Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献_第2页

Biophysical Challenges to Pastoral Mobility in Northern Tanzania 坦桑尼亚北部牧民流动面临的生物物理挑战

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.004

Anna Christina Treydte , Amana Othman Kilawi , Janeth Baraka Mngulwi , Gladys Lendii

Rangelands, covering almost 50% of our global land surface, provide essential natural resources for pastoralists and their livestock. Most pastoralists follow a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle, which is increasingly hampered due to high human and livestock populations as well as environmental, social, and political challenges. In eastern Africa, rangeland health is additionally threatened by overgrazing, land erosion, and increasing climatic extremes. Little is known about how pastoralists perceive these challenges, what their adaptation strategies are, and whether the latter are fostering new risks and challenges. Our mixed-methods approach used semistructured interviews with 69 pastoralists in Longido and Monduli districts, northern Tanzania. We also conducted four focus group discussions of both men and women pastoralists, combined with secondary data and expert interviews on livestock populations and mortalities from governmental offices. We applied statistical analyses (t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson’s correlation) and mapped rangeland use and movements in a geographic information system. We found that most pastoralists are well aware of declining pasture quality and have adapted to climatic and environmental challenges. The most frequent response was moving further with cattle while small livestock (goats and sheep) stayed at homesteads during severe droughts. Both female and male pastoralists mentioned that these longer movement routes bore risks of conflict, diseases, and famine. These novel, drought-triggered migration routes were up to 644 km long, directed North into Kenya or South into central or coastal Tanzania. Most pastoralists additionally used supplemental feed for livestock during difficult times. We conclude that, as rangeland quality declined, routes and movement in search of pasture increased in Tanzania, leading to increasing challenges and risks associated with drought, conflicts, encountering dangerous animals, and exposure to zoonotic diseases while crossing landscapes. A holistic way of addressing these risks is urgently needed for long-term land use planning and sustainability of pastoral systems in eastern Africa.

牧场几乎占全球陆地面积的50%，为牧民及其牲畜提供了重要的自然资源。大多数牧民都过着游牧或半游牧的生活方式，由于人口和牲畜数量众多以及环境、社会和政治挑战，这种生活方式日益受到阻碍。在东非，牧场的健康还受到过度放牧、土地侵蚀和日益严重的极端气候的威胁。对于牧民如何看待这些挑战，他们的适应策略是什么，以及后者是否正在孕育新的风险和挑战，人们知之甚少。我们的混合方法采用了半结构化访谈，采访了坦桑尼亚北部朗基多和蒙杜里地区的69名牧民。我们还对男女牧民进行了四次焦点小组讨论，并结合了二手数据和来自政府部门的关于牲畜种群和死亡率的专家访谈。我们应用了统计分析（t检验、方差分析和Pearson相关分析），并在地理信息系统中绘制了牧场使用和运动图。我们发现，大多数牧民都很清楚牧场质量的下降，并已经适应了气候和环境的挑战。最常见的应对措施是在严重干旱期间带着牛进一步迁移，而小牲畜（山羊和绵羊）则留在家中。女性和男性牧民都提到，这些较长的迁徙路线有冲突、疾病和饥荒的风险。这些新颖的、由干旱引发的迁徙路线长达644公里，向北进入肯尼亚，向南进入坦桑尼亚中部或沿海。大多数牧民在困难时期还为牲畜使用补充饲料。我们的结论是，随着牧场质量的下降，坦桑尼亚寻找牧场的路线和流动增加，导致在穿越景观时与干旱、冲突、遇到危险动物和接触人畜共患疾病相关的挑战和风险增加。东非迫切需要一种解决这些风险的整体方法，以实现长期土地利用规划和畜牧系统的可持续性。

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引用次数: 0

Herbivore Dung Deposition Enhances the Decomposition of Fine Root Litter in a Tibetan Alpine Meadow

