Portrait to come
Dr. Elena Rostova
Principal Investigator & Senior Hydrology Fellow
Freshwater Biogeochemistry
Grasslands & Agro-Ecological Regimes
Evaluating soil moisture retention, perennial root architecture, and microbial resilience under adaptive multi-paddock grazing regimes.
- Theme
- Interdisciplinary Knowledge
- Location
- Cypress Hills Prairie Reserve (49°39'N 109°53'W)
- Timeframe
- 2023 — 2028
- Status
- Long-Term Paired Catchment Trial
01
The question
How does high-density, short-duration rotational grazing influence deep root carbon deposition and drought resilience compared to conventional range management?
Native prairie ecosystems sustain vast underground root networks that buffer against severe precipitation variability. This interdisciplinary project partners with regional ranchers to quantify ecological indicators across 12 paired experimental plots.
We examine root biomass turnover, soil hydraulic conductivity, and soil fungal-to-bacterial ratios to provide landowners with practical management targets that harmonize agricultural yields with grassland conservation.
02
The place
Cypress Hills Prairie Reserve (49°39'N 109°53'W)
Situated in the semi-arid fescue prairie plateau of the Cypress Hills, featuring virgin grassland communities alongside multi-generation working cattle operations.
03
Methods
How the evidence was gathered, step by step.
- 01
Deep root coring (up to 2.5 meters) with minirhizotron imaging
- 02
Automated time-domain reflectometry (TDR) soil moisture arrays
- 03
Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) microbial community profiling
- 04
Participatory socio-ecological rancher knowledge exchange
05
Outcomes
Adaptive rotational treatments exhibited a 28% increase in infiltration capacity and greater root longevity during seasonal drought compared to continuously grazed control parcels.
06
Publications and citations
Journal article2025
Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins
Dr. Elena Rostova, Dr. Marcus Vance, Prof. T. K. Bergmann
Cite as
Rostova, E., Vance, M., & Bergmann, T. K. (2025). Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins. Journal of Hydrological Ecology, 48(3), 182-199.
Report2024
Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration
CIREE Field Methods Working Group (Ed. Dr. Marcus Vance)
Cite as
Vance, M. et al. (2024). Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration. CIREE Technical Guidance Series, Monograph No. 14, 1-64.
07
Field media
Next chapter
Freshwater Systems & Catchment Flux