Dustin Johnson

Assistant Professor of Practice

541-573-8933

[email protected]

Expertise: Rangeland conservation and management

Department/Unit: Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Burns Station

Content
Publications
Awards

Content by Dustin Johnson

OSU rangeland researchers help mitigate spread of invasive grasses

Communities in Eastern Oregon are better equipped to protect their rangelands from invasive grasses, reduce wildfire risk and restore the productivity and resilience of these vital ecosystems.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | May 2025 | Impact story

OSU rangeland researchers help mitigate spread of invasive grasses

Communities in Eastern Oregon are better equipped to protect their rangelands from invasive grasses, reduce wildfire risk and restore the productivity and resilience of these vital ecosystems.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | May 2025 | Impact story

OSU builds partnerships to conserve the sagebrush ecosystem

This work is critical for the future of Oregon’s rangelands, particularly in Eastern Oregon, where sagebrush ecosystems support both wildlife and the ranching economy.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | May 2025 | Impact story

OSU builds partnerships to conserve the sagebrush ecosystem

This work is critical for the future of Oregon’s rangelands, particularly in Eastern Oregon, where sagebrush ecosystems support both wildlife and the ranching economy.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | May 2025 | Impact story

Extension collaboration helps develop first-of-its-kind stream assessment tool

The stream assessment tool is now in use across all sage-grouse conservation plans on private lands in Oregon, totaling over 600,000 acres.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Threat-based Management for Creeks, Streams and Rivers

This guide is a decision-support tool for understanding how riparian areas such as creeks, rivers and streams should function in sagebrush ecosystems. Land managers can determine whether a riparian area is functioning properly and how to restore or maintain proper function.

Dirk Renner, Jackie Cupples, Jeremy Austin, Tammy Barnes, Chad Boyd, Dustin Johnson, Vanessa Schroeder, Anya Tyson | Dec 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Ranching in the information age: The ranch hand you didn’t know you needed

Eastern Oregon’s rangelands are diverse due to different soils, topography and climate. Ranchers and land managers who view the landscape as a collection of ecological sites can better predict how vegetation and other resources ...

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | Dec 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Grazing Management for Rangeland Health: A Threat-based Land Management Approach

The sagebrush ecosystem is shrinking at an alarming rate. Threat-based land management provides a framework for improving grazing and management and adjusting as conditions change. Monitoring and the Grazing Response ...

Chris Schachtschneider, Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | Oct 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

OSU Extension outreach results in special issue of Rangelands journal

The special issue is an urgent call to action among rangeland managers and practitioners.

Kym Pokorny | Jul 4, 2022 | News story

Range management is (or should be) fire management

What rangeland managers do before a wildfire can matter a lot for what happens during and after. That is, whether and how a site recovers after it burns, and how likely it is to burn again in a future wildfire. ...

Katherine Wollstein, Dustin Johnson | Jul 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Bunchgrass phenology: Using growth stages of grasses as adaptive grazing management tools

Livestock grazing in the high desert involves a balance of sustainable vegetation management in a shifting environment. Knowing which plant stages are most sensitive can help managers strategize.

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | Jul 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

How to monitor progress in grazing land management

A critical but often overlooked step in the development of a comprehensive grazing management plan is a well-defined monitoring program for evaluating progress toward management objectives.

Dustin Johnson | Mar 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Threat-Based Land Management in the Northern Great Basin: A Manager’s Guide

Sagebrush ecosystems in the northern Great Basin are threatened by encroaching juniper and invasive annual grasses. This guide presents a simplified framework to help land managers assess and monitor these threats at...

Dustin Johnson, Matt Cahill, Chad Boyd, Vanessa Schroeder, Lee Foster, Angela Sitz, Jay Kerby, Tony J. Svejcar, Jackie Cupples | Apr 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Threat-Based Land Management in the Northern Great Basin: A Field Guide

Dustin Johnson, Matt Cahill, Chad Boyd, Vanessa Schroeder, Lee Foster, Angela Sitz, Jay Kerby, Tony J. Svejcar, Jackie Cupples | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

How do you photo monitor for rangeland health?

Dustin Johnson and Sergio Arispe discuss photo monitoring of rangelands and demonstrate a simple step-by-step process for establishing a permanent photo point.

Dustin Johnson, Sergio Arispe | Mar 2024 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Western Roots: Diving into a sagebrush sea of diversity

What may appear at first glance as a sea of sagebrush is in reality a complex and diverse ecosystem with a wide variety of plants and animals. The sagebrush steppe teems with life, but threats such as ...

Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

What is rangeland monitoring?

Dustin Johnson and Sergio Arispe discuss what rangeland monitoring is and why it’s an important tool for effective rangeland management.

Dustin Johnson, Sergio Arispe | Jan 2025 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Where and when to photo monitor rangeland health?

It is important for you to select an appropriate photo monitoring location and timeframe that will provide you information that will be useful for evaluating your management objectives. In this video, you will learn where to ...

Sergio Arispe, Dustin Johnson | Jan 2025 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Can cows find water by smell?

Q: How do cows find water, assuming that there is no previous knowledge on the cow's part? There is no substantive evidence that cows can smell water. It seems to be generally agreed upon that cows either stumble upon water ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Pace 180° and repeat photography: monitoring methods for documenting vegetation trends in sagebrush rangelands

Monitoring trends in vegetation is an important component of effective rangeland management. There are many monitoring methods but two stand out for being easy to use, efficient, repeatable and effective.

Dustin Johnson, Rob Sharp | Mar 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Email Dustin Johnson

Your name *

Your email address *

CAPTCHA

Math question * 5 + 2 =

Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Please answer this simple math question. We use it to help prevent SPAM entries from bots. Thank you!