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.005

Yixuan Li, Shiting Zhang

The effects of grazers’ dung deposition on leaf litter in Tibetan alpine meadows are well-established: generally having a positive influence on the decomposition process. However, little is known about how dung deposition influences root litter decomposition belowground, given that roots account for approximately a quarter of plant biomass in these meadows, which is a notable knowledge gap. Our objective was to investigate the effects of yak (the system’s primary grazer) dung on fine root litter decomposition. We conducted a root litter decomposition experiment in an alpine grassland over 2 yr, with and without experimental yak dung deposition. We measured root litter mass loss, chemical composition, and extracellular enzyme activity at intervals of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 yr. After 2 yr, sites with dung application demonstrated faster root litter mass loss (8%), a greater decomposition rate constant (k), and increased root litter nitrogen and phosphorus. At the 0.5 yr, sites with dung application demonstrated minimal outcomes on litter enzymes associated with decomposition, with only higher acid phosphatase (AP) activity. However, during 0.5–2 yr, all measured litter enzymes were affected by dung application, with higher β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) activity, and lower activities of both AP and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). Our results suggest that dung application had no effects on fine root decomposition at early stage (0.5 yr), possibly due to the buffering effect of the soil layer. In contrast, dung application could accelerate fine root decomposition at middle stage (0.5–2.0 yr), mainly by enhancing BG activity associated with cellulose decomposition due to alleviating nutrient limitation on microbes. As the overall number of yaks in the Tibetan grasslands is anticipated to rise in the future, this could exert a profound influence on the ecosystem functioning by promoting the decomposition of fine roots.

然而，由于在这些草甸中，根约占植物生物量的四分之一，因此对于粪便沉积如何影响地下凋落物的分解知之甚少，这是一个显著的知识缺口。我们的目的是研究牦牛粪便（该系统的主要食草动物）对细根凋落物分解的影响。在某高寒草地进行了2年多的枯落物分解试验，并进行了牦牛粪沉积试验。我们在0.5、1、1.5和2年的间隔时间内测量了凋落物的质量损失、化学成分和细胞外酶活性。2年后，施用粪便的地点表现出更快的凋落物质量损失（8%），更大的分解速率常数(k)，以及更高的凋落物氮和磷。在0.5年时，施用粪便的地点对与分解相关的凋落物酶的影响最小，只有较高的酸性磷酸酶（AP）活性。然而，在0.5 ~ 2年期间，粪便施用对凋落物酶均有影响，β-1,4-葡萄糖苷酶（BG）活性升高，AP和n -乙酰-β-d-葡萄糖苷酶（NAG）活性降低。结果表明，施用粪肥对早期（0.5 yr）细根分解没有影响，这可能与土层的缓冲作用有关。粪处理可促进中期（0.5 ~ 2.0 yr）细根分解，主要是通过缓解微生物对养分的限制，提高与纤维素分解相关的BG活性。

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引用次数: 0

Long-Term Monitoring Indicates Stability of Summer Range Forage Resources at the US Sheep Experiment Station 长期监测表明美国绵羊试验站夏季牧场牧草资源的稳定性

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.015

Hailey Wilmer , Jonathan Spiess , Corey Moffet , Keith Klement , John Walker , Amira Burns , J. Bret Taylor , William Laycock

Vegetation monitoring data can help managers better understand plant community dynamics and herbivore ecology, thereby supporting the resilience of rangelands. Monitoring data can be useful for managers of high-elevation grazing areas used by livestock during the summer months, where relatively little grazing ecology research has been conducted, and social acceptance of livestock grazing is declining. In this study, we examine plant community composition data collected across grassland, tall forb, open conifer, and sagebrush-dominated locations (n = 59) in 1959, 1978, and 1994 at the US Sheep Experiment Station Summer Range in Beaverhead County, Montana. Are research questions are: 1) to what extent do plant communities in four vegetation types in 1959 differ from one another?; 2) what environmental gradients are correlated with these differences?; and 3) to what extent do plant community composition, biomass, and rangeland cover characteristics in the four vegetation types differ over the 35 yr study period (1959–1994)? After processing the data with modern quality assurance methods, physically verifying plots, and cleaning the species database, we used a combination of linear mixed models and unconstrained ordination analyses. We detected 122 species or species groups. We found separation in the composition between sagebrush and grassland vegetation types, with notable overlap between open conifer, tall forb, and sagebrush communities. We detected little directional change in plant communities over the study period. Herbaceous biomass measurements tracked precipitation, remaining similar in 1959 and 1994 but peaking in 1978 for all vegetation life forms except shrubs. These results illustrate the resilience of diverse summer range plant communities under long-term range sheep grazing. The continued sustainability of these systems will depend on adaptive, flexible grazing management and continued research exploring relationships between disturbance regimes, plant communities, and agroecological management.

