22nd Annual Research Insights in
Semiarid Ecosystems
RISE
Recent research at the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) and the University of Arizona Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER)
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Integrated Learning Center Room 150
September 26, 2026
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Objectives
- Share recent results of research at the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) and the University of Arizona Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER)
- Encourage future research activities at the WGEW and the SRER
- Promote the WGEW and the SRER as outdoor scientific laboratories
Annual Symposium
Program
The Symposium will feature invited speakers presenting recent or on-going research on the WGEW, the SRER or other outdoor laboratories in the region. There will be time for questions from the audience, which will consist of federal agency, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) stakeholders from southern Arizona and university faculty, staff and students.
2026 Speakers and Topic
- Jesse Alston, University of Arizona
A Wide-ranging Research Agenda for Beefing up Wildlife Conservation in Southern Arizona - Laura Condon, University of Arizona
A National Platform for Groundwater Surface Water Modeling and Exploration - Amy Ganguli, University of Arizona
New World Screwworm Risk in Southwest Rangelands: Ecology, Detection, and System-Level Vulnerability - Sarah McCord, Jornada ARS
Using the Rangeland Analysis Platform and the Landscape Data Commons to Understand Rangeland Spatiotemporal Dynamics - Dave Moore, University of Arizona
NASA ARID: Adaptation and Response in Drylands Scoping Project - Melinda Smith, Colorado State University
Understanding the Impacts of Intensified Climate Extremes on Grasslands through an Experimental Lens - Heather Throop, Arizona State University
Tracking Litter and Soil Carbon through Space and Time in Long-term Experiments at the SRER
DEADLINES
The deadline for registration (as a courtesy for catering plans) is September 11, 2026. Walk-up registration may be available the day of the Symposium if there have been sufficient cancellations.
The deadline for Poster Abstract Submission is September 11, 2026. Note: Space is limited to 20 posters. Posters will be accepted based on the order of registration. Early registration is encouraged to secure your poster space!
Registration
Registration is required to attend. Registration is free this year, and it includes lunch.
If Your Plans Change
Please cancel your registration if your plans change, so that we can accommodate as many attendees as possible. To cancel, please use the link in the registration email confirmation to add the text "CANCEL" in the Comments section.
Donations to Support the RISE Symposium Program and Student Awards
Please consider donating any amount to support the Symposium Program and Student Poster contest awards (currently $1100 in awards, but award amounts will increase if donations are sufficient). You can donate at this url https://give.uafoundation.org/SantaRita-RISE and this QR code.
POSTER SESSION
We welcome posters presenting data from or relevant to any dryland ecosystem. All poster presenters will have the opportunity to share their work with an enthusiastic audience.
If you wish to have your poster included in the student poster competition, please provide a sentence that describes how your poster is relevant to the WGEW or SRER. Note that if the data were collected as part of a study that was much broader than these two study sites, the relevance of the study to the WGEW or SRER must be clearly articulated to be eligible for the poster competition.
STUDENT POSTER CONTEST
A single award will be granted in each of the following categories:
- Best Graduate Student Poster ($500)
- Honorable Mention Graduate Student Poster ($200)
- Best Undergraduate Student Poster ($300)
- Honorable Mention Undergraduate Student Poster ($100)
To qualify for entry in the poster competition, the work presented on the poster must focus on the WGEW, the SRER, or both. If you wish to have your poster included in the student poster competition, please provide a sentence that describes how your poster is relevant to the WGEW or SRER when you register for the meeting. Note that if the data were collected as part of a study that was much broader than these two study sites, the relevance of the study to the WGEW or SRER must be clearly articulated to be eligible for the poster competition.
Entry to the contest is made via the symposium registration link above.
Posters in the competition will be judged and awards presented at the closing of the Symposium. A poster should stand on its own merit, but poster judges will also visit with each student at their posters to evaluate oral poster presentations. Note: Students in the competition will be asked to identify at least a 30-minute window in which they will be at their poster during the lunch-time poster session.
APPEARANCE:
- Neat and visually appealing,
- Well organized and easy to follow; it has a logical and clear progression of problem statement, methods, and results, and
- Words are readable from an appropriate distance
CONTENT:
- Purpose of study is stated clearly,
- Conclusions are stated clearly and supported by results,
- Methods appropriate for the study, and
- Topic relevant to semiarid ecosystems.
SCIENTIFIC ORIGINALITY: Creative approach.
GRAPHICS: Graphics are effective and enhance the results.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/REFERENCES: Proper acknowledgements are given for support of the study, and literature cited.
INTERACTION WITH STUDENT PRESENTER:
- Presenter made appropriate reference to material in the poster and
- Presenter spoke clearly and effectively.
Posters should not exceed 36 inches tall by 60 inches wide.
(applies to all posters, including student contestants and others)
RISE Organizing Committee:
Brett Blum, Phil Heilman, Mitch McClaran, Heather Throop (alphabetical)
bcb@arizona.edu
phil.heilman@usda.gov
mcclaran@u.arizona.edu
heather.throop@asu.edu
Acronyms:
- AES: Arizona Experiment Station
AIR: Arizona Institute for Resilience - ARS: Agricultural Research Service
- NEON: National Ecological Observatory Network
- SAES: Southern Arizona Experiment Station
- SNRE: School of Natural Resources and the Environment
SRER: Santa Rita Experimental Range - SWRC: Southwest Watershed Research Center
- UA: University of Arizona
UO BIO: Univ Oklahoma School Biological Sciences - USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
USGS: United States Geological Survey