Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Tracking Livestock Diets Using Stable Isotopes in Complex Mixed Farming Systems","authors":"Sala Alanda Lamega ,&nbsp;Martin Komainda ,&nbsp;Kingsley Kwabena Ayisi ,&nbsp;Johannes Isselstein","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Stable isotope analysis of ¹³C and ¹⁵N has been widely used to provide information regarding short- or long-term animal dietary composition as affected by changes in land or ecological system use. In complex mixed-crop−livestock systems, rangeland biomass, crop residues, and feedstuff contribute to livestock diets with high seasonal variations. Particularly in the Limpopo province, South Africa, livestock feed supply varies considerably throughout the year leading to regular feed gaps. Hence, to estimate livestock diet composition in relation to these variations, we analyzed the stable isotopes of C and N of tail hair and feces samples across free-ranging beef cattle in distinct agroecological zones (AEZs) and farm types. Here, farm types were structured according to mixed-crop−livestock farms and livestock-only farms. We found that farm types did not influence the <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹³C of feces and hair (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05), but AEZ had a strong effect on <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹³C patterns (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The contribution of C₃-C₄ plants in the diet varied considerably across farm types and AEZ (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹⁵N values indicated nutritional stress, probably due to low protein concentrations in feed (e.g., rangeland biomass, crop residues) irrespective of AEZ and farm types. In general, cattle exposed to arid conditions (drier AEZ) had significantly decreased <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹³C values and increased <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹⁵N values that could potentially be linked to feed gaps. Moreover, the results from the present study indicate that <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹³C of feces and hair samples are more meaningful predictors of cattle diet than <span><math><mi>δ</mi></math></span>¹⁵N as affected by different farm practices. Therefore, stable isotope analyses potentially have an important role in helping improve the understanding of seasonal shifts in livestock diet intake in diverse production systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49719614","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}

{"title":"Relating Threshold Changes in Soil Function to Structural Changes in Woody Vegetation Along Herbivore Utilization Gradients with Different Management Histories in an Arid Thicket Mosaic, South Africa","authors":"Anton Schmidt ,&nbsp;Graham Kerley","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.07.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The hypothesis that transformation of rangelands by domestic herbivores follows state-and-transition models predicts that vegetation communities will cross ecological thresholds when shifting from one state to another. We test this hypothesis by identifying threshold responses of soil function in Gamka Thicket, a variation of Arid Thicket in South Africa. We relate indices of soil water infiltration, nutrient cycling, and soil retention (reflecting ecosystem function) to distance from artificial watering points in four piosphere treatments differing in rangeland management history. Furthermore, we compare the pattern, extent, and variation in transformation at the end regions of our piosphere treatments to each other and to a transformed and untransformed reference site. The changes to all the indices of ecosystem function support the hypothesis that functional thresholds have been crossed. We propose a conceptual model that suggests that Arid Thicket transformation due to herbivory transcends three vegetation states. We contend that during the process of transformation the crossing of structural thresholds lead to the crossing of functional thresholds that ultimately drive the formation of new vegetation states.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49719843","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}

{"title":"Editorial Board/Journal Info","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1550-7424(23)00113-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S1550-7424(23)00113-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49719848","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}