植被监测数据可以帮助管理者更好地了解植物群落动态和草食生态，从而支持牧场的恢复能力。监测数据对夏季高海拔放牧区的管理者很有用，在夏季，放牧生态学研究相对较少，社会对牲畜放牧的接受程度正在下降。在这项研究中，我们分析了1959年、1978年和1994年在蒙大拿州比弗黑德县的美国绵羊实验站夏季牧场收集的草地、高牧草、开放针叶树和山艾树为主的地点（n = 59）的植物群落组成数据。研究的问题是：1)1959年四种植被类型的植物群落在多大程度上存在差异？2)哪些环境梯度与这些差异相关？3)在35年的研究期间（1959-1994），四种植被类型的植物群落组成、生物量和草地覆盖特征在多大程度上存在差异？采用现代质量保证方法对数据进行处理，对样地进行物理验证，并对物种数据库进行清理，采用线性混合模型和无约束排序分析相结合的方法。共检测到122种或种群。结果表明，山艾树与草地植被类型在组成上存在分异，开放针叶、高叶和山艾树群落之间存在明显的重叠。在研究期间，我们发现植物群落的方向性变化很小。草本生物量测量与降水有关，在1959年和1994年保持相似，但在1978年达到峰值，灌木除外。这些结果说明了长期放牧对不同夏岭植物群落的恢复力。这些系统的持续可持续性将取决于适应性、灵活的放牧管理，以及对干扰机制、植物群落和农业生态管理之间关系的持续研究。

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引用次数: 0

Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Bush Control Methods in a Montane Rangeland 不同灌丛防治方法在山地草地上的效果比较

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.001

Retselisitsoe J. Stephen , Lerato Seleteng-Kose , Botle Mapeshoane , Makoala V. Marake , Peter Chatanga

Bush encroachment into rangelands is a topical issue across the globe, especially in semiarid regions, including southern Africa. Because this has negative implications for livestock production and biodiversity conservation, effective and sustainable methods for managing bush encroachment should be explored. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of four methods of bush control (manual uprooting, fire, chemical control, and high-density overnight kraaling [HDOK]) on herbaceous vegetation and bush species in a montane rangeland in Sehlabathebe, Qacha’s Nek District, Lesotho. The study conducted a field experiment in which four bush control treatments were applied to different sections of a rangeland for one season. Herbaceous vegetation and shrub vegetation attributes were assessed before and after bush control treatments. The assessment recorded a total of 92 herbaceous species, belonging to 68 genera and 25 families, before treatments and a total of 147 species, belonging to 102 genera and 37 families, after treatments. There was a significant increase in herbaceous species richness following fire and manual uprooting bush control treatments (p < 0.001). The abundance of forb species (p < 0.01) was enhanced by fire, while the abundance of highly palatable grass species was enhanced by HDOK. The analysis of the four most frequent bush species revealed that Chrysocoma ciliata, Helichrysum trilineatum, Inulanthera thodei, and Selago flanaganii were significantly reduced by manual uprooting, fire, and HDOK bush control treatments. HDOK was the most effective method, followed by manual uprooting, fire, and chemical control, in decreasing order of effectiveness. In addition, a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in bush species richness and evenness was recorded following the HDOK treatment. Thus, the study demonstrated important preliminary evidence that HDOK could be the best method for bush control in the montane rangelands of Lesotho, followed by manual uprooting, fire, and chemical control, in that order.

