Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

Roles of Maasai Alalili Systems in Sustainable Conservation of Fodder Species of East African Rangelands

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-12-03 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.007

Elkana Hezron, Issakwisa B. Ngondya, Linus K. Munishi

Alalili systems are among the indigenous rangeland management strategies that face pressures from unsustainable land use practices and impacts of climate change. We aimed to establish the vascular fodder plants' composition and abundance, compared with historical vegetation data to understand their evolution and trends to inform sustainable management of rangelands in northern Tanzania. The vegetation composition of the northern Tanzania rangelands surveyed before the 1980s was compared to empirical data from a vegetation survey of Alalili in 2022. A cross-sectional design using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques was applied during the field survey. The quadrat count method was used to estimate the composition and diversity of fodder taxa in Alalili systems. Secondary data from the northern Tanzania rangelands before the 1980s were collected through a systematic literature review. Key informant interviews, focused group discussions, and household surveys were used to gather information about the community's knowledge of historical quality changes in the rangelands. Our results indicate that, before the 1980s, the rangelands of northern Tanzania had relatively higher fodder species composition (127 woody and 119 herbaceous species) than the Alalili systems in 2022 (119 woody and 82 herbaceous species). Fodder species composition and diversity were relatively higher in communal than in private Alalili (t = 4.18, P < 0.001). At the same time, the species density was lower in communal than in private Alalili (t = -2.7272, P = 0.008). This work suggests that Alalili systems still hold substantial diverse fodder plants that most northern Tanzanian rangelands used to harbor before the 1980s. Therefore, they can be considered reservoirs of vital fodder species that can be used to restore degraded rangeland areas in northern Tanzania and elsewhere.

{"title":"Roles of Maasai Alalili Systems in Sustainable Conservation of Fodder Species of East African Rangelands","authors":"Elkana Hezron, Issakwisa B. Ngondya, Linus K. Munishi","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Alalili</em> systems are among the indigenous rangeland management strategies that face pressures from unsustainable land use practices and impacts of climate change. We aimed to establish the vascular fodder plants' composition and abundance, compared with historical vegetation data to understand their evolution and trends to inform sustainable management of rangelands in northern Tanzania. The vegetation composition of the northern Tanzania rangelands surveyed before the 1980s was compared to empirical data from a vegetation survey of <em>Alalili</em> in 2022. A cross-sectional design using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques was applied during the field survey. The quadrat count method was used to estimate the composition and diversity of fodder taxa in <em>Alalili</em> systems. Secondary data from the northern Tanzania rangelands before the 1980s were collected through a systematic literature review. Key informant interviews, focused group discussions, and household surveys were used to gather information about the community's knowledge of historical quality changes in the rangelands. Our results indicate that, before the 1980s, the rangelands of northern Tanzania had relatively higher fodder species composition (127 woody and 119 herbaceous species) than the <em>Alalili</em> systems in 2022 (119 woody and 82 herbaceous species). Fodder species composition and diversity were relatively higher in communal than in private <em>Alalili</em> (t = 4.18, <em>P</em> < 0.001). At the same time, the species density was lower in communal than in private <em>Alalili</em> (t = -2.7272, <em>P</em> = 0.008). This work suggests that <em>Alalili</em> systems still hold substantial diverse fodder plants that most northern Tanzanian rangelands used to harbor before the 1980s. Therefore, they can be considered reservoirs of vital fodder species that can be used to restore degraded rangeland areas in northern Tanzania and elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 490-507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Changes in Plant Composition Following Disturbance in Restored Native Early Successional Communities

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-12-02 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.006

Bonner L. Powell , J. Wade GeFellers , David A. Buehler , Christopher E. Moorman , John M. Zobel , Craig A. Harper

