Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献_第3页

Importance of Stocking Rate, Grazing, and Browsing Capacity in Relation to Rainfall on a Wildlife Estate in the Central Free State of South Africa 南非中部自由邦野生动物庄园放养率、放牧和浏览能力对降雨量的重要性

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.2025.09.011

Francois Deacon , Wesley John Black

In recent decades, the concept of wildlife estates has emerged as a compelling alternative to traditional golf estates. Wildlife estates provide a novel approach to land management by integrating conservation goals with private property development. The establishment of wildlife estates reflects an innovative land use strategy that balances human development with environmental stewardship. These properties are typically small to medium-sized, necessitating active management to ensure their effectiveness as conservation areas. Scientific monitoring plays a crucial role in this process, particularly in assessing the grazing and browsing capacity of the land as well as the overall condition of the rangeland. Effective management is essential for maintaining the ecological integrity of these estates and ensuring their long-term sustainability. The Woodlands Wildlife Estate, located in the Central Free State Province, serves as a case study for evaluating the habitat conditions and rangeland health in the context of these challenges. This technical report analyses the veld condition, grazing, and browsing capacity of the estate, providing valuable insights into its current status and the effectiveness of its management practices. The findings highlight the importance of adapting conservation models to changing environmental conditions, including drought, and underscore the need for ongoing research and monitoring.

近几十年来，野生动物庄园的概念已经成为传统高尔夫庄园的一个令人信服的替代方案。野生动物庄园通过将保护目标与私人房地产开发相结合，为土地管理提供了一种新颖的方法。野生动物庄园的建立反映了一种创新的土地使用策略，即平衡人类发展与环境管理。这些属性通常是中小型的，需要积极的管理，以确保其作为保护区的有效性。科学监测在这一过程中起着至关重要的作用，特别是在评估土地的放牧和浏览能力以及牧场的总体状况方面。有效的管理对于维持这些庄园的生态完整性和确保其长期可持续性至关重要。位于中央自由邦省的伍德兰野生动物庄园是在这些挑战背景下评估栖息地条件和牧场健康的案例研究。这份技术报告分析了草原状况、放牧和牧场的浏览能力，为其现状和管理实践的有效性提供了有价值的见解。这些发现强调了使保护模式适应不断变化的环境条件（包括干旱）的重要性，并强调了持续研究和监测的必要性。

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引用次数: 0

Flexible Stocking: Livestock Production and Economic Responses in Mixed-Grass Prairie 灵活放养：杂草草原的牲畜生产和经济对策

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.2024.01.007

Justin D. Derner , John P. Ritten , Tevyn Baldwin , Tamarah Jorns , Matt Mortenson , David J. Augustine

Matching animal demand to forage availability is a core principle in sustainable rangeland management. We evaluated the use of interannual flexibility in stocking rates compared with fixed stocking at light, moderate, and heavy stocking rates on livestock weight gains and economic responses for 7 yr (2016−2022) in North American northern mixed-grass prairie. The grazing season began in early June each year, so stocking rates in the flexible treatment were calculated on the basis of the amount of forage production predicted from actual precipitation received in April and May combined with long-term mean annual precipitation received at the study site in June, as well as an adjustment in stocking rate based on the amount of residual forage remaining at the end of the previous grazing season. Across years, mean stocking rate for the flexible stocking treatment (32.5 animal unit days [AUD] ha⁻¹) was between heavy (38.6 AUD ha⁻¹) and moderate (29.7 AUD ha⁻¹) and was twice as high as the light (15.8 AUD ha⁻¹). Cumulative total beef production for the 7 yr was highest with heavy stocking (282.6 kg ha⁻¹), 17% less in the flexible (234.2 kg ha⁻¹), and 19% less in the moderate (229.4 kg ha⁻¹) stocking rates. It was 55% lower with light stocking (128.4 kg ha⁻¹). Crude protein and digestible organic matter, as well as composition of plant functional groups in diets of yearlings, did not differ between the moderate versus the flexible stocking treatments. Compared with moderate stocking, flexible stocking resulted in 6.9% lower cumulative gross ($2 299) and 10.8% lower net ($1 407) economic returns per yearling. We suggest that future evaluations of flexible stocking strategies consider incorporating seasonal forecasts combined with intraseasonal adjustments in stocking rates as the growing season unfolds. Advancements in predictive forage forecasting tools and remote sensing capabilities are needed to support such a strategy.

