Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"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":"2025-08-14","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":"Ecological Poverty Reduction Path Analysis of Herdsmen’s Rangeland Transfer","authors":"XianDong Li ,&nbsp;Lingfei Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujia Deng ,&nbsp;Yujie Chen ,&nbsp;Rong Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Against the backdrop of increasing contradictions between economic development and ecological protection in pastoral areas, issues such as rangeland fragmentation and ecological degradation have gradually emerged. These issues severely restrict the modernization process of rangeland animal husbandry. Based on field survey data from 427 pastoral households in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang pastoral areas, this paper constructs a theoretical framework of “rangeland transfer - rangeland pressure - rangeland ecology - herdsmen’s income.” It employs multiple linear regression and mediation effect models to explore the influence mechanism of rangeland transfer on pastoral income. It also examines the mediating role of rangeland pressure and the moderating effect of ecological degradation. The study finds that rangeland transfer can effectively increase pastoral households’ income. For those who rent-in rangeland, the effect of boosting pastoral income is more prominent. Those who rent-out rangeland achieve nonpastoral income growth through labor transfer. Rangeland pressure fully mediates the positive effect of rangeland transfer on herdsmen’s household income. However, the negative moderating effect of ecological changes on this mediation is obscured. Further analysis shows that the majority of herdsmen transfer rangeland based on kinship, geographical proximity, or policy guidance. Herders rarely get paid by users for ecologically degraded rangelands because of family relationships or a lack of legal knowledge. Concurrently, the absence of government oversight lowers the price of contract violations, resulting in a phenomenon where rangeland degradation still increases income. The research reveals the dynamic mechanism of ecological and economic interaction in rangeland pastoral areas. It proposes establishing an intelligent monitoring system and strengthening regulatory enforcement. These measures aim to promote the optimal allocation of rangeland resources and sustainable development in pastoral areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 61-70"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841991","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":"Season and Migration Strategies Influence Mule Deer Response to Landscape Mosaic","authors":"Elizabeth M. Schuyler ,&nbsp;Lisa M. Ellsworth ,&nbsp;Dana M. Sanchez ,&nbsp;Donald G. Whittaker","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landscape-scale ecosystem degradation in the western United States has been attributed to altered fire regimes, tree expansion into shrublands, and the invasion of exotic annual grasses. These changes have impacted populations of many wildlife species, including mule deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus</em>). We examined how wildfire, dominant vegetation type, western juniper (<em>Juniperus occidentalis</em>) cover, vegetation productivity, and elevation influenced seasonal habitat selection for a population of mule deer that exhibits mixed-migration strategies. We used 51 416 global positioning system locations collected from adult (&gt;1.5-yr-old) female mule deer to develop three separate population-level resource selection functions for the shared winter range (<em>n =</em> 148; December–March) and migratory summer range (<em>n =</em> 94; June–August), and resident summer range (<em>n =</em> 34). We found that both migratory and resident deer used older burns (11–20 yr) on summer ranges. Conversely, deer used more recent burns (&lt;10 yr) more than unburned areas during winter. During the winter, deer also used areas with little juniper cover (&lt;10%) and patches dominated by exotic grass. Our results indicate that wildfire has both positive and negative effects on mule deer habitat selection, depending on the season and age of burn. Furthermore, our results identify a threshold of juniper canopy cover selected by mule deer on their winter range.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 37-45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144830908","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":"Wildfire and Postfire Restoration Treatments Have Lasting Effects on Rodent Habitat and Community Composition","authors":"Savannah L. Bartel,&nbsp;Robert S. Arkle,&nbsp;David S. Pilliod","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rangeland fires can quickly change the structure of wildlife habitat and cause changes that persist for years to decades. To facilitate habitat recovery, postfire restoration actions often involve sowing seeds of native and nonnative perennial grasses and shrubs. Empirical information on whether such restoration activities are effective and how wildlife will respond is unknown. We evaluated the effects of wildfire and postfire seeding on rodent communities in sagebrush steppe by measuring environmental characteristics and live-trapping rodents at three wildfire locations in the northern Great Basin that burned 2–14 yr prior. Sampled plots were either 1) burned (control), 2) burned and seeded with nonnative species, 3) burned and seeded with native species, or 4) not burned (reference). Unburned reference plots had 95.7% more shrub cover and less cover of nonnative annual grasses than all burned plots. Burned plots seeded with native species had greater cover of native perennial grasses and less