Restoration of nonnative grasslands to native early successional plant communities has been a conservation focus throughout the United States for several decades. In the eastern US, where precipitation exceeds 1 000 mm per year, disturbance is necessary following restoration to prevent early successional communities from progressing into woody-dominated midsuccessional communities. Resulting plant composition may vary among disturbance practices, and knowledge of such effects will help direct maintenance of restored native early seral plant communities. We evaluated the effects of the two most common disturbance practices, prescribed fire and mowing, following restoration of nonnative grasslands to native plant communities via two methods: 1) planting native grasses and 2) forbs and seedbank response without planting, across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2018–2020. Specifically, we evaluated how disturbance altered vegetation composition following four treatment combinations (planted mowed, planted burned, seedbank mowed, and seedbank burned) and tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) control from predisturbance conditions. Grass coverage increased in all treatment units, but tended to increase more in mowed treatments than burned treatments. Forb coverage declined in all treatments except seedbank burned, where it increased. Similarly, spring-, summer-, and fall-flowering forbs, which are the focus of conservation programs designed to enhance habitat for pollinators, increased most in seedbank burned. Species richness decreased across all treatments and control, except seedbank burned, where it increased. The species evenness did not differ by treatment. Our results provide insight into how disturbance techniques may alter plant community composition soon after restoration. We recommend managers use prescribed fire instead of mowing if increased forb coverage is important to meet objectives. Furthermore, our results highlight how planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites dominated by nonnative grasses in the eastern United States, where precipitation is not limiting succession.

{"title":"Changes in Plant Composition Following Disturbance in Restored Native Early Successional Communities","authors":"Bonner L. Powell , J. Wade GeFellers , David A. Buehler , Christopher E. Moorman , John M. Zobel , Craig A. Harper","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Restoration of nonnative grasslands to native early successional plant communities has been a conservation focus throughout the United States for several decades. In the eastern US, where precipitation exceeds 1 000 mm per year, disturbance is necessary following restoration to prevent early successional communities from progressing into woody-dominated midsuccessional communities. Resulting plant composition may vary among disturbance practices, and knowledge of such effects will help direct maintenance of restored native early seral plant communities. We evaluated the effects of the two most common disturbance practices, prescribed fire and mowing, following restoration of nonnative grasslands to native plant communities via two methods: 1) planting native grasses and 2) forbs and seedbank response without planting, across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2018–2020. Specifically, we evaluated how disturbance altered vegetation composition following four treatment combinations (planted mowed, planted burned, seedbank mowed, and seedbank burned) and tall fescue (<em>Schedonorus arundinaceus</em>) control from predisturbance conditions. Grass coverage increased in all treatment units, but tended to increase more in mowed treatments than burned treatments. Forb coverage declined in all treatments except seedbank burned, where it increased. Similarly, spring-, summer-, and fall-flowering forbs, which are the focus of conservation programs designed to enhance habitat for pollinators, increased most in seedbank burned. Species richness decreased across all treatments and control, except seedbank burned, where it increased. The species evenness did not differ by treatment. Our results provide insight into how disturbance techniques may alter plant community composition soon after restoration. We recommend managers use prescribed fire instead of mowing if increased forb coverage is important to meet objectives. Furthermore, our results highlight how planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites dominated by nonnative grasses in the eastern United States, where precipitation is not limiting succession.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 480-489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Impact of Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) Canopy Diameter and Stand Canopy Cover on Aboveground Biomass and Composition in the Northern Great Plains Mixed-Grass Prairie

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.010

Austin Domeier , Lan Xu , Gary Hatfield , Alexander J. Smart

Eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) trees are invading prairies throughout the Great Plains. This encroachment poses a threat to native plant communities in terms of their production, regeneration, and diversity. The objectives of this study were to determine how ERC canopies impact herbaceous biomass production and composition. Square quadrats (0.25 m²) were placed in four cardinal directions underneath canopies of ERC trees ranging from 0.1–10 m in diameter and at grassland control locations. We collected herbaceous foliar cover by species and biomass estimates underneath 326 ERC trees and at 240 grassland control locations among two sites totaling 1381 samples overall. We found herbaceous biomass production underneath ERC canopies decreased exponentially with increasing ERC canopy diameter with 63–97% reduction under trees with canopies larger than 2 m. Also, biomass decreased linearly with increasing ERC stand canopy cover (%) at nearly a 1:1 ratio. Mean foliar cover for all species, Floristic Quality Index, species richness, and native species richness decreased as individual ERC canopy diameter increased. Results indicate that ERC encroachment is not only reducing herbaceous biomass production, but it is also altering the composition of plant communities. This highlights the importance of ERC control on grasslands and provides landowners with data that can be applied to their individual operation. To maintain or restore native grasslands, we suggest the removal of ERC through prescribed fire and/or mechanical removal every 5–10 years. Following these management strategies should maintain a healthy grassland system.

