Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating Nondestructive Age Estimation Methods for Big Sagebrush, a Long-Lived, Wide-Ranging Shrub","authors":"Treyton S. Harris ,&nbsp;Joshua B. Grinath ,&nbsp;Richard Rachman ,&nbsp;Jennifer Sorensen Forbey ,&nbsp;Kathryn G. Turner","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurately assessing the age structure of plant populations is essential for understanding their dynamics and predicting responses to environmental change. Long-lived shrubs, like big sagebrush (<em>Artemisia tridentata</em>), play foundational roles in sagebrush ecosystems across Western North America. Yet, their age demographics are often underexplored due to the challenges of nondestructively estimating age. Here, we first assessed nondestructive techniques for estimating age in one subspecies of big sagebrush, identifying basal stem circumference as the morphological trait most strongly correlated with age (<em>r²</em> = 0.508). However, the strength of this relationship differed considerably across sites, with <em>r²</em> values spanning from 0.116 to 0.709. We then evaluated the predictive accuracy of this trait across populations of two subspecies of big sagebrush. While basal stem circumference remained a robust predictor of age, its accuracy varied between subspecies and across populations, suggesting that local environmental factors may influence its reliability. Prediction accuracy was modest overall, with errors exceeding 10 yr and accuracy declining at the youngest and oldest ages. Prediction accuracy varied among subspecies and sites in response to local environmental conditions. Despite these limitations, these methods have practical implications for conservation and restoration, as circumference-based estimates can help managers quickly gauge whether recovering stands contain a mix of age classes, evaluate restoration success without destructive sampling, and anticipate how sagebrush populations may respond to disturbance or climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"104 ","pages":"Pages 35-42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792130","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":"Novel Insights Into Grazing and Browsing Capacity Related to Rangeland Condition in an Understudied Area of Central Mozambique, Inhambane Province","authors":"Francois Deacon ,&nbsp;Wesley John Black","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Mozambique, 81% of the land is rangelands. Effective management requires understanding their agricultural potential, but deviations from ecological principles have led to environmental degradation. This study investigates the grazing and browsing capacity of rangelands in central Mozambique Province, characterized by Miombo woodland. This study seeks to thoroughly understand rangeland conditions by evaluating their potential to support grazing and browsing ruminants. The ideal is to balance ecological integrity with economic viability, ensuring the long-term health and productivity of the region’s diverse ecosystems. The research reveals that browsing capacity peaks during the wet season, with a maximum of 49.4 hectares per Browser Unit (ha/BU) at 1.5 m height, and declines in the dry season, reaching critically low values of 119.8 ha/BU in August. Grazing capacity is estimated at 11.3 hectares per Large Stock Unit (ha/LSU). These findings highlight the ecological dynamics and potential agricultural productivity of the region. Observed variations in grazing and browsing capacities are crucial for guiding sustainable agricultural practices and conservation efforts. By providing a foundation for determining appropriate stocking densities, the research supports the prevention of overgrazing and the maintenance of ecological balance. The implications for the rangeland profession include enhanced understanding of rangeland ecology, contributing to biodiversity conservation and agricultural support in Mozambique.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"104 ","pages":"Pages 67-71"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927432","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(26)00003-5","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1550-7424(26)00003-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"104 ","pages":"Page IFC"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078282","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 Seeding Rate and Sowing Season on the Establishment Success of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis)","authors":"Melissa Landeen ,&nbsp;Kevin Gunnell ,&nbsp;Daniel D. Summers ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Madsen ,&nbsp;Antonio Villanueva-Morales","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sagebrush seedings in Wyoming big sagebrush (<em>Artemisia tridentata</em> Nutt.) ecosystems often experience high failure rates. We tested the hypotheses that 1) sowing season impacts spring seedling emergence, 2) increasing seeding rate will result in higher seedling emergence, 3) pressing seed into the soil surface improves seeding outcomes, and 4) year is an important factor in sagebrush seedling emergence. Over four study years, we used a randomized complete block split-plot design to compare eleven seeding rates sown on seven dates throughout fall and winter at two locations in central Utah. We also seeded paired plots during the fall sowing seasons with a roller-packer wheel treatment to improve seed-soil contact. Each spring, seedling density was recorded. Data was analyzed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and Pearson correlation. Year strongly impacted seedling density (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), with emergence limited or nonexistent in two study years. In years where emergence occurred, seeding rate was related to seedling density with a positive linear relationship (<em>r</em> = 0.32; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001) indicating a similar percentage of seed emerged regardless of seeding rate. Mid-fall and fall sowings resulted in 7 to 8-fold higher seedling density than a traditional mid-winter sowing. The application of a roller-packer treatment did not affect seedling emergence when compared across multiple years (<em>P</em> = 0.5493) or