将动物需求与饲料供应相匹配是可持续牧场管理的核心原则。我们评估了在北美北部混草草原7年（2016 - 2022年）的牲畜增重和经济响应中，使用年际灵活放养率与固定放养率在轻、中、重放养率下的比较。每年的放牧季节开始于6月初，因此灵活处理的载畜率是根据4月和5月实际降水预测的饲料产量，结合研究地点6月的长期平均年降水量，并根据前一个放牧季节结束时的剩余饲料量调整载畜率来计算的。多年来，灵活放养处理的平均放养率（32.5动物单位日[AUD] ha−1）介于重度（38.6 AUD ha−1）和中度（29.7 AUD ha−1）之间，是轻度（15.8 AUD ha−1）的两倍。7年累计牛肉总产量最高的是重度放养（282.6 kg hm2 - 1），弹性放养（234.2 kg hm2 - 1）减少17%，中度放养（229.4 kg hm2 - 1）减少19%。轻放养（128.4 kg ha - 1）时产量降低55%。适度放养与弹性放养对幼雏日粮中粗蛋白质、可消化有机物及植物功能群组成无显著影响。与适度放养相比，灵活放养导致每年累积总经济收益（2 299美元）降低6.9%，净经济收益（1 407美元）降低10.8%。我们建议未来对灵活放养策略的评估应考虑将季节性预测与随着生长季节展开的放养率的季节性调整结合起来。需要在预测饲料预测工具和遥感能力方面取得进展来支持这种战略。

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引用次数: 0

Thicketization by Yaupon Holly Increases Canopy Interception in the Texas Post Oak Savannah 冬青树增密增加了德克萨斯州后橡树大草原的冠层拦截

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.2025.07.013

Jordan E. Gignac , Shishir Basant , Pedro A.M. Leite , Bradford P. Wilcox

Over the past century, the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion of Texas has experienced widespread woody plant encroachment, particularly by yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria). This expansion has transformed open savannahs into densely thicketized woodlands, raising concerns about its impact on ecohydrological processes. Because much of the region overlies the recharge zone of the Carrizo–Wilcox aquifer—a critical regional water source—thicketization may reduce groundwater recharge by increasing rainfall interception. Despite yaupon’s rapid proliferation, few studies have quantified its hydrological impacts. This study assessed how yaupon-dominated thicketization influences interception—an underacknowledged component of the water budget—by comparing throughfall under thicketized and treated (cleared) conditions. Rainfall was monitored over a 12-mo period to evaluate how vegetation structure, rainfall intensity, and seasonality affect interception dynamics. Our results show that thicketized sites intercepted significantly more rainfall than treated sites, reducing throughfall by approximately 31%. These findings suggest that woody understory encroachment may substantially alter water availability at the soil surface, with potential consequences for aquifer recharge. This work provides one of the first field-based assessments of interception in yaupon-dominated systems and offers valuable insights for land managers seeking to balance ecological restoration with water conservation in the Post Oak Savannah.

在过去的一个世纪里，德克萨斯州的后橡树萨凡纳生态区经历了广泛的木本植物入侵，特别是冬青（冬青）。这种扩张将开阔的稀树草原变成了茂密的林地，引发了人们对其对生态水文过程影响的担忧。由于该地区的大部分地区位于卡里佐-威尔科克斯含水层的补给区——一个关键的区域水源——加厚可能会通过增加降雨拦截来减少地下水补给。尽管雨蓬迅速扩散，但很少有研究量化其水文影响。本研究通过比较增稠和处理（清除）条件下的通流，评估了由水松主导的增稠如何影响截留——水收支中一个未被充分认识的组成部分。监测了12个月的降雨量，以评估植被结构、降雨强度和季节性对截流动态的影响。我们的研究结果表明，与处理过的站点相比，灌丛站点拦截的降雨量显著增加，减少了约31%的降雨量。这些发现表明，木本林下植被的入侵可能会大大改变土壤表面的水分有效性，并对含水层的补给产生潜在的影响。这项工作提供了第一个基于实地的拦截评估，并为寻求在后橡树大草原平衡生态恢复与水资源保护的土地管理者提供了有价值的见解。

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引用次数: 0

Effects of Long-Term Grazing Exclosure and Plateau Pika Disturbance on Biochemical Cycling in an Alpine Meadow, West China 长期封育和高原鼠兔干扰对高寒草甸生物化学循环的影响

