Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献_第5页

Ranchers’ Views of Smart Foodscapes: Applied and Methodological Insights

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.027

Zubair Barkat , Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad , Eric Thacker

Outreach and programs aimed at encouraging the adoption of conservation practices in agriculture often rely upon insights from past, current, and potential users. However, collecting feedback can be challenging, especially for innovative or complex practices. This research note presents an approach used to elicit rancher input on Smart Foodscapes (SFS) -islands of diverse perennial legumes and forbs with high nutrient content, tested as part of a transdisciplinary USDA-funded project designed to improve the sustainability and profitability of western US beef production. We shared a 4-minute video about SFS, followed by an online survey to a sample of Utah ranchers. We reflect on the usefulness of this technique in gathering ranchers’ feedback, focusing on strengths and weaknesses in informing the iterative project along with methodological considerations. We find that ranchers’ perceptions of SFS are motivated by economic benefits, environmental stewardship, and better land management. Challenges included managing SFS within their existing ranching system and cost and time investment compared to future benefits. Methodologically, our research highlights the role of audiovisual tools to help convey complicated concepts. However, our research revealed the limitations of purchased email lists from private vendors and strategies to filter out irrelevant responses from social media were required. Finally, the study provides insights for outreach efforts and highlights early engagement and clear communication as critical aspects of transdisciplinary projects. We recommend that future research should explore how ranchers’ sense of place influences adoption decisions. Also, the survey revealed ranchers’ concerns about government trust (12%). Thus, we will investigate whether government trust affects their willingness to adopt SFS in future research. Also, involving stakeholders and setting up a dynamic feedback mechanism is necessary for the successful implementation of innovative systems-level sustainable agricultural systems. While focused on SFS, applied and methodological insights can be used in agricultural conservation efforts more broadly.

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引用次数: 0

Modeling Riparian Use by Cattle – Influence of Management, Season, and Weather

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-08 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.023

Mary M. Rowland , Ryan M. Nielson , David W. Bohnert , Bryan A. Endress , Michael J. Wisdom , Joshua P. Averett

Because riparian ecosystems are highly valued for their diverse ecological services, past and ongoing disturbances in riparian zones have led to extensive restoration efforts, litigation, and compliance monitoring of the effects of livestock grazing. Better understanding of the factors that influence cattle riparian use, especially in landscapes supporting threatened or endangered fish, could lead to improved predictions of management outcomes and riparian recovery for sustainable grazing systems. Although published models predict habitat selection by cattle, there is a gap in our understanding of cattle use, or occupancy, in riparian zones. As part of a long-term, multi-disciplinary project in a semi-arid riparian system in Oregon, USA, we collected 4 yr (2017-2020) of cattle telemetry data to identify factors affecting riparian use by cattle. We used beta regression in a Bayesian hierarchical framework to model the daily proportion of cattle locations in the riparian zone. We hypothesized that riparian use would 1) increase with increasing Julian date, temperature, solar radiation, days in pasture, and days since herding, and 2) decrease with higher humidity and precipitation. The best model predicted that use was greater with increasing days since herding, number of days grazing in a pasture, and Julian date, and lower as relative humidity increased. Daily riparian use by cattle averaged 0.167 (SD = 0.180) across years and pastures. The final model performed well, based on k-fold cross validation (Pearson's correlation = 0.72; 90% CI from 0.66 to 0.77). Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering management strategies (herding, grazing seasons) that affect riparian use by cattle, in tandem with weather, pasture characteristics, and other factors, and can be used in decision support systems to guide riparian grazing management.