布什入侵牧场是全球的热门话题，尤其是在半干旱地区，包括非洲南部。由于这对畜牧业生产和生物多样性保护具有负面影响，因此应探索有效和可持续的管理丛林入侵的方法。本研究旨在比较莱索托Qacha 's Nek区sehlabathbe山区草本植被和灌木的4种防治方法（人工拔除、火灾、化学防治和高密度夜间灭杀[HDOK]）的效果。该研究进行了一项田间试验，在一个季节内，在一个牧场的不同区域施用四种灌木防治处理。对防治灌木处理前后草本植被和灌木植被属性进行了评价。处理前共记录草本植物92种，隶属于25科68属；处理后共记录草本植物147种，隶属于37科102属。在火灾和人工拔除灌木控制处理后，草本物种丰富度显著增加（p < 0.001）。火能提高草本植物的丰富度（p < 0.01），火能提高牧草的丰富度（p < 0.01）。对4种最常见的灌木进行分析发现，人工连根拔除、火灾和HDOK灌木防治措施显著减少了毛毛金虫、三线蜡菊、菊甲和雪雀的数量。HDOK是最有效的方法，其次是人工连根拔、火灾和化学防治。此外，HDOK处理显著降低了灌木物种丰富度和均匀度（p < 0.01）。因此，该研究提供了重要的初步证据，证明HDOK可能是莱索托山地草地灌木控制的最佳方法，其次是人工连根拔，其次是火灾，最后是化学控制。

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引用次数: 0

Evaluating Nondestructive Age Estimation Methods for Big Sagebrush, a Long-Lived, Wide-Ranging Shrub 长寿命、广域灌木—大山艾树无损年龄估计方法的评价

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.003

Treyton S. Harris , Joshua B. Grinath , Richard Rachman , Jennifer Sorensen Forbey , Kathryn G. Turner

Accurately assessing the age structure of plant populations is essential for understanding their dynamics and predicting responses to environmental change. Long-lived shrubs, like big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), play foundational roles in sagebrush ecosystems across Western North America. Yet, their age demographics are often underexplored due to the challenges of nondestructively estimating age. Here, we first assessed nondestructive techniques for estimating age in one subspecies of big sagebrush, identifying basal stem circumference as the morphological trait most strongly correlated with age (r² = 0.508). However, the strength of this relationship differed considerably across sites, with r² values spanning from 0.116 to 0.709. We then evaluated the predictive accuracy of this trait across populations of two subspecies of big sagebrush. While basal stem circumference remained a robust predictor of age, its accuracy varied between subspecies and across populations, suggesting that local environmental factors may influence its reliability. Prediction accuracy was modest overall, with errors exceeding 10 yr and accuracy declining at the youngest and oldest ages. Prediction accuracy varied among subspecies and sites in response to local environmental conditions. Despite these limitations, these methods have practical implications for conservation and restoration, as circumference-based estimates can help managers quickly gauge whether recovering stands contain a mix of age classes, evaluate restoration success without destructive sampling, and anticipate how sagebrush populations may respond to disturbance or climate change.

准确评估植物种群的年龄结构对了解其动态和预测其对环境变化的响应至关重要。长寿命的灌木，如大山艾树（Artemisia tridentata），在北美西部的山艾树生态系统中起着基础作用。然而，由于非破坏性估计年龄的挑战，他们的年龄人口统计往往未得到充分研究。在这里，我们首先评估了用于估计大山艾属一个亚种年龄的无损技术，确定基部茎周长是与年龄最密切相关的形态学特征（r2 = 0.508）。然而，这种关系的强度在不同的地点差异很大，r²值从0.116到0.709不等。然后，我们评估了这一特征在大山艾树两个亚种种群中的预测准确性。虽然茎基周长仍然是一个可靠的年龄预测指标，但其准确性在亚种和种群之间存在差异，这表明当地环境因素可能影响其可靠性。总体而言，预测准确度一般，误差超过10年，在最年轻和最年长的年龄，准确度下降。不同亚种和地点的预测精度因当地环境条件而异。尽管存在这些局限性，但这些方法对保护和恢复具有实际意义，因为基于周长的估算可以帮助管理者快速衡量恢复的林分是否包含不同年龄层的混合，评估恢复成功而不进行破坏性采样，并预测山艾树种群如何应对干扰或气候变化。