{"title":"Impact of Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) Canopy Diameter and Stand Canopy Cover on Aboveground Biomass and Composition in the Northern Great Plains Mixed-Grass Prairie","authors":"Austin Domeier , Lan Xu , Gary Hatfield , Alexander J. Smart","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eastern redcedar (ERC) (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em> L.) trees are invading prairies throughout the Great Plains. This encroachment poses a threat to native plant communities in terms of their production, regeneration, and diversity. The objectives of this study were to determine how ERC canopies impact herbaceous biomass production and composition. Square quadrats (0.25 m<sup>2</sup>) were placed in four cardinal directions underneath canopies of ERC trees ranging from 0.1–10 m in diameter and at grassland control locations. We collected herbaceous foliar cover by species and biomass estimates underneath 326 ERC trees and at 240 grassland control locations among two sites totaling 1381 samples overall. We found herbaceous biomass production underneath ERC canopies decreased exponentially with increasing ERC canopy diameter with 63–97% reduction under trees with canopies larger than 2 m. Also, biomass decreased linearly with increasing ERC stand canopy cover (%) at nearly a 1:1 ratio. Mean foliar cover for all species, Floristic Quality Index, species richness, and native species richness decreased as individual ERC canopy diameter increased. Results indicate that ERC encroachment is not only reducing herbaceous biomass production, but it is also altering the composition of plant communities. This highlights the importance of ERC control on grasslands and provides landowners with data that can be applied to their individual operation. To maintain or restore native grasslands, we suggest the removal of ERC through prescribed fire and/or mechanical removal every 5–10 years. Following these management strategies should maintain a healthy grassland system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 467-479"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Trends in the Outcomes, Practice, and Law of Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration in Western Rangelands

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.032

Julianne Scamardo , Will Munger , Kelly Loria , Benjamin Nauman , Junna Wang , Sara Leopold , Anne Heggli , Nancy Huntly , Michelle Baker , Alison M. Meadow

Low tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) is increasingly used to improve river corridor resilience to diverse stressors introduced by changing land use, climate, and water usage. However, the future of LTPBR depends on multiple physical, ecological, and social factors, including the influence of water availability on LTPBR outcomes and the legal capacity for future restoration in water-limited environments. A growing body of scientific and legal literature on LTPBR allows for a quantitative, regional comparison of LTPBR projects to understand: (1) How do physical characteristics of LTPBR projects (including structure type, number, and local setting) influence the magnitude of change following LTPBR? and (2) How are social dimensions related to practitioner attitudes and water law impacting LTPBR? We evaluated data from 65 LTPBR projects in the western U.S. that used natural beaver dams, beaver dam analogues, or one-rock dams to quantify trends in commonly measured outcomes with geographic location, project size, and local precipitation. We additionally reviewed water law in five states across the western U.S. and interviewed 13 restoration practitioners to consider the social dimensions of LTPBR. Results show that LTPBR projects significantly increased water storage, sediment storage, and riparian vegetation greenness, and that outcomes vary significantly with mean annual precipitation, time since restoration, and LTPBR type. Trends suggest that LTPBR could provide expected outcomes across western rangelands even amid changing water availability. Changes to state-level water laws and perceptions of social benefits of LTPBR could support the expansion of stream restoration in rangeland streams. More monitoring and collaborations are needed to better implement, manage, and understand LTPBR projects and outcomes.