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引用次数: 0

Postfire Seeding of Native Compared With Introduced Bunchgrasses Followed 3 Yr Later With Invasive Annual Grass Control

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.030

Kirk W. Davies, Chad S. Boyd, Lauren N. Svejcar, Jon D. Bates

Invasive annual grasses threaten the ecological integrity of the sagebrush ecosystem, often increasing when wildfires or other disturbances reduce perennial vegetation. In response to this threat, perennial bunchgrasses are often seeded after wildfire. Because of greater success in establishment, introduced bunchgrasses are often selected for seeding instead of commercially available native bunchgrasses. However, locally sourced native bunchgrasses appear to establish better than generally expected for commercially available native bunchgrasses but introduced bunchgrasses still establish better and result in greater suppression of invasive annual grasses. In areas where native bunchgrasses have been established from seeding but annual grass abundance remains high, selective control of annual grasses may improve success. Comparisons between areas where locally sourced native and introduced bunchgrasses were seeded and established, followed by annual grass control, are lacking. We investigated vegetation characteristics in areas drill-seeded with introduced compared with locally sourced native bunchgrasses after a wildfire that received selective annual grass control (imazapic application) 3 yr after seeding. Treatments that were seeded with locally sourced native or introduced bunchgrasses followed by spraying imazapic increased bunchgrass cover and density compared with areas not seeded but sprayed with imazapic. Bunchgrass cover and density were greater in areas seeded with introduced compared with native bunchgrasses and sprayed with imazapic. Invasive annual grass abundance was reduced with seeding introduced bunchgrasses followed with imazapic application, but not with seeding locally sourced native bunchgrasses followed with spraying imazapic. These results suggest that locally sourced native bunchgrasses have the potential for restoration success, but research needs to determine what follow-up treatments (e.g., additional seeding, longer-term annual grass control, and more diverse seed mixes) are needed to further promote perennial vegetation abundance and increase resistance to annual grasses to achieve similar outcomes as seeding introduced bunchgrasses.

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引用次数: 0

Plant Richness, Species Assessment, and Ecology in the M'goun Geopark Rangelands, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-10-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.022

Youssef Gharnit , Abdelaziz Moujane , Aboubakre Outourakhte , Ikhmerdi Hassan , Kaoutar El Amraoui , Aziz Hasib , Abdelali Boulli

The Moroccan rangelands face significant threats, yet their species assessment and ecology remain understudied. Hence, the M'Goun Geopark was selected as a case study. Species were sampled using the stratified sampling approach combined with floristic habitat sampling. Nonparametric diversity and evenness indices were employed to estimate diversity. Subsequently, species were evaluated against IUCN status, endemism, and rarity. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and hierarchical clustering techniques were applied to explore plant communities. Concurrently, the ecology of these rangeland communities was examined. The Geopark rangelands support exceptional biodiversity, harboring 12.03% of Morocco's plant species, totaling 509 species. The Asteraceae family is the most prominent, followed by the Fabaceae and Poaceae. The nonparametric estimator Chao 2 estimates 543.24 species, and Jackknife 1 estimates 566.48 species. In addition, the assessment revealed the precarious state of biodiversity in the Geopark. A concerning 27.73% of the assessed species are threatened according to the IUCN, and a significant portion (74.45%) lack proper evaluation. The endemism rate is 21%, with nearly half (49.5%) of these endemic species restricted solely to Morocco. Rarity criteria indicate a 17.43% rarity rate, including 8.4% considered very rare, 4.42% rare, 8.78% suspected rare, and three vulnerable. These species form 13 associations within the QUERCETEA ILICIS class, distributed across various ecological conditions and occupying elevations between 540 m and 3700 m. The bioclimate ranges from semi-arid to subhumid. Climate parameters vary considerably, with precipitation ranging from 247.13 mm to 733.83 mm, Tmin oscillating from -0.65°C to 12.69°C, and Tmax spanning between 11.42°C and 25.66°C. The associations occupy Thermomediterranean to Oromediterranean vegetation levels, particularly in limestone, clay, and sandstone substrates. Our findings reveal that these rangelands are at the epicenter of Anthropocene challenges, particularly concerning biodiversity decline, as numerous species face threats and vulnerability. Consequently, urgent conservation and monitoring plans are essential.