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引用次数: 0

Effects of Seeding Rate and Sowing Season on the Establishment Success of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis) 播量和播种季节对怀俄明大艾属植物成活率的影响。wyomingensis)

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.002

Melissa Landeen , Kevin Gunnell , Daniel D. Summers , Matthew D. Madsen , Antonio Villanueva-Morales

Sagebrush seedings in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) ecosystems often experience high failure rates. We tested the hypotheses that 1) sowing season impacts spring seedling emergence, 2) increasing seeding rate will result in higher seedling emergence, 3) pressing seed into the soil surface improves seeding outcomes, and 4) year is an important factor in sagebrush seedling emergence. Over four study years, we used a randomized complete block split-plot design to compare eleven seeding rates sown on seven dates throughout fall and winter at two locations in central Utah. We also seeded paired plots during the fall sowing seasons with a roller-packer wheel treatment to improve seed-soil contact. Each spring, seedling density was recorded. Data was analyzed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and Pearson correlation. Year strongly impacted seedling density (P < 0.0001), with emergence limited or nonexistent in two study years. In years where emergence occurred, seeding rate was related to seedling density with a positive linear relationship (r = 0.32; P < 0.0001) indicating a similar percentage of seed emerged regardless of seeding rate. Mid-fall and fall sowings resulted in 7 to 8-fold higher seedling density than a traditional mid-winter sowing. The application of a roller-packer treatment did not affect seedling emergence when compared across multiple years (P = 0.5493) or multiple sowing seasons within a single year (P = 0.9920). Finally, a correlation analysis indicated a negative relationship between snow depth at the time of sowing and seedling density the following spring (r = −0.18; P < 0.0001). Overall, these findings show that sagebrush seeding efforts can be improved by altering the sowing season from winter to fall and increasing seeding rates, but annual environmental conditions serve as a primary bottleneck in sagebrush establishment.

怀俄明州大山艾树（Artemisia tridentata Nutt.）生态系统的山艾树种子经常经历高失败率。结果表明：播种季节影响春苗出苗，播种率提高可提高出苗率，种子压入土壤表面可提高出苗效果，年份是影响山艾苗木出苗的重要因素。在四年的研究中，我们采用了随机完全块分割地块设计，比较了犹他州中部两个地点在秋季和冬季七个日期播种的十一种播种率。我们还在秋播季节用滚轮封隔器处理成对地块进行播种，以改善种子与土壤的接触。每年春天记录幼苗密度。数据分析采用广义线性混合模型（glmm）和Pearson相关。年份对苗木密度影响较大（P < 0.0001），两个研究年份苗木出苗率有限或不出苗率。在出苗期，出苗率与幼苗密度呈线性正相关（r = 0.32;P < 0.0001），表明无论出苗率如何，种子出苗率相似。秋中期和秋季播种的幼苗密度比传统的冬中期播种高7至8倍。不同年份（P = 0.5493）和一年内多个播种季节（P = 0.9920）施用滚封处理对幼苗出苗没有影响。最后，相关分析表明播种时积雪深度与次年春季幼苗密度呈负相关（r = −0.18;P < 0.0001）。综上所述，通过冬秋交替播种季节和提高播种率可以提高山艾树的播种效率，但年度环境条件是山艾树播种的主要瓶颈。

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引用次数: 0

Drivers of Weed Control Implementation and Challenges: Perspectives From Weed Management Professionals 杂草控制实施的驱动因素和挑战：来自杂草管理专业人士的观点

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-11-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.001

Kristina E. Young , Aaron Lien , José Carvalho de Souza Dias , Katherine Hovanes , Elise S. Gornish