{"title":"Sagebrush-Associated Bunchgrasses Drive Invasion Resistance in a Greenhouse Experiment","authors":"Lisa M. Ellsworth ,&nbsp;Lilybeth Gutierrez Yee ,&nbsp;Jacob W. Dittel ,&nbsp;Dana M. Sanchez ,&nbsp;Anita Antoninka","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Invasion of non-native annual grasses is a significant threat to the sustainability of sagebrush steppe ecosystems. Ecological resilience, the ability to bounce back after a disturbance, and resistance, the ability to withstand invasion, are influenced by both abiotic factors, such as soil temperature, moisture, elevation, and aspect, and biotic factors, such as plant community composition. We quantified the effects of moss biocrusts, native shrubs, and native perennial grasses on invasion resistance in a greenhouse experiment containing dominant sagebrush ecosystem plants and invasive grasses. We saw greatest suppression of invasive annual grass biomass in treatment replicates containing native bunchgrass species (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). Final invasive grass biomass was 4.79 g on average when perennial grasses were not present and was reduced to 1.59 g with perennial grass competition (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). Presence of shrubs and moss biocrusts did not decrease annual grass biomass (<em>P</em> = 0.38 and <em>P</em> = 0.25, respectively). We saw complex interactions between native plants grown in these ideal greenhouse conditions such that native perennial grass seedlings grown with sagebrush seedlings had a mean of 4.50 g more biomass (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) relative to pots grown with bitterbrush or without shrubs, but shrubs were an average of 7.9 cm (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) shorter and had biomass 4.75 g lower (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) in pots grown with perennial grasses compared with shrubs grown without perennial grasses. Our results demonstrate that with increased treatment complexity, we see greater invasion resistance, but that nuanced relationships between plant community members should also be considered in managing and restoring these imperiled ecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49719611","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}

{"title":"Western US Residents’ Knowledge of Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Their Management on Federal Public Lands","authors":"Nicki Frey ,&nbsp;Jeffrey L. Beck ,&nbsp;Loretta Singletary ,&nbsp;Laura Snell ,&nbsp;Derek Scasta ,&nbsp;Jessie Hadfield","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wild free-roaming (WFR) horses <em>(Equus ferus caballus)</em> occur on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service in 10 western US states. Little is known about public knowledge concerning management of WFR horse populations. In 2020, we conducted a survey to assess public knowledge with the intent of establishing baseline information that may be used to shape horse management programs and policies on the nation's public lands. We obtained responses from 1 124 residents of the western United States. Our survey asked eight knowledge-based questions of WFR horse ecology and management in the western United States. We conducted chi-square analyses to determine the influence of age, gender, region of residence, and income on respondents’ ability to answer these questions appropriately. Our results indicate that these demographic characteristics had little predictive ability to explain the level of the western US public's knowledge of WFR horse ecology and management (for all comparisons, λ &lt; 0.10). Furthermore, our respondents had little knowledge of WFR ecology and management. Approximately 30% of respondents correctly identified WFR horse origins, 8% correctly indicated WFR horse population size, and 37.5% indicated that they were unaware of legal management options. The lack of basic understanding of WFR horse ecology and management may influence the public's ability to support management efforts or determine fact from propaganda. Approximately 60% of the respondents indicated they primarily used government, university, and organization websites when seeking information. Efforts to increase dissemination of facts on multiple venues, such as social media, websites, and newspapers that link back to government and university websites, could increase public support of future management actions. Additionally, the announcement of management actions, such as round-ups, should consistently include basic background information regarding WFR horse ecology and populations to ensure that the public can make informed conclusions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49735271","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}

{"title":"Wyoming Big Sagebrush Transplant Survival and Growth Affected by Age, Season of Planting, and Competition","authors":"Corinna M. Holfus ,&nbsp;Chad S. Boyd ,&nbsp;Roxanne C. Rios ,&nbsp;Kirk W. Davies ,&nbsp;Stella M. Copeland ,&nbsp;Ricardo Mata-González","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wyoming big sagebrush (<em>Artemisia tridentata</em> Nutt. ssp. <em>wyomingensis</em> [Beetle &amp; A. Young] S. L. Welsh) has decreased from its historic prevalence across the sagebrush steppe in part because of its interaction with invasive annual grasses and the increased wildfire frequency. Restoration of this species is vital to the ecosystem; however, traditional seeding methods such as broadcast or drill seeding have low success rates. Seedling mortality is associated with harsh weather conditions such as freezing temperatures in the winter and extreme temperature and soil moisture conditions during the summer drought. Transplanting sagebrush has greater success by overcoming the bottleneck of early seedling mortality. We tested how sagebrush transplant survival and size (canopy volume) are affected by age at the time of planting (10 classes, 6−24 wk), planting season (fall versus spring), and invasive annual grass competition (low/high) with a randomized factorial design over 2 yr. Survival was lower for age classes under 10 or 12 wk (in yr 1 and 2, respectively) but relatively similar from 12 to 24 wk. Fall-planted transplants had lower survival but increased canopy volume compared with spring-planted transplants. Survival and canopy volume decreased with competition with annual grasses. Our results suggest that land managers should consider planting younger transplants than previously thought and controlling invasive annual grasses before planting sagebrush transplants to increase long-term survival and canopy volume.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49735888","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}

