions.

  • We study surface water and groundwater relationships in watersheds and riparian areas. 

  • We use a systems approach to enhance base knowledge regarding watershed-riparian function.

  • We collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including producers, state and federal agency personnel, and researchers from various institutions.

 

 

 

Dr. Carlos Ochoa is a faculty member and can take graduate students in these programs:

Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (MS or PhD in Rangeland Ecology and Management)

Water Resources Graduate Program (MS or PhD in Water Resources Science)

Environmental Sciences Graduate Program 

 

 

 

 

 

News

Participation at the 2025 SRM Annual Meeting in Spokane, WA

The 2025 Society for Range Management (SRM) Meeting & Conference brought together land managers, scientists, educators, students, ranchers, and conservationists to discuss the current and future state of rangeland ecosystems. Ecohydrology lab members Aarón Ortega-Gonzalez, Daniel Gomez, María Iglesias-Thome, and Ross Shipley attended this year's meeting along with Dr. Ochoa to present their research projects in both the oral and poster presentation sessions. Seminar Sessions: • María Iglesias-Thome: Measuring atmospheric carbon fluxes in dryland pastures in Oregon, US • Daniel Gomez: Evaluating carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter content in irrigated and non-irrigated pasturelands in Oregon, USA. • Aarón Ortega-Gonzalez: A comparison of post fire aerial seeding and natural regeneration on Great Basin rangelands Posters: • María Iglesias-Thome and Daniel Gomez: Linking Atmospheric Carbon Fluxes, and Belowground and Aboveground Carbon Stocks in Rangeland and Pasture Ecosystems • Ross Shipley: Assessing Ecohydrology Response to Juniper Removal at the Watershed Scale

SRM Annual Meeting - Spokane 2025

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The Ecohydrology Lab research highlighted during the IX International Congress of Grassland Management in Mexico.

Dr. Ochoa was a plenary session speaker invited to present on his ongoing research and technology used to investigate surface water and groundwater relationships on rangeland and agricultural systems of Oregon and other parts of the West. The event organized by the Mexican Society for Rangeland Management, University of Chihuahua, and the Agriculture Reseach Institute INIFAP was held on October 17-18, 2019 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Dr. Ochoa delivers seminar on watershed and riparian systems management in Mexico.

Dr. Carlos Ochoa from OSU was the invited speaker to deliver a lecture on integrated watershed-riparian systems management to faculty and students of the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (UACH) in Mexico. Dr. Ochoa discussed his research findings regarding surface water and groundwater relationships occurring on rangeland ecosystems of central Oregon. The event took place on 21 March 2019 at UACH’s Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia (Department of Animal Science and Ecology) auditorium in Chihuahua City, Mexico.

Unmanned Aerial Systems

During the last two weeks of November 2018, Nicole Durfee, a Ph.D. student in our Ecohydrology team, will be leading a series of presentations based on her doctoral work on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at OSU. During her various presentations, she will speak to various groups in the Falkland Islands, in South America, on the use of UAVs on agricultural, rangeland, and forestry applications. Several workshops will be held over this time to provide participants with “hands-on” experience with UAV operation, mapping, and basic image processing. Nicole's participation in this event is possible through a partnership with the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute’s Coastal Habitat Mapping project, through the Shackleton Scholarship Fund.
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