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.2025.09.010

Chengyi Li , Yuanwu Yang , Xinhui Li , Xilai Li

Grazing exclusion and excessive disturbance by plateau pika can change grassland carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles, with their effect being particularly pronounced in areas affected by overgrazing. Specifically, grazing exclusion mitigates soil disturbance and vegetation damage caused by grazing in such regions, while plateau pika of a high population density can further regulate nutrient cycling processes through behaviors like burrowing and herbivory. These two sets of changes also exert impacts on net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE). However, the regulatory role of such nutrient cycle changes and NEE in response to grassland degradation remains largely unknown. Here, we conducted a 10-year fenced experiment with three treatments including regular grazing (CK), fenced without (FN) pika and with pika (FP) disturbance to explore the linkage between NEE and plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry in long-term (up to 10 years) grazing-excluded and plateau pika-disturbed alpine meadows. Results showed that compared with fenced meadows devoid of pika disturbance, the regularly grazed meadows had significantly reduced microbial biomass carbon, above-ground biomass and NEE, but no significant differences in the elemental concentrations and ratio in leaves, roots, or soil. Plateau pika disturbance further reduced leaf N and P, soil C, N, and P, above-ground biomass and NEE, while increasing leaf C:N and C:P ratios, compared to fenced meadows without plateau pika. In contrast, P concentrations in roots were reduced significantly in the enclosed pika-active meadows, together with the pre-existing reduction in leaves and soil, resulting in increased leaf C:N, C:P, N:P, root N:P, and microbial C:N, and C:P, compared to the regularly grazed meadows. Leaf element concentrations and ratios have a direct effect on NEE, and soil element concentrations and their ratios have an indirect effect on NEE by affecting above-ground biomass and microbial element concentrations. Our results emphasize that above- and below-ground C:N:P stoichiometry strongly regulated NEE, and incorporating C:N:P stoichiometry into next generation Earth system models may improve predictions of climate-grassland feedbacks in the Anthropocene. Additionally, targeted rodent control may be necessary to restore grassland balance in post-enclosure pika-disturbed areas.

禁牧和高原鼠兔的过度干扰会改变草地的碳(C)、氮(N)和磷(P)循环，在过度放牧地区影响尤为明显。其中，禁牧可以缓解放牧对土壤的扰动和植被的破坏，而高种群密度的高原鼠兔可以通过掘洞和食草等行为进一步调节养分循环过程。这两组变化也对生态系统净碳交换（NEE）产生影响。然而，这种养分循环变化和NEE在草地退化响应中的调节作用在很大程度上仍然未知。本研究通过为期10年的围栏试验，探讨了长期（长达10年）不放牧和高原鼠兔干扰的高寒草甸NEE与植物-土壤C:N:P化学计量的关系，包括常规放牧（CK）、不放牧（FN）鼠兔和有鼠兔干扰（FP）的围栏处理。结果表明：与没有鼠兔干扰的围栏草地相比，定期放牧草地的微生物生物量碳、地上生物量和NEE显著降低，但叶片、根系和土壤的元素浓度和比例无显著差异；高原鼠兔干扰进一步降低了草地叶片N、P、土壤C、N、P、地上生物量和NEE，提高了草地叶片C:N和C:P比值。与常规放牧的草甸相比，围封鼠兔活跃的草甸根系中磷的浓度显著降低，加之原有的叶片和土壤的减少，导致叶片C:N、C:P、N:P、根系N:P和微生物C:N、C:P显著增加。叶片元素浓度和比例直接影响新能源经济性，土壤元素浓度及其比例通过影响地上生物量和微生物元素浓度间接影响新能源经济性。我们的研究结果强调，地上和地下的C:N:P化学计量学对NEE有很强的调节作用，将C:N:P化学计量学纳入下一代地球系统模型可能会改善人类世气候-草地反馈的预测。此外，有针对性的鼠患控制可能是恢复围封后鼠患区草地平衡的必要措施。

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引用次数: 0

Changing Soil Microbial Community Stability and Its Influencing Factors During the Restoration of Degraded Alpine Meadow 退化高寒草甸恢复过程中土壤微生物群落稳定性变化及其影响因素