{"title":"A Case for Adaptive Management of Rangelands’ Wicked Problems","authors":"Jacob W. Dittel ,&nbsp;Dana Sanchez ,&nbsp;Lisa M. Ellsworth ,&nbsp;Connor N. Morozumi ,&nbsp;Ricardo Mata-González","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>Sagebrush-steppe restoration has long been seen as a wicked problem—each case has multifaceted problems with no universal solutions—and thus managers have had to adopt adaptive management techniques to meet ever-changing landscape demands. In this study, we characterize the efficacy of an adaptive management plan in a severely degraded sagebrush-steppe winter range habitat for </span>mule deer for 8 yr by monitoring the plant community. During this time, managers have actively managed juniper encroachment through felling and responded to a 2014 wildfire by applying herbicide and seeding for native and forage vegetation. We found that the adaptive management practices reduced annual invasive grasses by about half post fire and nearly doubled preferred herbaceous plants’ cover and biomass. However, these successes were only recorded in plots that received repeated treatments, whereas in plots that only received a single treatment post fire, invasive annual grasses returned to prefire cover. Despite these successes in recovering desired herbaceous composition, shrub regeneration was nearly nonexistent during the study period despite repeated attempts to seed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49735550","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}

{"title":"Effects of Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration Efforts on Pollination Networks in an Arid Ecosystem","authors":"Khum Bahadur Thapa-Magar ,&nbsp;Thomas Seth Davis ,&nbsp;Sara M. Galbraith ,&nbsp;Madeline Grant-Hoffman","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.08.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>On publicly managed lands of western North America, canopy removal is practiced as a habitat improvement for sage grouse </span><em>(Centrocercus</em> species<em>),</em> often with the goal of converting dominant vegetation cover from pinyon pine <em>(Pinus edulis)</em> and juniper (<em>Juniperus</em> spp.) to sagebrush (<span><em>Artemisia</em></span><span><span> spp.). However, it remains unclear whether habitat conversion practices impact other species of conservation concern, especially </span>pollinators<span>, which are sensitive to changes in vegetation cover. Here we test how bee-flower assemblages differ between pinyon-juniper and sagebrush habitats and whether removal of canopy by mastication affects bee-flower networks.</span></span></p><p><span>Three important findings emerged: 1) linkage density (a measure of diversity) of bee-flower interactions was 33% higher in sagebrush habitats; however, mastication treatments were associated with reduced network specialization and there was evidence of interannual variation in network indices; 2) the most-visited floral taxa in pinyon-juniper sites were woody plants </span><span><em>(Amelanchier, </em><em>Opuntia</em><em>, Prunus)</em></span><span> but, in sagebrush sites forbs </span><em>(Heterotheca, Eriogonum)</em> were more frequently visited; however, weedy taxa including <span><em>Cirsium</em></span> and <span><em>Melilotus</em></span> were highly utilized in both habitats; and 3) site physiography affected bee assemblages; incident radiation (heat load index, HLI) had larger effects than relative site position in conservation areas, with higher bee abundance and richness at cool sites with low canopy cover.</p><p>We conclude that conversion of sites from pinyon-juniper to sagebrush is not likely to negatively impact bee-flower interactions in comparison with nontreated sagebrush habitats. Several native forbs and woody species highly visited by bees can be targeted for site restoration efforts, but eradication of “weedy” taxa (<em>Cirsium</em> and <em>Melilotus</em>) may reduce habitat availability. Managers should also consider site physiography when prioritizing treatment landscapes, with an emphasis on prioritizing conservation in habitats with low HLI.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49735770","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}