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引用次数: 0

Using Targeted Grazing to Close the Phenological Niche Exploited by Invasive Annual Bromes

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.024

Julie A. Kray , Dana M. Blumenthal , Mitchell B. Stephenson , Lauren M. Porensky , David J. Augustine , Seth J. Romero , Matt C. Mortenson , Justin D. Derner

Phenological differences between native and invasive plants can facilitate invasion, but can also be targeted by management. In the western Great Plains of North America, the invasive annual grasses Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass) and B. arvensis (field brome) begin and end growth earlier than native competitors, providing an opportunity for targeted grazing. However, managers need to know when grazers preferentially consume or avoid annual bromes. We implemented spring targeted grazing for 4 years and quantified temporal cattle consumption patterns at two mixedgrass prairie sites in Wyoming and Nebraska, USA. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to measure consumption of annual bromes and coexisting native species twice per week. Concurrently, we measured plant phenology, forage quality, and biomass. Within years, brome consumption was predicted effectively using two phenological metrics—plant height and days after seed maturation. Targeted grazing windows, defined as periods with ≥75% of maximum cattle consumption within a year, started when bromes were 9.3 cm (± 3.6 SD) tall, ended one day (± 4 SD) after seed maturation, and lasted 38 d (± 11 SD). Cattle diet quality remained high throughout these grazing windows. Across years, brome consumption ranged from 19% to 55% of total graminoid consumption, and was consistently higher in years when annual bromes grew taller before flowering. Although cattle typically selected for native perennials over annual bromes, spring targeted grazing reduced brome seed production by 30–77% relative to adjacent pastures where grazing began later. These results indicate that simple phenological metrics can predict cattle consumption of bromes during spring, both within and among years. Carefully timing grazing to align with consumption should help managers to control annual bromes and restore native mixedgrass prairie plant communities. More broadly, combining temporal analyses of livestock diets and plant phenology can be useful for precisely targeting grazing of invasive species.

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引用次数: 0

Building Ranch Resilience to Drought: Management Capacity, Planning, and Adaptive Learning During California's 2012–2016 Drought

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.009

Grace Woodmansee , Dan Macon , Tracy Schohr , Leslie Roche

Drought is one of the most complex and destructive natural hazards for rangeland managers to cope with given its inherently variable spatial and temporal impacts. California's devastating 2012–2016 drought highlights a critical need to develop adaptive strategies for coping with an increasingly variable climate. During the 2012–2016 drought, we interviewed 48 California ranchers to assess both on-ranch drought impacts and the effectiveness of implemented drought management practices. Three themes were identified based on the Adaptive Decision-Making Framework: 1) management capacity (i.e., operator demographics and operation structure), 2) drought planning and flexibility, and 3) adaptive learning (i.e., impacts experienced and effectiveness of drought management practices). Ranchers underscored the significance of drought planning, flexible management strategies, and prior experience as key factors that enabled them to navigate the 2012–2016 drought. In addition, ranchers described how explicit, proactive planning informed drought management decisions that prioritized long-term economic and ecological resilience. Although multispecies grazing was the least used proactive practice, it was identified as the most effective proactive practice by interviewed ranchers who had adopted it as a drought management tool (4.38 out of five effectiveness ranking; eight operators). Multispecies grazers (MSGs) significantly differed from single-species grazers (SSGs) in adoption of several reactive drought management practices, suggesting MSGs potentially have greater flexibility in coping with and adapting to drought. Resurgent strategies that prioritize management flexibility to mitigate drought impacts, such as multispecies grazing, may offer promise in helping ranchers adapt to future droughts. Interviewed ranchers emphasized that forward planning, including a range of proactive and reactive management strategies, were key in building flexibility and, ultimately, their resilience to drought.