Invasive, nonnative plant species are a major driver of global change due to their ability to disrupt ecological structure and function. However, despite substantial promising research into effective weed management strategies, large-scale invasive plant (hereafter “weeds”) reduction is rarely achieved. While the reasons for this disconnect are multifaceted, one documented cause is the limited overlap between researchers studying weed management and the practitioners enacting it. Here, we help close this research-implementation gap by surveying those involved with weed management across Utah and Arizona, two states in the American West that face considerable weed infestations on working landscapes. We asked weed management professionals across working landscapes to indicate how often they use different weed control techniques recommended by integrated weed management practices (specifically, prescribed fire, herbicide, grazing, and seeding), how effective they find the techniques to be, and concerns related to each treatment. Because the literature implies that many of these techniques are effective alone or in concert, we expected logistical concerns (i.e., cost, access to equipment, lack of information) would be the dominant reasons for not pursuing a weed control strategy. We found that weed management professionals are relying heavily on herbicide and are using other weed control techniques at a much smaller frequency. Weed management professionals list multiple concerns with different weed control treatments, but most concerns were not logistical in nature. Instead, concerns centered around ecological and weather constraints such as inadequate weed control when grazing, lack of seed establishment, and losing control of fire. We recommend ways in which researchers can work with practitioners to address weed treatment concerns to increase the diversity of weed control treatments used in working landscapes.

外来入侵植物由于其破坏生态结构和功能的能力而成为全球变化的主要驱动力。然而，尽管对有效的杂草管理策略进行了大量有前途的研究，但很少实现大规模入侵植物（以下简称“杂草”）的减少。虽然造成这种脱节的原因是多方面的，但一个有记录的原因是研究杂草管理的研究人员和实施杂草管理的从业人员之间的重叠有限。在这里，我们通过调查犹他州和亚利桑那州的杂草管理人员来帮助缩小研究与实施之间的差距，这两个州位于美国西部，在工作景观中面临着相当大的杂草侵扰。我们询问了工作区域内的杂草管理专业人员，他们使用综合杂草管理实践推荐的不同杂草控制技术的频率（具体来说，规定的火灾、除草剂、放牧和播种），他们发现这些技术的效果如何，以及与每种处理相关的问题。由于文献表明，许多这些技术单独或协同有效，我们预计后勤问题（即成本，获取设备，缺乏信息）将是不采取杂草控制策略的主要原因。我们发现杂草管理专业人员严重依赖除草剂，使用其他杂草控制技术的频率要小得多。杂草管理专业人士列出了不同杂草控制方法的多种问题，但大多数问题本质上不是后勤问题。相反，人们的担忧集中在生态和天气限制上，比如放牧时杂草控制不足、种子建立不足、火灾失控。我们建议研究人员可以与从业人员合作解决杂草处理问题，以增加工作景观中使用的杂草控制处理的多样性。

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引用次数: 0

Collaborative Adaptation to Institutional Shocks: Drivers and Outcomes of Communication Network Between Herders 对制度冲击的协同适应：牧民沟通网络的驱动因素与结果

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-11-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.002

Dayuan Xing , Haibin Chen , Liqun Shao , Han Zhang , Xianli Xia

Small-holder herders in pastoral areas are confronted with multisource risks, among which conservation policies represent a prominent institutional shock. Collaboration is widely advocated to address such complex and uncertain challenges, yet studies on how local herders informally collaborate to adapt to institutional shocks remain limited. Taking a pastoral village on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as a case study, the paper employs the Exponential Random Graph Model to investigate the drivers of communication network formation and the Auto-Logistic Actor Attribute Model to examine its impacts on individual adaptability, assessed by whether they can comply with stocking rate requirements imposed by rangeland conservation programs while sustaining their livelihoods. A tightly bonded network was found to emerge from relational transitivity and promote the adoption of adaptive actions. Network decentralization was observed to diversify information sources, thereby enhancing adaptability. Preferential attachment and homophily significantly influenced network formation, though different actor attributes played divergent roles and produced counterbalancing effects on individual adaptability. To achieve the dual goals of resource conservation and livelihood sustainability, we emphasize that collaborative networks should be weaved to align with the nature of collective dilemmas, meanwhile, measures should be implemented to mitigate adverse effects from potential network polarization.

