Panel 1. A view of the hilly shrubland landscape found at the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory (RCCZO).

Panel 2. Dr. Kathleen Lohse waves and says, “Hi, I am Dr. Kathleen Lohse and I lead the research conducted at the RCCZO.”

Panel 3. Researchers at the RCCZO want to know how people, plants, water, soil, and bedrock work together.

Panel 4. Dr. Lohse rides a horse in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed. It was started by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service to understand human effects on mountain-steppe ecosystems.

Panel 5. A covered wagon travels across the landscape set in the past. Native peoples were forced out, and ranching and other new-landuses affected the ecosystem.

Panel 6. Today, researchers work closely with ranchers to protect these ecosystems from invasive trees and plants, like cheatgrass (shown).

Panel 7. Invasive trees and plants can lead to more powerful forest fires.

Panel 8. One of the main tasks at the CZO is to determine how climate change will affect snowfall and water, and carbon in soil.

Panel 9. The CZO has instrumentation to measure these changes to the water-carbon system.

Panel 10. RCCZO researchers surround the entrance sign to the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed. The main goal is to understand the impact on the mountain CZ to promote a sustainable future!