The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) is an

agricultural experiment station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with ...

focusing on

domestic sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to ...

(''Ovis aries'') which is run by the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

. Its stated mission is "...to develop integrated methods for increasing production efficiency of sheep and to simultaneously improve the

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

rangeland Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savanna ...

ecosystems".

Geography and facilities

The station is located roughly six miles north of Dubois, Idaho, and its lands span both Idaho and

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

. Its headquarters are on of land owned by the Agricultural Research Service, including research facilities, animal facilities (such as lambing pens and dry lots), as well as residential facilities. The station is surrounded by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, as well being within two hours of the Grand Teton and

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

s. It also holds roughly within Montana's Centennial Mountains and near Kilgore, Idaho, both of which are used largely for seasonal grazing and rangeland research. The USSES spans several diverse

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

, including

subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

, foothill, sagebrush steppe, and desert shrubland. The station is the second largest employer in

Clark County, Idaho Clark County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Idaho; its county seat and largest city is Dubois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 790, making it the least populous county in the state. History Establishment of stage coach stop ...

Research

The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station conducts research in the areas of

ovine Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to dom ...

reproductive efficiency, genetic improvement (especially of

breeds A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

), nutrient intake and use, ovine growth and development, range/grazing management, and product quality (i.e.

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

and

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

). In addition to lambs and other attendant sheep, the station has a base flock of 3,000 mature sheep. Breeds developed at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station include: * The Columbia, a dual-purpose breed and one of the first originating in the U.S. Early crosses were made in

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, but the originating flock was moved to the USSES in 1918. * The Polypay, developed in the 1960s. Known for its white wool and a high lambing rate. * The Targhee, a dual-purpose

breed, named after the adjacent national forest. One of the few areas of conflict when it comes to the station's research is its overlap with

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

habitat. In 2010, the station made efforts to limit grazing in bear habitats, but by 2013 environmental groups sued, claiming that its research activities continue to threaten grizzlies in the greater

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

area.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Sheep farming in the United States Sheep Experiment Station Buildings and structures in Clark County, Idaho Sheep Experiment Station Animal research institutes Agricultural research institutes in the United States

Geography and facilities

Research

See also

References

External links