{"title":"Forage Quality of Ventenata dubia in a Southeastern Oregon Meadow System","authors":"Fara Brummer ,&nbsp;Lesley R. Morris ,&nbsp;Anne Laarman","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.08.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ventenata (<em>Ventenata dubia</em><span><span> L.) is an exotic annual grass gaining attention for its environmental and economic impacts across the western United States. Since cattle reportedly avoid grazing it, there is speculation regarding why it is rejected, though little is known about its forage quality and </span>digestibility. We examined the seasonal and annual forage dynamics of ventenata in a southeastern Oregon meadow system by analyzing the forage quality (crude protein, acid detergent fiber, lignin); silica content; in vitro digestibility (IVDMD); and macrominerals (phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sulfur) of ventenata over the growing season (May, June, and July) for 2 yr. We did not find that ventenata is low in forage quality, macrominerals, or digestibility. Overall, the forage quality of ventenata, especially in early spring (May and June), appears to pose little issue nutritionally. In fact, the crude protein of ventenata stayed above the crude protein minimum requirement for maintenance in grazing cattle through June. However, we did find that silica content as acid insoluble ash content (AIA%) of ventenata at our sites increased throughout the growing season and ranged between 4.3% and 12.1%, nearly 4× the amount previously reported. We also found variability in digestibility and nutrient profile from year to year that can be related to annual precipitation. For example, digestibility decreased by June in the wetter year but did not decrease in the dryer year until into July. Our results have implications for the management of ventenata and are especially relevant for the consideration of targeted grazing as a control method. Forage quality and digestibility of ventenata are best in early spring but, due to the height of the annual grass during this time, there is only a brief window for a targeted grazing strategy because its quality and digestibility declines and silica content increases over the growing season.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49739452","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}

{"title":"Biocrusts Indicators of Livestock Grazing Effects on Soil Stability in Sagebrush Steppe: A Case Study from a Long-Term Experiment in the Northern Great Basin","authors":"Stella M. Copeland ,&nbsp;Lea A. Condon ,&nbsp;Roger Rosentreter ,&nbsp;Jesse E.D. Miller ,&nbsp;Maya Kahn-Abrams","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biocrusts are sensitive to changes in livestock grazing intensity in arid rangelands and may be useful indicators of ecosystem functions, particularly soil properties like soil stability, which may suggest the potential for soil erosion. We compared biocrust community composition and surface soil stability in a big sagebrush <em>(Artemisia tridentata)</em> steppe rangeland in the northwestern Great Basin in several paired sites, with or without long-term cattle grazing exclusion, and similar soils (mostly sandy loams), climate, and vegetation composition. We found that livestock grazing was associated with both lower surface soil stability and cover of several biocrust morphogroups, especially lichens, compared with sites with long-term livestock exclusion. Surface soil stability did not modify the effects of grazing on most biocrust components via interactive effects. Livestock grazing effects on total biocrust cover were partially mediated by changes in surface soil stability. Though lichens were more sensitive to grazing disturbance, our results suggest that moss (mostly <em>Tortula ruralis</em> in this site) might be a more readily observable indicator of grazing-related soil stability change in this area due to their relatively higher abundance compared with lichens (moss: mean, 8.5% cover, maximum, 96.1%, lichens: mean, 1.0% cover, maximum, 14.1%). These results highlight the potential for biocrust components as sensitive indicators of change in soil-related ecosystem functions in sagebrush steppe rangelands. However, further research is needed to identify relevant indicator groups across the wide range of biocrust community composition associated with site environmental characteristics, variable grazing systems, other rangeland health metrics, and other disturbance types such as wildfire.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49735769","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}