Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Appraising Formal and Informal Insurance Approaches Within Pastoralist Social Networks in Northern Kenya","authors":"Brian N. Muchema ,&nbsp;Judith S. Mbau ,&nbsp;Nzioka J. Muthama","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pastoral resource scarcity resulting from climate shocks, particularly drought, impoverishes and adversely affects pastoralists in arid and semiarid lands. Understanding how pastoralists apply established and contemporary risk management approaches is critical for policy and planning on social protection for vulnerable communities. Hence, this study sought to describe existing informal risk-sharing approaches and explore index-based livestock insurance (IBLI) as a formal risk-sharing approach employed by pastoralists to cope with pastoral resource scarcity. Based on the socioecological and disaster approaches to resilience theory, this research employed a qualitative descriptive design. Using semistructured in-person interviews, data were collected from a sample of 69 household respondents, a focus group discussion, and 4 key informants. This study found that although social networks enhance resource sharing, adverse climate stressors were strangling the traditional resource-sharing structures of pastoralism. As a result, this study noted a potential shift from collective risk sharing to household-based or self-insurance among pastoralists. IBLI uptake was recorded as low at 17% due to low awareness levels, a slowed premium sale supply, and a plausible product trust deficit. This study affirms that formal insurance can leverage informal insurance social networks to assist households in coping better with climate shocks, thus enhancing livelihood resilience. The study recommends establishing a framework that integrates both the traditional and modern approaches to risk sharing. Additionally, a focus on designing formal risk-sharing products that cater to household and collective shock recovery may be promising.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 160-169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142745711","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":"Postfire Herbicide Application Reduces Macartney Rose in Attwater's Prairie-Chicken Habitat","authors":"Catherine V. Lechnar ,&nbsp;George K. Gyan ,&nbsp;Robert Puckett ,&nbsp;Robert D. Cox ,&nbsp;Blake A. Grisham ,&nbsp;Nathan S. Gill","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prescribed fire in coastal prairies maintains habitat diversity, improves nutrient cycling, and reduces impacts of invasive species. However, some invasive species thrive after disturbance, necessitating more nuanced management strategies. Managers in the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge use combinations of prescribed fire and herbicide to control the spread of Macartney rose (<em>Rosa bracteata</em>). However, literature suggests that the efficacy of such a strategy has been inconsistent, perhaps owing to differences in the seasonal timing and frequency of herbicide and burning treatments. We compared the timing of herbicide applications in relation to prescribed fire and their effects on Macartney rose by monitoring 160  ×  100 m² belt transects distributed among four categories of treatment strategy: prefire herbicide, postfire herbicide, both, or no herbicide (fire only). Prefire herbicide applications were conducted followed by prescribed fires in December 2021–January 2022, and postfire herbicide was applied in April–May 2022. We conducted plant surveys and measured Macartney rose density and cover in between and after each treatment. After all treatments, we collected arthropods by sweep netting and identified them to the order level. We also baited and collected ants and later identified and counted red imported fire ants under a microscope. We found that Macartney rose density declined by ∼40% and cover exhibited a five-fold decrease in transects that received herbicide both before and after fire, whereas plant and arthropod diversity were unchanged regardless of herbicide treatment. Prescribed fire and herbicide application are essential tools for modern coastal prairie management, but nuances regarding the different ways these tools might be combined should be considered to optimize invasive species control while limiting undesirable effects. In the case presented in this study, Macartney rose was most significantly reduced, and plant and arthropod diversity were maintained using strategies that combined fire and herbicide differently than most common practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 237-245"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746829","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(24)00144-1","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1550-7424(24)00144-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"96 ","pages":"Page IFC"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742424001441/pdfft?md5=0268c3d64e0f21d55e2f06ccedddb46e&pid=1-s2.0-S1550742424001441-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142011738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forum: