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.Apply for G19AS00044
- 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (G19AS00044)?
G19AS00044 is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary grant offered through the Department of the Interior as a cooperative agreement. It supports applied research and development through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Rivers CESU.
Which federal agency is offering this award?
The award is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior.
What type of funding instrument is this?
This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement and collaboration with the federal partner compared to a standard grant.
Is this a broad program or a targeted solicitation?
It is structured as a focused, one-project solicitation rather than a broad, multi-award program.
How many awards are expected?
A single award is expected.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $50,126.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on April 1, 2019.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was April 16, 2019.
What geographic area does the project focus on?
The project focuses on the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), particularly floodplain forest areas where canopy openings have formed and invasive plants have rapidly taken over.
What problem is this project trying to address?
The project aims to improve forest restoration outcomes in UMRS floodplain forests by addressing canopy gaps that become dominated by invasive species. These invaded openings can block native regeneration and make natural recovery slow or unlikely without intervention.
Why are canopy gaps such a concern in UMRS floodplain forests?
Canopy gaps increase light levels and can disrupt native tree recruitment. In these conditions, aggressive invasive species can establish dense stands, outcompete native plants, and lock sites into a degraded state that becomes harder and more expensive to restore over time.
What invasive species are specifically highlighted in the opportunity?
The opportunity specifically highlights reed canarygrass, Johnsongrass, and Japanese hops as invasive species that commonly dominate disturbed floodplain forest openings.
What is the central research goal of the funded project?
The central goal is to evaluate whether active, intentional reforestation can be used as a practical tool to close canopy gaps and suppress invasive species in disturbed floodplain forest openings.
What does "active" or "artificial" reforestation mean in this context?
In this opportunity, artificial reforestation refers to deliberately planting trees (seedlings or saplings) rather than waiting for natural regeneration to occur on its own.
What is the project testing about tree planting in invaded openings?
The study tests whether planted trees can establish and grow in openings dominated by invasives, and whether the shade from developing tree cover can reduce invasive plant abundance and shift site conditions toward native forest recovery.
How does the project connect reforestation to invasive species suppression?
The project is designed to evaluate whether faster canopy closure from planted trees can reduce the competitiveness of sun-loving invasive grasses and vines by lowering light availability and changing understory conditions.
Is cost-effectiveness part of the research questions?
Yes. Cost-effectiveness is explicitly built into the research questions, including determining planting strategies that balance ecological outcomes with realistic costs and field effort.
What cost-related question does the opportunity emphasize?
The opportunity calls for identifying the most cost-effective planting density that still achieves timely canopy closure while keeping maintenance demands low.
Why does planting density matter for this project?
Planting too sparsely may delay shade formation and allow invasives to persist, while planting too densely can increase upfront costs without necessarily producing proportional benefits. The project aims to identify a practical density "sweet spot."
Does the opportunity assume ongoing maintenance like mowing or herbicide use?
No. A key emphasis is whether reforestation can succeed without relying on common ongoing maintenance actions such as mowing or herbicide applications.
Why is reducing mowing or herbicide use an explicit focus?
These interventions can be effective but may be expensive, logistically difficult in floodplain environments, controversial, or constrained by access, permitting, or sensitive habitat considerations. The opportunity highlights interest in approaches that reduce long-term operational burdens.
How does emerald ash borer factor into the project?
The opportunity addresses forest change associated with the loss of green ash due to emerald ash borer, which can create new canopy gaps and alter floodplain forest composition.
What reforestation strategy is mentioned for replacing green ash after emerald ash borer impacts?
The opportunity asks whether early successional tree species can be used to replace green ash and maintain forest cover and function after ash decline.
Why are early successional species considered in the study?
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 species can reestablish.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network under the Great Rivers CESU. The formal listing indicates "Others" and directs applicants to additional eligibility information in the full announcement.
Is this opportunity open to any organization?
No. Based on the eligibility description provided, this is not a general open competition. It is designed for Great Rivers CESU partners, which often include universities, research institutions, and other approved collaborators able to work with federal scientists under CESU agreements.
What kind of outcomes is USGS looking for?
The intended outcome is actionable science that can directly inform UMRS floodplain forest restoration decisions, including expected invasive suppression from canopy closure, planting density guidance, and planning for reforestation after emerald ash borer-related canopy loss.
What management decisions could this research help inform?
The results are intended to help managers decide when planting is likely to be worthwhile in heavily invaded canopy gaps, what planting densities are cost-effective, what outcomes can realistically be expected, and how to approach post-emerald ash borer reforestation using early successional species.
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