bare ground compared with burned plots seeded with nonnative species or control plots. Wildfire and postfire seeding significantly changed rodent community composition but not species richness. American deermouse (<em>Peromyscus maniculatus</em>) and least chipmunk (<em>Tamias minimus</em>) were less likely to occur in burned plots than in unburned reference plots. Ord’s kangaroo rat (<em>Dipodomys ordii</em>) and Piute ground squirrel (<em>Urocitellus mollis</em>) were more likely to occur in burned plots than in unburned reference plots. Sagebrush vole (<em>Lemmiscus curtatus</em>) was more likely to occur in burned plots with native seeding than with all other treatments. Species’ responses to wildfire and seeding reflected their relationships to cover of shrubs, perennial grasses, and nonnative annual grasses. These results suggest that wildfire and postfire seeding have long-lasting effects on wildlife communities. Landscape-level rodent diversity may be enhanced when small-scale disturbances or restoration actions increase landscape heterogeneity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 28-36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144830909","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":"Corrigendum to “Well-Connected Core Areas Retain Ecological Integrity of Sagebrush Ecosystems Amidst Overall Declines From 2001–2021” [Rangeland Ecology & Management Volume 97, November 2024, Pages 41-50]","authors":"David M. Theobald ,&nbsp;Alexander V. Kumar ,&nbsp;Kevin Doherty ,&nbsp;Katherine A. Zeller ,&nbsp;Todd B. Cross","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.014","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Page 218"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907424","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":"Assessment of Drought Impact on Rangelands Using Multi-Index Remote Sensing Approach","authors":"Zhewen Zhao ,&nbsp;Rana Waqar Aslam ,&nbsp;Iram Naz ,&nbsp;Zohaib Afzal ,&nbsp;Anum Liaqut ,&nbsp;Muhammad Azeem Liaquat ,&nbsp;Hela Elmannai ,&nbsp;Rana Muhammad Zulqarnain","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates drought impacts on rangeland ecosystems in during 2024 using multiple remote sensing indices and land use/land cover analysis. The research integrates vegetation-related indices (NDVI, VCI, VHI, ESI), water-related indices (NDWI, SMI, SPI, TCI), and drought-specific indices (PDSI, DSI, NDDI, LST) to assess drought severity across the region's limited rangeland resources. Land Use/Land Cover classification reveals that rangelands occupy only 1,319.3 km² (1%) of the total area, predominantly in western and southwestern regions where drought conditions are more severe. Rangelands exhibit poor vegetation health with low NDVI values (0.12–0.25) and below-normal vegetation conditions (VCI 25–45), particularly in western areas where VHI values fall below 30. Water-related indices show severe moisture deficits, with negative NDWI values (–0.35 to –0.45) and low soil moisture (SMI 0.07–0.11). Comprehensive drought indices confirm moderate to severe drought conditions, with PDSI values ranging from –40 to –80 and DSI values between –25 and –40. Correlation analysis reveals generally weak relationships among indices (coefficients between –0.25 and 0.25), supporting the value of a multi-index approach. Comparative analysis shows that rangelands experience greater drought stress than irrigated croplands but less extreme conditions than bare ground areas, with intermediate NDVI (0.18), NDWI (–0.39), and PDSI (–45.2) values. These findings provide critical information for developing targeted drought management policies and adaptive rangeland conservation strategies in arid regions. The multi-index approach provides a framework for comprehensive drought assessment in rangeland ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Pages 198-209"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772665","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":"Pyric Herbivory With Multiple Livestock Species: Similarities in Selection Between Cattle and Goats","authors":"Alexander G. Barnes ,&nbsp;Laura E. Goodman ,&nbsp;Barney Luttbeg ,&nbsp;Bryan D. Murray ,&nbsp;Samuel D. Fuhlendorf","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pyric herbivory, the interaction between fire and grazing, is an ecological process in rangeland ecosystems. While cattle selection of burned patches is documented, the effects of a second herbivore species, like goats, remain unclear. This study examined patch selection patterns of cattle and goats when provided with both burned or unburned areas with patches varying in time since fire (TSF) and burn season. We hypothesized that both livestock species would select for recently burned patches, with cattle selection being more season-dependent than goats. We also hypothesized that the proportion of time allocated to the most recently burned patches would not significantly differ between livestock species. We compared TSF across burn seasons and quantified patch selection using Ivlev’s electivity index. Our results showed that both livestock species selected for recently burned patches, with selection decreasing as TSF increased. For cattle, patch selection was influenced by TSF and burn season. Goat patch selection was also related to TSF, but showed more variability in response to burn season and TSF duration. In dormant season burns, both livestock species selected for the most recently burned patches, while selection following growing season burns peaked at 6–11 months TSF. The observed patterns suggest that including goats in cattle operations that use pyric herbivory will not alter overall preference for burned areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Pages 193-197"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144724418","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":"Pollination Needs and Diverse Bees of a Prospective Fuelbreak Wildflower, Curlycup Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)(Asteraceae)","authors":"James H. Cane ,&nbsp;Byron G. Love ,&nbsp;Skyler Burrows ,&nbsp;Alexander Fortin ,&nbsp;Kelsey K. Graham","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The arid sagebrush steppe of the US Intermountain West is prone to immense and costly wildfires. To disrupt the continuity of flammable vegetation, regional public land managers have begun clearing linear fuelbreaks that are currently seeded to a wind-pollinated Asian forb, forage kochia<em>.