The History and Development of Small Mammal Control on China's Grasslands and Potential Implications for Conservation","authors":"Joseph P. Lambert ,&nbsp;Yujie Niu ,&nbsp;Kun Shi ,&nbsp;Philip Riordan","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grasslands make up almost half of China's territory and are important ecological and economic areas. The native small mammals that inhabit these grasslands are often seen as pests competing with livestock and are subjected to population control. At the same time, several species are functionally important ecosystem engineers, and their removal can have far-reaching consequences for grassland health. We review the history and development of attempts to control populations of small burrowing mammals on China's grasslands from ancient times to the present day, and the relevance of these programs to grassland conservation. We describe the different methods of control in use today, and attempt to assess their prevalence and their possible effects on grassland ecosystems from a conservation perspective. Non-chemical methods are used, including manual trapping and biological control with native predators. Four rodenticides are currently registered for use on China's grasslands. Most chemical control is carried out with botulinum toxins type- C and D. We identify 41 species, across two orders (Rodentia and Lagomorpha) and seven families, which are targets of pest control. Two of these species, <em>Marmota sibirica</em> and <em>Ochotona koslowi</em>, are classed as Endangered by the IUCN. Several others are important ecosystem engineers. Case studies on the potential ecological impacts of control programs against two ecosystem engineers, zokors (<em>Eospalax fontanierii</em>) and marmots (<em>Marmota</em> spp.), are described. Finally, we give recommendations for researchers on how to approach this issue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 28-40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746898","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":"Improving Seeding Success in Annual Grass-Invaded Areas Using Pre-emergent Herbicide and Deep Furrowing Techniques","authors":"S. Chad Camp ,&nbsp;Val J. Anderson ,&nbsp;Mitch G. Thacker ,&nbsp;Rhett M. Anderson ,&nbsp;Todd F. Robinson ,&nbsp;Tamzen K. Stringham ,&nbsp;Kevin L. Gunnell ,&nbsp;Daniel D. Summers ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Madsen","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exotic annual weeds have invaded and transformed western North American ecosystems. Restoration of these invaded sites has been met with low levels of success. Pre-emergent herbicides can effectively control these annual weeds, but this treatment does not allow for the concurrent seeding of desired species. Seeding within a deep U-shaped furrow following herbicide application may be a method to reduce pre-emergent herbicide effects by transferring the herbicide away from the seed at the time of planting. We investigated this method by spraying plots with or without the pre-emergent herbicide imazapic, then planting with or without a deep furrow. Treatments (i.e., spraying and furrowing) were applied using mechanical equipment within a single pass at six sites. In plots without imazapic, deep furrows generally had higher plant density and more above-ground biomass of seeded species than those in plots without furrows. Similarly, in plots with imazapic, deep furrows generally improved measured plant metrics for the seeded species. For example, plant density in deep furrows was 62–97% higher than that with nonfurrow treatments in plots with imazapic and 41–89% higher in plots without imazapic. Deep furrows also decreased exotic annual weeds in the first year after planting, but weed reduction was generally more effective when this treatment was applied with imazapic. Overall, this research provides evidence that deep furrows alone can improve seeding success in most instances. Nevertheless, combining herbicide application with deep furrows in a one-pass system should be considered in areas with high weed cover. Due to the substantial soil disturbance caused by deep furrows, this method should be selectively applied, such as constraining the treatment to substantially degraded areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 256-268"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746789","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":"Mapping Floral Resources in Montane Landscapes Using Unmanned Aerial Systems and Two-step Random Forest Classifications","authors":"Jesse Tabor ,&nbsp;Alexander Hernandez ,&nbsp;Diana Cox-Foster ,&nbsp;Byron G. Love ,&nbsp;Lindsie M. McCabe ,&nbsp;Matthew Robbins ,&nbsp;Jonathan B.U. Koch","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monitoring floral biodiversity is a critical step in understanding terrestrial ecosystems. However, manual methods to quantify flowering vegetation are costly in time and personnel. In large landscapes, these limited methods may not capture the spatial and temporal variation of floral resources. Recent advances in sensors