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.2025.09.013

Yu Chai , Xilai Li , Chengyi Li , Yunqiao Ma , Yizhi Zhou , Pei Gao , Yufang Zhang , XinRu Du , Xinian Zhou , Xiluo Wu

The alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been severely degraded, forming a large number of bare patches (BP). The recovery and succession of these BP may lead to changes in the stability of soil microbial communities in the meadow ecosystem. Currently, it is unclear how microbial community characteristics and stability respond to the recovery and succession of the BP. We selected four types of patches, including BP, initial-term recovery patches, long-term recovery patches, and healthy alpine meadows, and different succession stages of the patchily degraded alpine meadow were analyzed to determine the properties of their plants, soil, and soil microbial communities. The results showed that during the recovery and succession of the patchily degraded alpine meadow, belowground biomass (BGB), plant community diversity index, soil moisture, and soil electrical conductivity, as well as the contents of soil organic carbon, STN, ammonium nitrogen, leucine aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase, and the composition and niche breadth of soil bacteria all increased. The stability of soil microbial network was enhanced. The stability of soil bacterial resistance and resilience stability showed an increasing trend with recovery length, whereas soil fungi showed a decreasing trend. The main environmental factors affecting the stability of soil microbial communities were identified as BGB, Shannon–Wiener index of soil fungi, ammonium nitrogen content, and soil electrical conductivity. Soil physical properties directly or indirectly affected vegetation characteristics, soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities, and soil microbial diversity, all of which, in turn, affected the stability of soil microbial communities.

这些BP的恢复和演替可能导致草甸生态系统中土壤微生物群落稳定性的变化。目前，微生物群落特征和稳定性如何响应BP的恢复和演替尚不清楚。选取BP斑块、初期恢复斑块、长期恢复斑块和健康高寒草甸斑块4种类型，分析斑块状退化高寒草甸不同演替阶段的植物、土壤和土壤微生物群落特征。结果表明：斑块状退化高寒草甸在恢复演替过程中，地下生物量（BGB）、植物群落多样性指数、土壤水分、土壤电导率以及土壤有机碳、STN、铵态氮、亮氨酸氨基肽酶和碱性磷酸酶含量、土壤细菌组成和生态位宽度均有所增加；提高了土壤微生物网络的稳定性。土壤细菌的抗性稳定性和弹性稳定性随恢复时间的延长呈上升趋势，而土壤真菌则呈下降趋势。确定了影响土壤微生物群落稳定性的主要环境因子为BGB、土壤真菌Shannon-Wiener指数、铵态氮含量和土壤电导率。土壤物理性质直接或间接影响植被特征、土壤养分、土壤酶活性和土壤微生物多样性，进而影响土壤微生物群落的稳定性。

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引用次数: 0

US Beef Cattle Inventory Trends With Implications for Land Use and Rangelands 美国肉牛库存趋势及其对土地利用和牧场的影响

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.2025.01.007

Hana Fancher , Amy Nagler , John Ritten , J.D. Wulfhorst

The US beef industry faces multiple challenges to social sustainability and community security, manifesting differently across regions, states, communities, and operations. Using industry-related economic data, we explore a spatial history leading to the current relationship between the number of cattle and the number and size of producers.

Cattle inventory alongside beef production data provides evidence of how the industry has become more efficient. Considering inventory by region and sector allows a more nuanced understanding. At the broadest scale, we document trends of cattle moving northward to the central part of the country as well as into more concentrated operations.

Animals are not dispersed equally across various cattle production operations. Over time, the beef industry has changed to include fewer total operations and a greater proportion of smaller cattle operations. Again, there is notable spatial variation, with a greater proportion of large ranches in western regions compared with eastern regions.

The combination of cattle inventory and operation size – the tension between resilience and efficiency – will affect the trajectory, viability, and security of the industry. One of the most defining features of the industry is the diversity of operations that enables the industry to thrive in the face of evolving challenges.

Amidst these challenges and the shifting structure of beef production, millions of acres of grazing lands face potential land-use changes, with increased stock densities in some areas and loss of grazing animals in others. Understanding historical and spatial trends in cattle inventories and operations allows cattle producers and industry partners to better face risk implications and adapt to changes in regional production and marketing infrastructure, with clear implications for rangeland management needs.