</em> A native fire-resistant alternative, <em>Grindelia squarrosa</em>, merits seeding with kochia. It readily colonizes disturbed sites and offers a profusion of late-season flowers to native bees. Field experiments showed that bee visitation is essential for its pollination. Compared with geitonogamous selfing, outcrossing yielded fourfold more filled achenes that were twice as likely to germinate. Collectively, our 15 regional surveys of bees foraging at <em>G. squarrosa</em> flowers were diverse (23 bee genera from five families) and all native, but for honeybees. Most of these species and three-fourths of their surveyed individuals nest below ground, where their progeny are safe from the surface heat of fire. Because <em>G. squarrosa</em> is a biennial, annual pollination by wild bees will be needed to assure ample seed to perpetuate populations sown in fuelbreaks of the US sagebrush steppe. In turn, <em>G. squarrosa</em> offers both pollen and nectar over many weeks that native bees avidly collect and cache for their progeny, as well as feeding future queens of resident social species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Pages 186-192"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722578","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 Cattle Grazing on Food Web Dynamics: Meso-predators and Rodents in a Sagebrush Ecosystem","authors":"Vanessa M. Schroeder ,&nbsp;Dustin D. Johnson ,&nbsp;W. Douglas Robinson ,&nbsp;David W. Bohnert ,&nbsp;Jonathan B. Dinkins","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We used a network of motion-sensitive cameras and weekly transect surveys during a replicated cattle grazing experiment to assess the influence of dormant season grazing, spring-summer rotational grazing, and grazing exclusion on the activity of rodent, meso-mammalian, lagomorph and reptilian species in southeast Oregon, USA, from 2018–2021. Activity of chipmunks (<em>Neotamias</em> spp.) and mice (subfamily <em>Neotominae</em>), was lower in moderate intensity rotationally grazed pastures compared to nongrazed pastures. When considering differences with respect to rotation (spring or summer) or cattle presence, we found evidence for reduced activity of most rodents (including chipmunks, ground squirrels [<em>Urocitellus</em> spp.], kangaroo rats [family <em>Heteromyidae</em>], and mice), with the largest reductions during summer grazing. We did not observe a direct effect of grazing on meso-predators, including American badgers (<em>Taxidea taxus</em>), and coyotes (<em>Canis latrans</em>). Perennial forb cover was associated with increased ground squirrel activity and coyote and badger occupancy, suggesting indirect effects stemming from vegetation food resources. Our results suggest grazing influences the activity and occupancy of many species within the sagebrush ecosystem food web, which has implications for several species of management concern. As the sagebrush ecosystem continues to shrink, managers should consider the influences of grazing management on the dynamics of species interactions, including predator-prey relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Pages 172-185"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703873","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 and Prediction of Land Use and Land Cover Using Remote Sensing and CA-ANN","authors":"Frank Juma Ong’ondo ,&nbsp;Shrinidhi Ambinakudige ,&nbsp;Philista Adhiambo Malaki ,&nbsp;Hafez Ahmad ,&nbsp;Qingmin Meng ,&nbsp;Domnic Kiprono Chesire ,&nbsp;Kuria Anthony ,&nbsp;Yahia Said","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.06.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human-driven land cover change poses a significant challenge to the sustainability of protected areas worldwide. Monitoring these dynamics and projecting future trends is crucial for effective conservation strategies. This study uses Nairobi National Park and its surrounding areas in Kenya as a case study to assess land cover change from 2016 to 2023 and project trends through 2040. We applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques, using Landsat imagery classified with the Random Forest (RF) algorithm in Google Earth Engine (GEE), to map land cover across eight classes. We projected future changes using a cellular automata–artificial neural network model, achieving 84.4% accuracy. Results revealed significant increases in built-up areas and agricultural land, accompanied by declines in forest, shrubland, woodland, water bodies, and bare soil. Projections indicate continued urban expansion and woodland growth, while agricultural land, bare soil, water bodies, and forests will decrease sharply. These findings highlight the urgent need for integrated land use planning and proactive conservation policies to manage rapid urban growth while preserving the ecological functions of protected areas and their surrounding landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"102 ","pages":"Pages 160-171"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703872","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}