牧区小农牧民面临多源风险，其中保护政策是一个突出的制度冲击。协作被广泛提倡以应对这些复杂和不确定的挑战，但关于当地牧民如何非正式协作以适应制度冲击的研究仍然有限。一个紧密结合的网络从关系及物性中出现，并促进了适应性行为的采用。网络去中心化可以使信息源多样化，从而增强适应性。偏好依恋和同质性对网络的形成有显著影响，但不同行为者属性在网络中的作用是不同的，并产生了个体适应性的抵消效应。为实现资源保护和生计可持续的双重目标，我们强调应根据集体困境的性质编织合作网络，同时应采取措施减轻潜在网络极化的不利影响。

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引用次数: 0

Economic Assessment of Virtual Fencing Technology in Dairy Systems: A Model Study in Temperate Climates 虚拟围栏技术在奶牛系统中的经济评价：温带气候下的模型研究

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-11-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.014

Anna Kiefer , Johannes Isselstein , Enno Bahrs

Recent developments in Europe indicate a continuous decline in pasture-based dairy farming, despite its recognized advantages in grassland regions, including reduced food–feed competition, lower feed costs, and enhanced animal welfare. The management of large herds across extensive grazing areas typically requires precise and labor-intensive fencing operations using electrical physical fences (EPFs), which depend on fixed or semi-mobile infrastructure—such as wires, posts, and energizers—to allocate fresh pastures according to animals’ nutritional demands. Virtual fencing (VF) represents an emerging technological alternative that utilizes GPS-enabled collars and software-based geofencing to regulate livestock movement without physical barriers. This approach offers the potential to reduce labor requirements and increase flexibility in pasture management. However, the economic and technical disparities between EPF and VF systems necessitate an assessment of farm-specific conditions under which VF can serve as a feasible substitute. This study investigated the economic and managerial determinants influencing the adoption of VF systems in temperate dairy production. The findings demonstrate that the economic performance of VF is highly dependent on farm size, pasture management strategy, and the extent of necessary operational adaptations. While VF can considerably reduce labor input, its economic viability remains limited by substantial initial investment and adaptation costs unless management practices are specifically optimized. Profitability increases with a higher proportion of grazed herbage in livestock diets. The integration of VF with complementary digital technologies could further enhance its efficiency and practical applicability. Moreover, targeted policy measures–such as those within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP, 2023–2027)—and investments in research, training, and advisory services may foster wider adoption. Recognizing and compensating the ecosystem services facilitated by VF could further strengthen its economic sustainability. Nevertheless, integration into agri-environmental schemes requires further clarification of legal, ethical, and technical standards to ensure compliance with animal welfare and data governance frameworks.

欧洲最近的发展表明，尽管牧场奶牛养殖在草原地区具有公认的优势，包括减少食品饲料竞争、降低饲料成本和提高动物福利，但其持续下降。在广阔的牧区管理大型畜群通常需要使用电气物理围栏（epf）进行精确和劳动密集型的围栏操作，这依赖于固定或半移动的基础设施，如电线、柱子和电源，根据动物的营养需求分配新鲜的牧场。虚拟围栏（VF）是一种新兴的技术替代方案，它利用具有gps功能的项圈和基于软件的地理围栏，在没有物理障碍的情况下调节牲畜的运动。这种方法提供了减少劳动力需求和增加牧场管理灵活性的潜力。但是，紧急方案基金和野生动物基金系统之间的经济和技术差异需要评估野生动物基金作为可行替代品的具体农场条件。本研究调查了影响在温带乳制品生产中采用VF系统的经济和管理因素。研究结果表明，VF的经济效益高度依赖于农场规模、牧场管理策略和必要的经营适应程度。虽然VF可以大大减少劳动力投入，但其经济可行性仍然受到大量初始投资和适应成本的限制，除非管理实践得到特别优化。牲畜日粮中牧草的比例越高，盈利能力越高。将VF与互补的数字技术相结合，可以进一步提高其效率和实用性。此外，有针对性的政策措施——例如共同农业政策（CAP, 2023-2027）——以及对研究、培训和咨询服务的投资可能会促进更广泛的采用。承认和补偿森林生态系统服务可以进一步加强森林的经济可持续性。然而，融入农业环境计划需要进一步澄清法律、道德和技术标准，以确保符合动物福利和数据治理框架。