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引用次数: 0

Prioritizing Accuracy or Efficiency: Comparing General Allometric Models for Perennial Bunchgrass Species

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-14 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.001

Scott M. Carpenter , Daniel R. Schlaepfer , Ingrid C. Burke , William K. Lauenroth

Aboveground biomass is important, yet difficult to estimate in dryland ecosystems due to high spatial heterogeneity and the variability of graminoid growth form and density. Allometric relationships are one method of estimating above-ground biomass of forage resources. These models use growth characteristics such as height or diameter to predict biomass. While allometry in forest ecosystems is common, biomass estimation in grasslands and shrublands is primarily based on harvesting or percent cover. Cover estimates vary among researchers and require double sampling at each site to create a relationship between cover and biomass. Multispecies (general) allometric models for high value forage groups, like perennial bunchgrasses, could increase the efficiency of biomass estimation by eliminating the need for destructive sampling. While some general models exist, few studies focus on the application of these models to locations outside the training populations. We tested the applicability of a general bunchgrass model to locations not included in model training against general models developed using biomass samples from our focal sites. We found that our general bunchgrass model trained on data we collected in 2019 made accurate predictions at 76% of sites and that this model outperformed a general bunchgrass model trained on data collected at different sites and by a different research group, which made accurate predictions at 64% of our sites. Despite the loss in accuracy, our study highlights the potential value in further developing general allometric equations for perennial grasses through the development of a grass database. This database may lead to the development of general models with higher confidence in extrapolation beyond the training populations increasing both efficiency and accuracy for land managers.

{"title":"Prioritizing Accuracy or Efficiency: Comparing General Allometric Models for Perennial Bunchgrass Species","authors":"Scott M. Carpenter , Daniel R. Schlaepfer , Ingrid C. Burke , William K. Lauenroth","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aboveground biomass is important, yet difficult to estimate in dryland ecosystems due to high spatial heterogeneity and the variability of graminoid growth form and density. Allometric relationships are one method of estimating above-ground biomass of forage resources. These models use growth characteristics such as height or diameter to predict biomass. While allometry in forest ecosystems is common, biomass estimation in grasslands and shrublands is primarily based on harvesting or percent cover. Cover estimates vary among researchers and require double sampling at each site to create a relationship between cover and biomass. Multispecies (general) allometric models for high value forage groups, like perennial bunchgrasses, could increase the efficiency of biomass estimation by eliminating the need for destructive sampling. While some general models exist, few studies focus on the application of these models to locations outside the training populations. We tested the applicability of a general bunchgrass model to locations not included in model training against general models developed using biomass samples from our focal sites. We found that our general bunchgrass model trained on data we collected in 2019 made accurate predictions at 76% of sites and that this model outperformed a general bunchgrass model trained on data collected at different sites and by a different research group, which made accurate predictions at 64% of our sites. Despite the loss in accuracy, our study highlights the potential value in further developing general allometric equations for perennial grasses through the development of a grass database. This database may lead to the development of general models with higher confidence in extrapolation beyond the training populations increasing both efficiency and accuracy for land managers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 177-183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Patchy Response of Cheatgrass and Nontarget Vegetation to Indaziflam and Imazapic Applied After Wildfire in Sagebrush Steppe

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.029

Chad R. Kluender , Matthew J. Germino , Brynne E. Lazarus , Ty Matthews

Control of nonnative grasses is needed where they are altering fire regimes and degrading rangelands, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion of perennial sagebrush-steppe communities. Aerial broadcast of the pre-emergent and postemergent herbicide imazapic has been used for decades over vast areas to control cheatgrass after fire. Recent small-scale studies indicate that the pre-emergent herbicide indaziflam may provide more enduring cheatgrass control. We evaluated landscape-level vegetation responses to indaziflam sprayed in replicated areas at 66.7 g · ai · ha⁻¹, with and without imazapic (66.1 g · ai · ha⁻¹) over almost 500 ha of sagebrush steppe. Herbicides were strip-sprayed by helicopter in the fall of 2019 in subregions that either 1) had burned in the summer of 2019 and had moderate background cheatgrass invasion, 2) had burned in 2011 and became heavily invaded, or 3) were burned in both 2011 and 2019 and had intermediate invasion. Tarps were temporarily deployed to intercept herbicides and create untreated controls. Overall, indaziflam + imazapic had greater initial control of cheatgrass, but by 2023, both treatments led to similar ∼17 percentage-point reductions in cheatgrass cover. Cheatgrass individuals that “escaped” the herbicide treatment grew exceptionally large and fecund. There were no reductions in cover in any native vegetation type, including biocrusts, and nontarget increases in cover were observed for 1) deep-rooted perennial grasses treated with indaziflam + imazapic in the 2011 burn subregion and 2) the shallow-rooted Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda) treated with either herbicide in the 2011 or 2011 + 2019 burn subregions. Consideration of burn legacies, pretreatment landscape condition, and evenness of treatment application may improve restoration outcomes and help prioritize management allocation, timing, and treatment expectations.