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引用次数: 0

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Based Remote Sensing of Cattle Dung: Detection, Classification, and Spatial Analysis of Distribution

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.002

Amanda E. Shine , Martha Mamo , Gandura O. Abagandura , Walt Schacht , Jerry Volesky , Brian Wardlow

Documenting the distribution of cattle dung across grazed pastures is an important part of understanding nutrient cycling processes in grasslands. However, investigation of distributions at adequate spatial scales and over extended time periods is hindered by the lack of a time- and cost-efficient method for documenting and monitoring dung pat locations. To address this research challenge, an unmanned aerial vehicle and multispectral sensor were used to identify and classify dung pats. Imagery was collected on 12 flights over a subirrigated meadow in the Nebraska Sandhills, in which two different grazing strategies were being evaluated: an ultrahigh stocking density and a low stocking density. The images were classified using supervised classification with a support vector machine algorithm, and post-classification accuracy was assessed using a confusion matrix. In addition, Ripley’s K was used to identify high-density dung areas at varying densities and spatial extents. The classification had an overall accuracy of 82.6% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.71. The user’s accuracy of dung classification was higher (0.91) than the producer’s (0.73). The majority of classification errors were related to the misclassification of dung as vegetation, often in spectrally complex areas where shadowing affected the ability of the classifier to correctly identify dung. Classification accuracy declined precipitously after dung reached 10-14 d of age, both because of the change in spectral reflectance due to drying and because of the regrowth of vegetation. The density-based cluster analysis found no clustering in the low stocking density treatment; dung in the ultra-high stocking density treatment was most frequently found to be clustered near water sources, in corners, and near supplement feeders. This approach to dung identification, mapping, and spatial cluster analysis is a promising alternative to existing methods and deserves further exploration at additional spatial scales and in diverse ecological settings using current technologies.

{"title":"Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Based Remote Sensing of Cattle Dung: Detection, Classification, and Spatial Analysis of Distribution","authors":"Amanda E. Shine , Martha Mamo , Gandura O. Abagandura , Walt Schacht , Jerry Volesky , Brian Wardlow","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Documenting the distribution of cattle dung across grazed pastures is an important part of understanding nutrient cycling processes in grasslands. However, investigation of distributions at adequate spatial scales and over extended time periods is hindered by the lack of a time- and cost-efficient method for documenting and monitoring dung pat locations. To address this research challenge, an unmanned aerial vehicle and multispectral sensor were used to identify and classify dung pats. Imagery was collected on 12 flights over a subirrigated meadow in the Nebraska Sandhills, in which two different grazing strategies were being evaluated: an ultrahigh stocking density and a low stocking density. The images were classified using supervised classification with a support vector machine algorithm, and post-classification accuracy was assessed using a confusion matrix. In addition, Ripley’s K was used to identify high-density dung areas at varying densities and spatial extents. The classification had an overall accuracy of 82.6% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.71. The user’s accuracy of dung classification was higher (0.91) than the producer’s (0.73). The majority of classification errors were related to the misclassification of dung as vegetation, often in spectrally complex areas where shadowing affected the ability of the classifier to correctly identify dung. Classification accuracy declined precipitously after dung reached 10-14 d of age, both because of the change in spectral reflectance due to drying and because of the regrowth of vegetation. The density-based cluster analysis found no clustering in the low stocking density treatment; dung in the ultra-high stocking density treatment was most frequently found to be clustered near water sources, in corners, and near supplement feeders. This approach to dung identification, mapping, and spatial cluster analysis is a promising alternative to existing methods and deserves further exploration at additional spatial scales and in diverse ecological settings using current technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 192-203"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746892","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

Effectiveness of a Wireless Transmission System in Searching for Hidden Calves in Grazing Land

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.001

Huricha, Hidetoshi Kakihara, Nariyasu Watanabe, Michio Tsutsumi, Kiyoshi Hirano

Searching for hidden calves in grazing lands is a great burden for herders, although the hiding behavior of calves is important in animal welfare. Recently, wireless transmission services for mountain rescue have attracted considerable attention and the services have branched out into the pet rescue field as well. The transmission device does not utilize global navigation satellite system (GNSS) or internet communication, but only emits a radio signal that can be received by a specific receiver within a specific distance. Therefore, the device is lightweight and can be used for a relatively long time without recharging. We evaluated the effectiveness of the wireless transmission system in reducing the labor required for herders to search for hidden calves in grazing lands. The search trials were conducted in four paddocks (4.8–5.1 ha), which were located on an uneven terrain in the mountains, consisting of pasture and wood sections; therefore, these paddocks were under poor visibility conditions for cattle search. Using a dummy calf that imitated a 1-week-old calf, we performed a total of 40 search trials (five trials each with and without device support in each paddock), and compared the moving distance (search distance) and searching time, with and without device support. Moreover, we conducted 30 search trials using three Japanese Black calves fitted with the devices, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the device support. In the search trials involving dummy calf, the use of the device significantly reduced the moving distance and searching time. In the 30 search trials involving actual calves with device support, hidden calves were found using only the device's indications. There were no device failures or the collars falling off. Therefore, the wireless transmission device is useful for searching for hidden calves in grazing lands.