美国牛肉产业面临着社会可持续性和社区安全的多重挑战，在不同地区、州、社区和运营中表现不同。利用与产业相关的经济数据，我们探索了一个空间历史，导致牛的数量和生产者的数量和规模之间的当前关系。牛的库存和牛肉生产数据提供了该行业如何变得更有效率的证据。按地区和行业来考虑库存可以让我们有更细致的了解。在最广泛的范围内，我们记录了牛向北移动到该国中部地区以及进入更集中的操作的趋势。动物并没有均匀地分布在不同的牛生产操作中。随着时间的推移，牛肉产业发生了变化，包括更少的总操作和更大比例的小型牛操作。同样存在显著的空间差异，西部地区大牧场比例高于东部地区。牲畜存栏量和经营规模的结合——弹性和效率之间的紧张关系——将影响该行业的发展轨迹、生存能力和安全性。该行业最显著的特征之一是运营的多样性，这使该行业能够在不断变化的挑战中蓬勃发展。在这些挑战和牛肉生产结构的转变中，数百万英亩的牧场面临着土地利用的潜在变化，一些地区的牲畜密度增加，另一些地区的放牧动物减少。了解牛库存和经营的历史和空间趋势，可以使牛生产者和行业合作伙伴更好地面对风险影响并适应区域生产和销售基础设施的变化，这对牧场管理需求具有明确的影响。

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引用次数: 0

Simulated Impacts of Stocking Rate and Climate Change Impact on Biomass and Livestock Weight Dynamics in Savanna Grassland 载畜率和气候变化对热带稀树草原生物量和牲畜体重动态的模拟影响

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.2025.10.004

Yeneayehu Fenetahun , Wang Yongdong , You Yuan , Ogbue Chukwuka , Yahaya Ibrahim , Xu Xinwen

Savanna grasslands are important ecosystems on a worldwide scale, supporting human livelihoods through grazing while serving as habitats for a variety of flora and wildlife. In this research, the complex interactions between climate change, grazing patterns, and their combined effects on the dynamics of livestock weight and biomass in savanna ecosystems are examined by using Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum System (SPACSYS) model. Three stocking rates were utilized for the treatment sites where samples were collected in the grazing experiment: no-grazed (NG) (0 TLU/ha/Y), moderately grazed (MG) (2 TLU/ha/Y), and over grazed (OG) (4 TLU/ha/Y and above). Using various stoking rates, the aboveground biomass of the grass species and changes in livestock weight were predicted under three typical concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5), which mostly focused on the severe drought period running from 2020 to 2023. Our results highlight the importance of grazing management techniques for mitigating the negative impacts of climate change on livestock productivity and biomass output. In addition, we stress the crucial importance of adaptive management strategies that consider socioeconomic and ecological aspects to assure the sustainability and resilience of savanna grassland ecosystems in the face environmental change.

稀树草原是世界范围内重要的生态系统，通过放牧支持人类生计，同时也是各种植物和野生动物的栖息地。本文采用土壤-植物-大气连续统（SPACSYS）模型，研究了气候变化与放牧模式之间的复杂相互作用及其对草原生态系统牲畜体重和生物量动态的综合影响。放牧试验采集样地采用3种放养率：不放牧（NG）（0 TLU/ha/Y）、中度放牧（MG）（2 TLU/ha/Y）和过度放牧（OG）（4 TLU/ha/Y及以上）。以2020 ~ 2023年严重干旱期为研究对象，利用不同的放养率，预测了3种典型浓度路径（RCP 2.6、RCP 4.5和RCP 8.5）下草种地上生物量和牲畜体重的变化。我们的研究结果强调了放牧管理技术对于减轻气候变化对牲畜生产力和生物量产出的负面影响的重要性。此外，我们强调考虑社会经济和生态方面的适应性管理战略对于确保热带稀树草原生态系统在面临环境变化时的可持续性和复原力至关重要。

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引用次数: 0

Dynamics of Land Use Changes and Eco-efficiency of Pastoralists in Northern Iran 伊朗北部牧民土地利用变化动态与生态效率

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.2025.08.016

Masoumeh Arabollah Firozjah, Azar Sheikhzeinoddin, Mohammad Bakhshoodeh, Mansour Zibaei