{"title":"Patchy Response of Cheatgrass and Nontarget Vegetation to Indaziflam and Imazapic Applied After Wildfire in Sagebrush Steppe","authors":"Chad R. Kluender , Matthew J. Germino , Brynne E. Lazarus , Ty Matthews","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Control of nonnative grasses is needed where they are altering fire regimes and degrading rangelands, such as cheatgrass (<em>Bromus tectorum</em>) invasion of perennial sagebrush-steppe communities. Aerial broadcast of the pre-emergent and postemergent herbicide imazapic has been used for decades over vast areas to control cheatgrass after fire. Recent small-scale studies indicate that the pre-emergent herbicide indaziflam may provide more enduring cheatgrass control. We evaluated landscape-level vegetation responses to indaziflam sprayed in replicated areas at 66.7 g · ai · ha<sup>−1</sup>, with and without imazapic (66.1 g · ai · ha<sup>−1</sup>) over almost 500 ha of sagebrush steppe. Herbicides were strip-sprayed by helicopter in the fall of 2019 in subregions that either 1) had burned in the summer of 2019 and had moderate background cheatgrass invasion, 2) had burned in 2011 and became heavily invaded, or 3) were burned in both 2011 and 2019 and had intermediate invasion. Tarps were temporarily deployed to intercept herbicides and create untreated controls. Overall, indaziflam + imazapic had greater initial control of cheatgrass, but by 2023, both treatments led to similar ∼17 percentage-point reductions in cheatgrass cover. Cheatgrass individuals that “escaped” the herbicide treatment grew exceptionally large and fecund. There were no reductions in cover in any native vegetation type, including biocrusts, and nontarget increases in cover were observed for 1) deep-rooted perennial grasses treated with indaziflam + imazapic in the 2011 burn subregion and 2) the shallow-rooted Sandberg bluegrass (<em>Poa secunda</em>) treated with either herbicide in the 2011 or 2011 + 2019 burn subregions. Consideration of burn legacies, pretreatment landscape condition, and evenness of treatment application may improve restoration outcomes and help prioritize management allocation, timing, and treatment expectations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 432-440"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

How Transhumance and Pastoral Commons Shape Plant Community Structure and Composition

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.002

Santiago A. Parra , María Eugenia Ramos-Font , Elise Buisson , Ana Belén Robles , Christel Vidaller , Daniel Pavon , Virginie Baldy , Pablo Dominguez , Francisco Godoy-Sepúlveda , Hubert Mazurek , Adrià Peña-Enguix , Pau Sanosa-Cols , Emmanuel Corcket , Didier Genin

Human practices and local governance effects on plant communities is a major question in socio-ecological sustainability. Pastoralists’ practices are intricately linked to governance systems and to their social-ecological context. For example, spatial-temporal mobility arises as a means to cope with seasonal variability of forage mass. This mobility might deeply influence plant biodiversity in rangelands by changing the ratio of perennial and annual life-forms. This study focuses on the commonly governed high-altitude rangelands of Castril, Santiago and Pontones (CSP) in North-Eastern Andalusia (Spain). CSP are grounded on three pastoralist communities who have self-organized into three different governance systems, that of Castril, Santiago and Pontones, for the use of three contiguous rangelands through extensive and transhumant grazing. Pastoralists undertaking Short-Distance Transhumance (SDT) or Long-Distance Transhumance (LDT) arrive on the CSP summer rangelands in early May and June respectively. We aim to identify plant community types within CSP to unravel the effect of community-based governances found in these three commons and the impact of the different transhumance types (SDT vs. LDT) on the plant community structure and composition. For this, during spring 2022 and 2023, we carried out 72 vegetation transects (point-contact monitoring methodology) spread in Castril, Santiago and Pontones encompassing the transhumance modalities. Plant data were analyzed through a Non-metric MultiDimensional Scaling (NMDS) ordination based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. NMDS results revealed variability within the plant community distinguishing between perennials and annuals which belong to different phytosociological classes. This variability was partially related to transhumance modalities with LDT areas showing high density of perennials, whereas SDT areas showing high density of annuals belonging to the Tuberarietea-guttatae phytosociological class. Our findings suggest that LDT areas may provide more forage mass than SDT areas during summer drought.