and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms offer opportunities to characterize the dynamic distribution of floral resources at the landscape level. In this study, UAV imagery and a multistep machine learning classification analysis were used to quantify floral resources in nonagricultural environments, where topography, vegetation, and inflorescence size were variable. Seven flowering species covering an area of 2 138 m² were classified throughout our study, equaling 0.5% of the overall landscape. We determined the period of flowering for important species based on the temporal changes of the floral area classified from UAV images. Models performed well considering the extreme rarity of flowers in the UAV images. The flower class in the land cover classification models performed well with an average sensitivity of 0.77 and average specificity of 0.99. Individual flower classes also performed well with the majority of flower classes receiving sensitivity and specificity values of over 0.90. The use of UAVs is a feasible method for characterizing floral resources in nonagricultural settings. Classifications would benefit from a more robust and comprehensive UAV and floral resource sampling plan, to better characterize the variability of floral resources in UAV imagery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 223-236"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity and Abundance of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Bacteria in Purshia tridentata Stands in the Sagebrush Steppe","authors":"David Eduardo Prado-Tarango ,&nbsp;Ricardo Mata-González ,&nbsp;Dana Sanchez ,&nbsp;Lisa Ellsworth","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen fixing bacteria, require better integration into ecological restoration programs as they might facilitate plant establishment. Both are believed to be critical for the establishment of native rangeland plant species such as <em>Purshia tridentata</em>. We evaluated the AMF and bacterial diversity and abundance from soils in 1) areas with undisturbed P. tridentata stands in rangelands of north-central Oregon and 2) areas where <em>P. tridentata</em> was eliminated because of wildfires. We collected soil from three locations 1) areas with undisturbed <em>P. tridentata</em> stands in rangelands of North-central Oregon and 2) areas where <em>P. tridentata</em> was eliminated because of wildfires. We also collected roots from live <em>P tridentata</em> plants<em>.</em> We used 16s rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequencing to determine and compare bacterial and AMF microbiomes. We wanted to evaluate the soil bacteria to the family level to determine the presence of the Frankiaceae family, and the AMF to the species level to evaluate which AMF species colonized this plant. Bacterial and AMF diversity did not vary between locations, but diversity and abundance of both parameters differed in roots (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) from those of soils. AMF abundance in roots was dominated by <em>Claroideoglomus</em> and <em>Glomus</em>. The major bacterial familiy detected in soil samples was Chthoniobacteraceae, while Frankiaceae was present to a very low extent. Our results suggest that current microbial communities in the study area are homogeneous instead of being affected by the elimination of <em>P. tridentata</em>. However, our data reveals the current mycorrhizal communities associated with <em>P. tridentata</em> which can be used for restoration purposes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 18-27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746897","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":"Late Summer Intensive Grazing, an Alternative to Herbicide Application in Rangelands of the Flooding Pampa","authors":"Joaquín Asad ,&nbsp;Kevin Van Sundert ,&nbsp;Ana V. Eljall Qüesta ,&nbsp;Pablo Preliasco ,&nbsp;Josefina L. De Paepe","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Flooding Pampa harbors grasslands of high conservation value and provides grazing ground for extensive livestock production in uplands while lowlands are less productive. The Aboveground Net Primary Productivity (ANPP) of cool-season C3 grasses limits livestock production in this region. Consequently, two managements have been implemented to promote ANPP of these upland grasses, in contrast to the No Promotion (NP) traditional management with continuous stocking during the entire year: Herbicide Promotion (HP), and less commonly, Late Summer Intensive Grazing (LSIG). Here, we compare the effectiveness of LSIG as a potential alternative to herbicide application in promoting cool-season grass production and evaluate both short- and longer-term impacts on inter- and sub-annual ANPP. To this end, we integrated remotely sensed ANPP data from 2013 to 2019 with rainfall data from meteorological stations, field observations, and management information provided by farm managers. We found that in comparison to NP in uplands, both HP and LSIG successfully promoted ANPP during the cooler months (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). However, under HP, this came at