Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G19AS00044

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00044

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00044) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary grant offered through the Department of the Interior as a cooperative agreement to support applied research and development. The project is aimed at improving forest restoration outcomes in the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), especially in places where the forest canopy has opened up and those gaps have been rapidly taken over by invasive plants. With a single expected award and an award ceiling of $50,126, this opportunity is structured as a focused, one-project solicitation rather than a broad, multi-award program. It was posted on April 1, 2019, with an original closing date of April 16, 2019, indicating a relatively short application window typical of targeted CESU partner solicitations.

The central goal of the research is to evaluate whether active, intentional reforestation can be used as a practical tool to close canopy gaps and suppress invasive species that commonly dominate disturbed floodplain forest openings. The invasive species specifically highlighted are reed canarygrass, Johnsongrass, and Japanese hops, all of which can form dense stands that outcompete native regeneration, alter habitat conditions, and make natural forest recovery slow or unlikely without intervention. By focusing on canopy openings, the project targets a critical vulnerability in floodplain forests: once light levels increase and native tree recruitment is disrupted, aggressive invaders can lock the site into a degraded state that becomes progressively harder and more expensive to restore.

A major component of the study is to test whether artificial reforestation, meaning deliberate planting of trees rather than waiting for natural regeneration, can speed up canopy closure enough to reduce invasive plant abundance. In practice, this involves examining whether planted seedlings or saplings can establish and grow in invaded openings and whether their developing shade can shift conditions to favor native forest understory and reduce the competitiveness of sun-loving invasive grasses and vines. The work is meant to generate evidence that managers can use to decide when planting is likely to be worthwhile and what outcomes they can realistically expect in heavily invaded gaps.

Cost-effectiveness is explicitly built into the research questions, not treated as an afterthought. The opportunity calls for determining the most cost-effective planting density that still achieves timely canopy closure while keeping maintenance demands low. This is a practical management question because planting too sparsely can delay shade formation and allow invasives to persist, while planting too densely can raise upfront costs and may not yield proportional benefits. The study is therefore intended to help identify a density "sweet spot" where the cost of plant material and labor is balanced against the ecological payoff of faster canopy recovery and reduced invasive dominance.

Another key emphasis is whether reforestation can succeed without relying on the standard suite of ongoing maintenance actions that often accompany restoration projects, such as mowing or herbicide applications. These techniques can be effective but can also be expensive, logistically difficult in floodplain settings, and sometimes controversial or constrained by permitting, access, or sensitive habitat considerations. By asking directly whether successful reforestation can be achieved without these conventional interventions, the USGS is signaling interest in approaches that reduce long-term operational burdens and may be easier to scale across large areas of the UMRS floodplain.

The opportunity also addresses a major, region-wide forest health challenge: the loss of green ash due to emerald ash borer. As emerald ash borer spreads, green ash mortality can create new canopy gaps and shift floodplain forest composition. The study therefore asks whether early successional tree species can be used to replace green ash and maintain forest cover and function after ash decline. Early successional species are typically faster-growing and may establish quickly in disturbed or open conditions, potentially helping restore canopy cover and stabilize sites before longer-lived, later-successional species can reestablish.

Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network, under the Great Rivers CESU, with the formal listing indicating "Others" and pointing applicants to additional eligibility information in the full announcement. In plain terms, this is not a general open competition for any organization; it is designed for CESU partners, which commonly include universities, research institutions, and other approved collaborators that can work with federal scientists under CESU agreements. The intended outcome is actionable science: results that can directly inform UMRS floodplain forest restoration decisions about planting strategies, densities, invasive species suppression expectations, and post-emerald ash borer reforestation planning.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 01, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 16, 2019. (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 $50,126.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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