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引用次数: 0

Does Drought Intensify the Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Production and Net Revenue in Semiarid Rangelands? 干旱是否加剧了半干旱草原黑尾土拨鼠对牲畜生产和净收入的影响？

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2025-11-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.04.011

David J. Augustine , John P. Ritten , David L. Hoover , Justin D. Derner

In the western Great Plains, black-tailed prairie dogs are well known to have substantial effects on the quantity and nutritional quality of grassland vegetation. However, the degree to which this affects livestock production has been challenging to quantify due to high temporal variability in precipitation and forage growth rates, as well as substantial variation in prairie dog populations induced by periodic disease outbreaks. Here, we examine the effects of black-tailed prairie dogs on the productivity and economic returns of yearling steers grazing semiarid rangeland of eastern Colorado during a series of years that included above-average precipitation and severe drought. We evaluated the degree to which drought suppresses livestock weight gains in the presence versus absence of prairie dogs, as well as how this effect varied by soil type (low vs. high productivity). Black-tailed prairie dogs significantly reduced livestock weight gain (kg steer⁻¹ cm precipitation⁻¹) on high productivity soils in the 2 drought yr (−23% in 2020; −38% in 2022), but not in a wet or average precipitation yr. Cattle from two pastures with prairie dogs were destocked earlier in the drought of 2022 (due to more severe forage shortages) than cattle from remaining pastures, which negatively affected net economic returns more than it did weight gain, resulting in a significant negative effect of prairie dogs on net revenue (−27%) across all soil types during severe drought. Net economic returns were more similar across soil types in wet years but were reduced by 41% and 25% on low- compared with high-productivity soils in the 2 drought yr. Coexistence of prairie dogs with livestock production may increasingly depend on spatially explicit management that seeks to minimize control costs and focus prairie dog conservation on soil types where impacts to livestock production are also minimized.

众所周知，在西部大平原地区，黑尾土拨鼠对草原植被的数量和营养质量有重要影响。然而，这对牲畜生产的影响程度很难量化，因为降水和饲料增长率的时间变化很大，而且周期性疾病爆发导致草原土拨鼠种群的变化很大。在这里，我们研究了在降水高于平均水平和严重干旱的一系列年份中，黑尾草原土拨鼠对在科罗拉多州东部半干旱牧场放牧的一岁阉牛的生产力和经济回报的影响。我们评估了干旱在草原土拨鼠存在与不存在的情况下对牲畜体重增加的抑制程度，以及这种影响如何因土壤类型（低生产力与高生产力）而变化。在2个干旱年，黑尾土拨鼠显著降低了高产土壤上牲畜的增重（kg阉牛−1 cm降水−1）(2020年为−23%；在2022年的干旱中（由于更严重的饲料短缺），来自两个草原犬鼠牧场的牛比其他牧场的牛更早地减少了库存，这对净经济回报的负面影响大于体重增加，导致在严重干旱期间，草原犬鼠对所有土壤类型的净收入产生了显著的负面影响（- 27%）。在湿润年份，不同土壤类型的净经济回报更为相似，但在2个干旱年份，与高产土壤相比，低生产力土壤的净经济回报分别减少了41%和25%。土拨鼠与畜牧生产的共存可能越来越依赖于空间明确的管理，这种管理旨在最大限度地降低控制成本，并将土拨鼠保护的重点放在对畜牧生产影响最小的土壤类型上。

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引用次数: 0