{"title":"How Transhumance and Pastoral Commons Shape Plant Community Structure and Composition","authors":"Santiago A. Parra , María Eugenia Ramos-Font , Elise Buisson , Ana Belén Robles , Christel Vidaller , Daniel Pavon , Virginie Baldy , Pablo Dominguez , Francisco Godoy-Sepúlveda , Hubert Mazurek , Adrià Peña-Enguix , Pau Sanosa-Cols , Emmanuel Corcket , Didier Genin","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human practices and local governance effects on plant communities is a major question in socio-ecological sustainability. Pastoralists’ practices are intricately linked to governance systems and to their social-ecological context. For example, spatial-temporal mobility arises as a means to cope with seasonal variability of forage mass. This mobility might deeply influence plant biodiversity in rangelands by changing the ratio of perennial and annual life-forms. This study focuses on the commonly governed high-altitude rangelands of Castril, Santiago and Pontones (CSP) in North-Eastern Andalusia (Spain). CSP are grounded on three pastoralist communities who have self-organized into three different governance systems, that of Castril, Santiago and Pontones, for the use of three contiguous rangelands through extensive and transhumant grazing. Pastoralists undertaking Short-Distance Transhumance (SDT) or Long-Distance Transhumance (LDT) arrive on the CSP summer rangelands in early May and June respectively. We aim to identify plant community types within CSP to unravel the effect of community-based governances found in these three commons and the impact of the different transhumance types (SDT <em>vs.</em> LDT) on the plant community structure and composition. For this, during spring 2022 and 2023, we carried out 72 vegetation transects (point-contact monitoring methodology) spread in Castril, Santiago and Pontones encompassing the transhumance modalities. Plant data were analyzed through a Non-metric MultiDimensional Scaling (NMDS) ordination based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. NMDS results revealed variability within the plant community distinguishing between perennials and annuals which belong to different phytosociological classes. This variability was partially related to transhumance modalities with LDT areas showing high density of perennials, whereas SDT areas showing high density of annuals belonging to the <em>Tuberarietea-guttatae</em> phytosociological class. Our findings suggest that LDT areas may provide more forage mass than SDT areas during summer drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 269-282"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

An Inventory of Rangeland Wildlife in the Western United States

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-11-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.003

Elizabeth A. Leipold, Hunter S. Stier, Robert T. Haynam, Laura Robison, Aubrey R. Sullivan, Taylor L. Kaltenbach, Laura R. Dykstra, B. Ray Beaver, Morgan Monroe, Olivia G. Jakabosky, Lance B. McNew

The absence of an accurate account of rangeland fauna is becoming increasingly limiting due to the threats created by climate change, biodiversity loss, energy extraction, and changing land use in the western United States, all of which pose new challenges for effective rangeland management. To address this lack of information and underscore the importance of rangelands for wildlife biodiversity, we conducted a rigorous, standardized, and comprehensive inventory of vertebrates inhabiting rangeland ecosystems in the western United States. We classified each species as rangeland dependent, rangeland associated, or nonrangeland associated based on their habitat, life history, and food requirements. Additionally, we identified primary habitat type associations, as well as the federal (USA) and international conservation statuses for each species. Our inventory included 1,593 species in the 21 western U.S. states, with 1,066 classified as rangeland species (429 rangeland dependent, 637 rangeland associated). Among rangeland species, 2% are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and 3% are considered either endangered or critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Our baseline inventory can be used in the development of management plans for rangeland ecosystems and to inspire conservation efforts for these critical ecosystems.