multiple sowing seasons within a single year (<em>P</em> = 0.9920). Finally, a correlation analysis indicated a negative relationship between snow depth at the time of sowing and seedling density the following spring (<em>r</em> = −0.18; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001). Overall, these findings show that sagebrush seeding efforts can be improved by altering the sowing season from winter to fall and increasing seeding rates, but annual environmental conditions serve as a primary bottleneck in sagebrush establishment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"104 ","pages":"Pages 8-19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145771909","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":"Tallgrass Prairie Responses to Weather Variability and Management: Analyses of Vegetation Dynamics and Water Use","authors":"Pradeep Wagle ,&nbsp;Tanka Kandel ,&nbsp;Brian K. Northup ,&nbsp;Xiangming Xiao ,&nbsp;Corey Moffet ,&nbsp;Stephen Teet ,&nbsp;Sherry Hunt ,&nbsp;Stacey A. Gunter","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains is an ecologically and economically important grassland ecosystem in the United States. Prairies face significant challenges from weather variability (such as changing precipitation patterns, increased droughts, and heat waves) and management-related disturbances (such as prescribed burns, hay production, and grazing). This study examines the responses of tallgrass prairie to weather variability and management practices using data from the long-term, multi-factor “<em>integrated Grassland-Livestock and Burning Experiment (iGLOBE)</em>” in central Oklahoma. The experiment includes a cluster of eddy covariance (EC) systems across five native tallgrass prairies managed with different grazing, hay production, and burning regimes. The major objectives were to 1) quantify the variations in EC-measured evapotranspiration (ET) at different temporal scales across differently managed prairies under varying environmental conditions, and 2) combine remotely sensed vegetation indices with ET to assess their potential for monitoring and examining ecosystem responses to variable weather and management. Interannual variations in precipitation patterns during the study period (2019–2024) influenced vegetation dynamics, forage production, and ET. Temperature variability also played a crucial role in modifying the impact of precipitation, particularly during the early and late growing seasons. The observed ranges of maximum daily, growing season (April-October), and annual ET were 4.9–8.64 mm d^-1, 468–716 mm, and 546–861 mm, respectively, across pastures. Annual ET: precipitation ratios ranged from 0.67 in wet years to 1.15 in dry years. This study provides a ground-truth ET dataset across different weather and management scenarios, enabling validation of ET estimates from models and satellite-derived products for tallgrass prairies, even where direct ET measurements are unavailable. A strong agreement (R² ≥ 0.70) between satellite-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and EC-measured ET demonstrated the potential to combine these datasets for more precise quantification of how weather and management affect productivity and water use across native prairie landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 171-183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145095843","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":"Herbicide Application in Mojave Desert Shrublands: Invasive Grass Reduction, Native Forb Resilience, and Shrub Mortality","authors":"Ranae M. Sullivan ,&nbsp;Beth A. Newingham","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonnative grasses such as red brome (<em>Bromus rubens</em>) are widespread in the Mojave Desert, causing significant harm to native flora and wildlife habitats. These invasive grasses alter fire cycles, degrade habitats, and reduce biodiversity. We evaluated the effectiveness of proactive herbicide treatments in reducing nonnative grasses in otherwise intact plant communities. Using a split-plot design, we examined how single and twice-applied herbicide applications affect native and nonnative plant communities. Pre-emergent herbicide (imazapic) was aerially applied at four sites in Gold Butte National Monument in fall 2019, with an additional application on a portion of each plot in fall 2020, resulting in once- and twice-treated sections. Vegetation was monitored during the 2020–2022 growing seasons to track changes in nonnative grass cover, annual forb cover, and shrub cover. Initial treatments reduced <em>B. rubens</em> cover in 2020 by as much as 6.3% ± 1.2%, but effects diminished in subsequent years. Twice-applied treatments did not show further reduction until the second year. Native forbs decreased by as much as 2.9% ± 0.6% after the first treatment but recovered in following years. Shrub cover was unaffected overall, though drought-induced <em>Ambrosia dumosa</em> mortality was greater in imazapic treated plots. Although imazapic initially reduced <em>B. rubens</em> cover, severe drought that began in 2020 reduced the emergence of annual plants, potentially negating or masking the herbicide’s benefits. Furthermore, increased drought-induced mortality of a foundational shrub in twice-applied treatments suggests a significant tradeoff with treatments intended to reduce invasive grasses. This study highlights the need for timing pre-emergent herbicide treatments with adequate precipitation to enhance their efficacy. Effective management of invasive grasses requires a proactive approach, considering both treatment timing and environmental conditions to sustain native plant communities and prevent habitat degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 184-195"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145095844","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":"Adapting to Climatic Extremes: Do Grazing Management Strategies Matter?","authors":"Merilynn C. Schantz ,&nbsp;Douglas R. Smith ,&nbsp;Kabindra Adhikari ,&nbsp;Douglas J. Goodwin ,&nbsp;Douglas R. Tolleson ,&nbsp;Javier M. Osorio Leyton ,&nbsp;Kelly R. Thorp ,&nbsp;R. Daren Harmel","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Frequent and extreme weather events have increased the need for improved grazing land management