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引用次数: 0

Evaluating Native Plant Community Characteristics After Restoration Efforts in Invaded Tallgrass Prairies

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.015

Jessica E. Mingione , Jaime J. Coon , James R. Miller

Invasive grasses reduce native plant diversity in North America's tallgrass prairies and are commonly controlled using herbicide followed by seeding of native plants. Despite the long-term development of plant communities after seeding, evaluations of restoration outcomes rarely exceed 2 yr. Further, plant community development may be influenced by grazing by domestic cattle, a dominant land use in working landscapes that typify the Great Plains, yet this relationship is seldom explored. In the eastern Great Plains, we evaluated plant community characteristics over 8 yr in tallgrass prairies invaded by tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) after treatment with herbicide followed by seeding native plants. We compared 16 restoration sites seeded once between spring 2014 and 2021 to 2 unrestored, invaded sites and 3 high-diversity reference sites that were not restored. Domestic cattle grazed six restoration sites and one unrestored, invaded site; the remaining sites were ungrazed. In July 2021, we quantified the dominance and cover of herbaceous plants and the composition and richness of seeded species. Annual forb dominance, seeded species establishment and composition, native forb cover, and seeded species richness of older restorations closely resembled references. However, grazed restorations resembled high-quality references less closely than ungrazed restorations. Future studies should consider identifying high-quality reference sites that are grazed because ungrazed references may represent inappropriate target conditions for grazed restorations. The similarities we observed between older restorations and references highlight the importance of long-term evaluations when quantifying restoration outcomes and indicate that treatment with herbicide followed by native seeding has long-lasting positive effects for restoring native plant communities in invaded tallgrass prairies. Enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of restoration efforts in working landscapes is key to supporting grassland restoration.

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引用次数: 0

The Recent Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Grasslands in Slovenia: Contribution to Their Preservation and Management

IF 2.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Pub Date : 2024-09-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.010

Rui Machado , Pedro Santos , Nuno Sousa-Neves , Janez Pirnat

Seminatural European grasslands and pastures have a high conservation value because they provide different goods and services (meat, wool, carbon sequestration, etc.) and harbor diverse communities of plants and animals. These land use systems were created by low- and moderate-intensity use and, nowadays, face threats from both abandonment and overuse. Although less productive or less accessible areas are abandoned, triggering afforestation processes, others are subject to intensive agricultural practices with the addition of production factors and modern management schemes. Neither is comparable with the traditional uses that first formed and maintained these systems for generations, and therefore, it is fundamental to design effective policies to ensure a sustainable territorial coexistence of modern agriculture and traditional pastures and grasslands. In this work, we assessed the recent dynamics of pastures and grasslands in Slovenia. The results show distinct local changes and a nationwide general dynamic of area reduction and loss of patches. After elaborating on how such changes affect the landscape and some species according to their traits, we provide practical recommendations for policy design to contribute to protecting and promoting this land use system. We argue that the two major priorities should be to preserve the most relevant patches and to try to convert other land uses into grasslands, preferably attempting to merge separated patches and thus increasing the mean patch size of grasslands. Overall, by identifying trends, locating the different spatial changes, and complementing with a connectivity analysis, this approach can be valuable in identifying effective measures to protect and improve grasslands. Besides the concrete results obtained from the Slovenian case study, the underlying rationale and workflow can be applied elsewhere to produce similar outputs that help identify land transformation patterns and interpret specific land use category dynamics.

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引用次数: 0