{"title":"An Inventory of Rangeland Wildlife in the Western United States","authors":"Elizabeth A. Leipold, Hunter S. Stier, Robert T. Haynam, Laura Robison, Aubrey R. Sullivan, Taylor L. Kaltenbach, Laura R. Dykstra, B. Ray Beaver, Morgan Monroe, Olivia G. Jakabosky, Lance B. McNew","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The absence of an accurate account of rangeland fauna is becoming increasingly limiting due to the threats created by climate change, biodiversity loss, energy extraction, and changing land use in the western United States, all of which pose new challenges for effective rangeland management. To address this lack of information and underscore the importance of rangelands for wildlife biodiversity, we conducted a rigorous, standardized, and comprehensive inventory of vertebrates inhabiting rangeland ecosystems in the western United States. We classified each species as rangeland dependent, rangeland associated, or nonrangeland associated based on their habitat, life history, and food requirements. Additionally, we identified primary habitat type associations, as well as the federal (USA) and international conservation statuses for each species. Our inventory included 1,593 species in the 21 western U.S. states, with 1,066 classified as rangeland species (429 rangeland dependent, 637 rangeland associated). Among rangeland species, 2% are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and 3% are considered either endangered or critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Our baseline inventory can be used in the development of management plans for rangeland ecosystems and to inspire conservation efforts for these critical ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 170-176"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142745712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Exploring Rangeland Dynamics in Punjab, Pakistan: Integrating LULC, LST, and Remote Sensing for Ecosystem Analysis (2000–2020)

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.09.008

Li Feng , Iram Naz , Abdul Quddoos , Zeeshan Zafar , Menglan Gan , Muhammad Aslam , Zeenat Khadim Hussain , Walid Soufan , Khalid F. Almutairi

Rangelands, covering 40% of Earth's land surface, play a crucial role in global ecosystem services and local livelihoods. In Punjab, Pakistan, these ecosystems face significant pressures from land-use changes and climate variability. This study aims to assess rangeland dynamics in Punjab's Khushab and Bhakkar districts from 2000 to 2020 using multitemporal satellite imagery and geospatial analysis. We integrated Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification, Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis, and vegetation indices to provide a comprehensive assessment of rangeland conditions. Random Forest and Support Vector Machine classifiers were employed for LULC mapping, achieving overall accuracies above 85%. Results reveal a significant decline in rangeland areas, from 9% (1 338.1 km²) in 2000 to 7% (983.7 km²) in 2020, primarily due to conversion to cropland. LST analysis showed an increase in both minimum (from 26.47 to 28.19°C) and maximum (from 44.60 to 47.44°C) temperatures. Vegetation indices indicated complex dynamics, with improvements in vegetation cover but periods of stress observed. These findings highlight the vulnerability of Punjab's rangelands to land-use changes and climate variability, emphasizing the need for targeted conservation strategies and sustainable land management practices. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated remote sensing approaches in monitoring rangeland ecosystems and provides a foundation for evidence-based policy decisions to balance agricultural development with rangeland conservation in semiarid regions.

{"title":"Exploring Rangeland Dynamics in Punjab, Pakistan: Integrating LULC, LST, and Remote Sensing for Ecosystem Analysis (2000–2020)","authors":"Li Feng , Iram Naz , Abdul Quddoos , Zeeshan Zafar , Menglan Gan , Muhammad Aslam , Zeenat Khadim Hussain , Walid Soufan , Khalid F. Almutairi","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rangelands, covering 40% of Earth's land surface, play a crucial role in global ecosystem services and local livelihoods. In Punjab, Pakistan, these ecosystems face significant pressures from land-use changes and climate variability. This study aims to assess rangeland dynamics in Punjab's Khushab and Bhakkar districts from 2000 to 2020 using multitemporal satellite imagery and geospatial analysis. We integrated Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification, Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis, and vegetation indices to provide a comprehensive assessment of rangeland conditions. Random Forest and Support Vector Machine classifiers were employed for LULC mapping, achieving overall accuracies above 85%. Results reveal a significant decline in rangeland areas, from 9% (1 338.1 km²) in 2000 to 7% (983.7 km²) in 2020, primarily due to conversion to cropland. LST analysis showed an increase in both minimum (from 26.47 to 28.19°C) and maximum (from 44.60 to 47.44°C) temperatures. Vegetation indices indicated complex dynamics, with improvements in vegetation cover but periods of stress observed. These findings highlight the vulnerability of Punjab's rangelands to land-use changes and climate variability, emphasizing the need for targeted conservation strategies and sustainable land management practices. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated remote sensing approaches in monitoring rangeland ecosystems and provides a foundation for evidence-based policy decisions to balance agricultural development with rangeland conservation in semiarid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 377-388"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The Influence of Grazing on the Spatiotemporal Activity Patterns of a Primary Sage-Grouse Nest Predator