Rangeland degradation caused by overgrazing and land use change poses a major threat to ecological sustainability and pastoral livelihoods in northern Iran. This study investigates land use dynamics and grazing intensity in Mazandaran province, addressing two key questions: (1) how will rangeland land use evolve under current grazing pressures? and (2) how do these changes affect pastoral eco-efficiency? The study area encompasses six land use categories: forest, barren land, good, moderate, and poor rangelands, and built-up areas. Using CA-Markov modeling, we project substantial declines in forest cover and good/moderate rangelands by 2051. Environmental vulnerability was assessed with the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and pastoralists’ eco-efficiency was evaluated via a directional semi-oriented radial DEA model, incorporating desirable (livestock profit margin ratio) and undesirable (pasture degradation) outputs. Tobit regression identified grazing intensity and management practices as key determinants. Results indicate that the average eco-efficiency of 256 pastoralists was only 0.43, reflecting a strong inverse relationship with environmental vulnerability and underscoring urgent institutional and managerial shortcomings. These findings highlight the need for targeted rangeland management, sustainable fodder cultivation, and controlled grazing strategies to safeguard natural resources and pastoral livelihoods.

过度放牧和土地利用变化导致的牧场退化对伊朗北部的生态可持续性和牧民生计构成重大威胁。本研究调查了马赞达兰省土地利用动态和放牧强度，解决了两个关键问题：(1)在当前放牧压力下，牧场土地利用将如何演变？(2)这些变化如何影响牧区生态效率？研究区域包括六个土地利用类别：森林、荒地、良好、中等和不良的牧场和建成区。利用CA-Markov模型，我们预测到2051年森林覆盖率和良好/中等牧场将大幅下降。采用模糊层次分析法（FAHP）评价环境脆弱性，采用半定向径向DEA模型评价牧民生态效率，并结合理想产出（牲畜利润率）和不良产出（牧场退化）。Tobit回归确定放牧强度和管理措施是关键的决定因素。结果表明，256名牧民的平均生态效率仅为0.43，与环境脆弱性呈强烈的负相关关系，凸显了制度和管理方面的迫切不足。这些发现强调了有针对性的牧场管理、可持续饲料种植和控制放牧战略的必要性，以保护自然资源和牧民生计。

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引用次数: 0

Editorial Board/Journal Info 编辑委员会/期刊信息

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/S1550-7424(25)00160-5

引用次数: 0

Critical Precipitation Months Across the Western United States 美国西部的临界降水月

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.2025.10.003

Grace Campbell, Tonya Haigh

Critical dates are timely points in the annual management cycle that help land managers identify when to implement different phases of their drought management plans. Critical dates related to grazing decisions may be identified based on key relationships between seasonal precipitation and total forage production for the year. In this paper, we explore whether critical months for precipitation may be identified from analysis of precipitation and forage relationships at broad geographic scales and using remotely sensed data to estimate forage production and precipitation. To explore these regional relationships, we used a stepwise linear regression model focused on monthly precipitation (mm) to predict annual forage (kg-ha⁻¹) across 121 Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) in the Great Plains and western United States. The results are months of precipitation that have the most statistically significant relationship with herbage production, also called “critical months,” in each MLRA. The strongest statistical relationships between precipitation and total annual herbage production occur in MLRAs located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the Southern Plains, and Southwest. A weak to lack of relationship is generally found for MLRAs located in the Pacific Northwest and at high elevations. This study’s findings can help inform guidance for ranchers who want to take a more proactive approach to grazing and drought management by helping set critical dates based on precipitation timing criteria.

关键日期是年度管理周期中的及时点，帮助土地管理者确定何时实施其干旱管理计划的不同阶段。根据季节降水和全年牧草总产量之间的关键关系，可以确定与放牧决策有关的关键日期。在本文中，我们通过分析大地理尺度上的降水和草料关系，并利用遥感数据估算草料产量和降水量，探讨是否可以确定降水的关键月份。为了探索这些区域关系，我们使用了一个以月降水量（mm）为中心的逐步线性回归模型来预测美国大平原和西部121个主要土地资源区（MLRAs）的年饲料量（kg-ha−1）。结果是，在每个MLRA中，降水月份与牧草产量的统计关系最显著，也称为“关键月份”。降水与年牧草总产量之间的统计关系最强的是位于落基山脉前山脉、南部平原和西南部的mlra。位于太平洋西北部和高海拔地区的mlra通常存在弱或缺乏关系。这项研究的发现可以帮助指导那些希望采取更积极主动的放牧和干旱管理方法的牧场主，帮助他们根据降水时间标准设定关键日期。

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引用次数: 0