strategies that can withstand these disturbances. Alternative grazing strategies of rotational and supplemental forage cover crop use have been suggested as producing greater environmental benefits than prevailing practices of continuous use with supplemental forage oat grazing in pasturelands. How plant and animal performance differs by these grazing strategies, especially during climactic extremes, however, is unknown as it requires long-term studies that occur across common land management (large) spatial scales. Dynamic precipitation patterns in central Texas provide a unique environment to test the differences in grazing management strategies by weather inputs. For this study, we sought to compare plant production and animal nutrition between alternative adaptive grazing land management strategies of rotationally grazed pastures and forage cover crops to prevailing methods of continuously grazed pastures and supplemental forage oats across a 10-yr period in central Texas. Our results suggest that alternative strategies of rotational grazing with supplemental cover crops resulted in greater plant production, especially in ungrazed regions during drought, compared to prevailing practices of continuous pasture grazing with supplemental forage oats. Animal nutrition was, alternatively, inconclusive as fecal crude protein in cattle was greater when animals grazed the prevailing treatment of forage oats and continuously grazed pastures, although the ratio of digestible organic matter to crude protein was greater when cattle grazed the alternative treatment of rotational and cover crop pastures. Collectively, these results suggest that alternative grazing strategies may be more resistant to climatic extremes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 117-127"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925726","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":"Collaborative Adaptation to Institutional Shocks: Drivers and Outcomes of Communication Network Between Herders","authors":"Dayuan Xing ,&nbsp;Haibin Chen ,&nbsp;Liqun Shao ,&nbsp;Han Zhang ,&nbsp;Xianli Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small-holder herders in pastoral areas are confronted with multisource risks, among which conservation policies represent a prominent institutional shock. Collaboration is widely advocated to address such complex and uncertain challenges, yet studies on how local herders informally collaborate to adapt to institutional shocks remain limited. Taking a pastoral village on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as a case study, the paper employs the Exponential Random Graph Model to investigate the drivers of communication network formation and the Auto-Logistic Actor Attribute Model to examine its impacts on individual adaptability, assessed by whether they can comply with stocking rate requirements imposed by rangeland conservation programs while sustaining their livelihoods. A tightly bonded network was found to emerge from relational transitivity and promote the adoption of adaptive actions. Network decentralization was observed to diversify information sources, thereby enhancing adaptability. Preferential attachment and homophily significantly influenced network formation, though different actor attributes played divergent roles and produced counterbalancing effects on individual adaptability. To achieve the dual goals of resource conservation and livelihood sustainability, we emphasize that collaborative networks should be weaved to align with the nature of collective dilemmas, meanwhile, measures should be implemented to mitigate adverse effects from potential network polarization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 473-482"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568402","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":"Monitoring on U.S. Pasture and Rangelands: Highlighting the Value of Informal Approaches for Practical Use","authors":"Ada P. Smith ,&nbsp;Ethan Gordon ,&nbsp;Hannah Gosnell ,&nbsp;Jennifer Hodbod","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Formal monitoring is widely promoted by scientists, range professionals, Extension services, and conservation organizations in the U.S. as a tool for ranchers to develop knowledge about the condition of pasture and rangelands and to improve management decisions. Despite extensive scientific literature on formal monitoring, informal monitoring—such as visual assessments, systematic observations, and photography—has received limited attention. Through qualitative interviews with ranchers (<em>n</em> = 63) across three U.S. ecoregions (MI, OK/TX, WY/CO), this study explores how ranchers define and utilize both formal and informal monitoring methods. We found that formal, “scientific,” monitoring methods are often underutilized due to time constraints, labor demands, perceived irrelevance, and the inadequacy of data to capture localized variability that ranchers observe and manage. Conversely, ranchers predominantly use informal monitoring methods to develop local knowledge, track changes, and make management decisions tailored to their specific conditions. Considering our findings, we urge scientists and professionals to acknowledge and engage with the informal monitoring methods ranchers use, which may be outside of the scientific paradigm. We discuss future research and collaboration opportunities to integrate ranchers' informal monitoring approaches with formal methods to develop monitoring programs that are both useful and used, enhancing decision-making and outcomes on pasture and rangelands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 46-60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144830910","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":"Erratum to “Pollination Needs and Diverse Bees of a Prospective Fuelbreak Wildflower, Curlycup Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa) (Asteraceae)” [Rangeland Ecology & Management volume 102, September 2025, pages 186-192]","authors":"James H. Cane ,&nbsp;Byron G. Love ,&nbsp;Skyler Burrows ,&nbsp;Alexander Fortin ,&nbsp;Kelsey K. Graham","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Page 152"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049031","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}