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.012

Nolan A. Helmstetter , Courtney J. Conway , Shane Roberts , Paul D. Makela , Lisette P. Waits

Perturbations in ecological processes can occur when wildlife alter their spatiotemporal activity patterns to avoid human activities that they perceive as a risk. Such perturbations can have cascading effects throughout wildlife communities. For greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse), nest predation plays an important role in population dynamics. Domestic cattle (Bos taurus) grazing has been hypothesized to increase nest predation by reducing grass height, and therefore reducing nest concealment, which may facilitate nest detection by predators. Grass height is lower on grazed pastures, but sage-grouse nest success appears similar on pastures grazed at varying intensities in several recent studies. Any reductions in nest concealment caused by grazing could potentially be offset by a localized response of one or more nest predators to the presence of cattle (i.e., the cattle avoidance hypothesis). A reduction in nest predator density or relative use within pastures could explain similar patterns of nest success on pastures grazed at varying intensities. Also, wildlife can potentially partition themselves temporally to avoid risks associated with human activities. For example, a shift in diel activity patterns by nest predators in response to cattle could result in predators being active during portions of the day when they are less efficient at locating sage-grouse nests. Thus, the effects of grazing could be offset by a temporal avoidance of cattle by predators. We deployed motion sensor cameras across six pastures to evaluate whether coyotes (Canis latrans; a primary sage-grouse nest predator) altered spatiotemporal activity patterns in response to cattle. We found that the probability of detecting coyotes had a positive relationship with cattle detections at camera sites (β = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.14,0.30). We also found that coyotes did not shift their diel activity patterns in response to cattle being in the pastures. Thus, in our system, similar sage-grouse nest success among pastures with different grazing intensities cannot be explained by the cattle avoidance hypothesis, at least for coyotes.

{"title":"The Influence of Grazing on the Spatiotemporal Activity Patterns of a Primary Sage-Grouse Nest Predator","authors":"Nolan A. Helmstetter , Courtney J. Conway , Shane Roberts , Paul D. Makela , Lisette P. Waits","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perturbations in ecological processes can occur when wildlife alter their spatiotemporal activity patterns to avoid human activities that they perceive as a risk. Such perturbations can have cascading effects throughout wildlife communities. For greater sage-grouse (<em>Centrocercus urophasianus</em>; hereafter sage-grouse), nest predation plays an important role in population dynamics. Domestic cattle (<em>Bos taurus</em>) grazing has been hypothesized to increase nest predation by reducing grass height, and therefore reducing nest concealment, which may facilitate nest detection by predators. Grass height is lower on grazed pastures, but sage-grouse nest success appears similar on pastures grazed at varying intensities in several recent studies. Any reductions in nest concealment caused by grazing could potentially be offset by a localized response of one or more nest predators to the presence of cattle (i.e., the cattle avoidance hypothesis). A reduction in nest predator density or relative use within pastures could explain similar patterns of nest success on pastures grazed at varying intensities. Also, wildlife can potentially partition themselves temporally to avoid risks associated with human activities. For example, a shift in diel activity patterns by nest predators in response to cattle could result in predators being active during portions of the day when they are less efficient at locating sage-grouse nests. Thus, the effects of grazing could be offset by a temporal avoidance of cattle by predators. We deployed motion sensor cameras across six pastures to evaluate whether coyotes (<em>Canis latrans</em>; a primary sage-grouse nest predator) altered spatiotemporal activity patterns in response to cattle. We found that the probability of detecting coyotes had a positive relationship with cattle detections at camera sites (β = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.14,0.30). We also found that coyotes did not shift their diel activity patterns in response to cattle being in the pastures. Thus, in our system, similar sage-grouse nest success among pastures with different grazing intensities cannot be explained by the cattle avoidance hypothesis, at least for coyotes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 316-323"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0