the expense of warm-season grasses and annual ANPP, to such an extent that upland annual ANPP under HP was reduced to similar values of the normally less productive lowlands. Our study showed that cool-season grasses can be successfully promoted with or without herbicide use, but HP leads to a longer-term degradation of forage resources. Contrary to HP, LSIG is a management that reconciles the dual goals of livestock production and grassland conservation in the Flooding Pampa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 9-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746896","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":"Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Responses to Long-Term Flood Irrigation and Fertilization in High-Elevation Hay Meadows","authors":"Daniel M. Adamson ,&nbsp;Urszula Norton ,&nbsp;Jay B. Norton ,&nbsp;Shannon E. Albeke ,&nbsp;Brian M. Sebade ,&nbsp;Linda T.A. van Diepen","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rangelands are an important grazing resource worldwide, but in many regions, supplemental forage is needed to support grazing during parts of the year. Mountain irrigated hay meadows are an integral hay-producing component of livestock operations in the Intermountain Western United States (US), but productive capacity is made challenging by short growing season (elevation &gt;2000 m) and inefficient flood irrigation strategies. Further, these factors have reduced residue decomposition and led to the development of an organic horizon at the soil surface which stores large amounts of soil organic matter (SOM) and nitrogen (N). Better understanding of N-cycling and SOM dynamics is necessary to improve N management and sustainability of forage production in meadows. A field study was conducted at four ranches in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado, US, in 2021 to evaluate the effect of long-term flood irrigation and N fertilization on soil carbon (C) and N pools. Soil pits were excavated to 1.5-m depth in three management systems: unirrigated rangeland, irrigated-unfertilized meadow, and irrigated-fertilized meadow. In each pit, genetic soil horizons were sampled and analyzed for total organic C (TOC), total N (TN), dissolved organic C (DOC), and N (DON), microbial biomass C (MBC), and N (MBN), potentially mineralizable C (PMC), and N (PMN), nitrate, and ammonium. Irrigation dramatically increased TOC concentration at the soil surface, and also increased TOC in the entire profile. However, N fertilization negated the effects of irrigation, as fertilized meadow stabile and labile C and N pools more closely resembled those of rangelands. Fertilized and unfertilized meadows had less labile C and N per unit of stable C and N compared to rangelands, and lower PMN, suggesting lower SOM mineralization or loss to leaching. Alternative irrigation strategies that reduce soil waterlogging will likely improve SOM cycling and forage production in hay meadows but should be balanced with SOM sequestration and other ecosystem services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 283-292"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting the Rotational Grazing Dilemma: The Role of Terminology in System Comparison Outcomes","authors":"Tong Wang ,&nbsp;Urs Kreuter","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.06.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The contentious rotational grazing debate has continued without resolution for decades with proponents and opponents drawing contradictory evidence-based conclusions. Lack of explicit distinction in grazing systems’ terminology may be an important contributor to the contradictory conclusions, but this issue has received scant attention. To better understand the role of terminology in the grazing management efficacy, we surveyed 870 ranchers in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas during January to March 2022. Dividing ranchers into extensive, intermediate, and intensive groups based on their self-identified grazing practice and paddock numbers, we compared a wide range of variables including ranch/rancher characteristics and grazing outcomes among the three groups. We found that the extensive group differed from the intermediate group in 4–15% of the examined variables, whereas the extensive and intensive groups differed in 63–81% of the variables. In terms of ranching outcomes, we found no difference between the extensive and intermediate groups, yet the extensive group differed from the intensive group in 50–100% of the studied outcomes. Such differences highlight the importance of distinguishing between intermediate and intensive grazing management groups when examining the benefits of rotational grazing over continuous grazing, a notable deficiency in much of the previous literature. Our results also point to the need to refine terminology used for grazing management strategies and intensity to ensure consistent comparisons across studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 246-255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746899","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}