Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Drivers of Weed Control Implementation and Challenges: Perspectives From Weed Management Professionals","authors":"Kristina E. Young ,&nbsp;Aaron Lien ,&nbsp;José Carvalho de Souza Dias ,&nbsp;Katherine Hovanes ,&nbsp;Elise S. Gornish","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive, nonnative plant species are a major driver of global change due to their ability to disrupt ecological structure and function. However, despite substantial promising research into effective weed management strategies, large-scale invasive plant (hereafter “weeds”) reduction is rarely achieved. While the reasons for this disconnect are multifaceted, one documented cause is the limited overlap between researchers studying weed management and the practitioners enacting it. Here, we help close this research-implementation gap by surveying those involved with weed management across Utah and Arizona, two states in the American West that face considerable weed infestations on working landscapes. We asked weed management professionals across working landscapes to indicate how often they use different weed control techniques recommended by integrated weed management practices (specifically, prescribed fire, herbicide, grazing, and seeding), how effective they find the techniques to be, and concerns related to each treatment. Because the literature implies that many of these techniques are effective alone or in concert, we expected logistical concerns (i.e., cost, access to equipment, lack of information) would be the dominant reasons for not pursuing a weed control strategy. We found that weed management professionals are relying heavily on herbicide and are using other weed control techniques at a much smaller frequency. Weed management professionals list multiple concerns with different weed control treatments, but most concerns were not logistical in nature. Instead, concerns centered around ecological and weather constraints such as inadequate weed control when grazing, lack of seed establishment, and losing control of fire. We recommend ways in which researchers can work with practitioners to address weed treatment concerns to increase the diversity of weed control treatments used in working landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 462-472"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145519451","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 Long-Term Grazing at Different Intensities on Herbaceous Biomass in Southeast Oregon Sagebrush Steppe","authors":"Jonathan D. Bates ,&nbsp;Kirk W. Davies ,&nbsp;Stella M. Copeland ,&nbsp;Rory C. O’Connor ,&nbsp;Lauren N. Svejcar ,&nbsp;Danielle R. Clenet","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Information on the effects of long-term cattle grazing at different intensities on herbage production following fire in the sagebrush steppe is lacking. We measured herbaceous biomass response to cattle grazing spanning 18 yr (2007–2024) on burned Wyoming big sagebrush (<em>Artemisia tridentata</em> Nutt. ssp. <em>wyomingensis</em> Beetle &amp; Young) steppe in eastern Oregon. Treatments were applied in a randomized complete block design, including no grazing on burned (nonuse) and unburned (control) sagebrush steppe; and cattle grazing at low (low), moderate (moderate), and high (high) stocking. All grazed treatments were by deferred rotation. Deferred rotation consisted of grazing during the active growing season (mid-May–early June) once every 3 yr followed by 2 yr of grazing during summer herbaceous dormancy (July, August, or September). Herbage was sorted by herbaceous functional group, which included an early season bunchgrass (Sandberg bluegrass [<em>Poa secunda</em> J. Presl]), tall perennial bunchgrasses, perennial forbs, cheatgrass (<em>Bromus tectorum</em> L.), and annual forbs. Both standing crop and annual net primary production (ANPP, current year’s growth) of functional groups were evaluated by repeated measures analysis. Standing crop decreased as grazing intensity increased but recovered with 1 or 2 yr of grazing rest. Herbaceous functional group ANPP did not differ among the burned treatments (grazed and nonuse), and total and perennial bunchgrass production were all greater than the control. Grazing intensity in the deferred rotation program did not affect long-term ANPP. Annual weather events account for ANPP variability measured for the various grazed and ungrazed treatments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 307-317"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265995","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":"Uninsured Pastoralists - Adoption and Attitudes towards Index-Based Livestock Insurance in Four Kenyan Counties","authors":"Göran Bostedt ,&nbsp;Per Knutsson ,&nbsp;Deborah Muricho ,&nbsp;Stephen Mureithi ,&nbsp;Ewa Wredle","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Index-based livestock insurance (IBLI) is promoted as a proactive measure to protect against climate-related risks. Despite initial efforts to introduce the insurance, its adoption has generally been low in most developing countries. This paper compares adopters and nonadopters of IBLI in four arid or semi-arid counties in Kenya, focusing specifically on household demographics, climate effects, land tenure arrangements, and the interaction between other coping strategies and the decision to adopt livestock insurance. The household survey was conducted in 12 counties, whereby 491 respondents were interviewed, of which about 4.5% had insurance. The results showed that IBLI adoption was influenced by the socioeconomic, environmental, and existing adoption strategies. Lack of awareness was the most common reason (44.2% of respondents) for not adopting insurance, showing the need for simplifying information, because the respondents with more schooling were likely to purchase insurance. High precipitation reduced the need for livestock insurance due to low drought risk. Active fodder management positively influenced insurance uptake, likely due to the use of the indemnity for investment in other adaptive strategies. Otherwise, pastoralists were more likely to purchase insurance if they had to travel a long distance to the alternative grazing grounds. Likewise, insurance premiums limited insurance uptake due to the imperfect correlation between drought and indemnity payments (basis risk). Generally, insurance alone is not a panacea for pastoralists. Presently, they seem to be too expensive compared to the value they provide. Either the prediction accuracy of IBLIs must be increased, or premiums more heavily subsidized, for insurance to be a genuine alternative for pastoralists.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 153-162"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145095841","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":"Does Drought Intensify the Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Production and Net Revenue in Semiarid Rangelands?","authors":"David J. Augustine ,&nbsp;John P. Ritten ,&nbsp;David L. Hoover ,&nbsp;Justin D. Derner","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.04.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.04.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span>In the western Great Plains, black-tailed prairie dogs<span><span><span> are well known to have substantial effects on the quantity and nutritional quality of grassland vegetation. However, the degree to which this affects livestock production has been challenging to quantify due to high temporal variability in precipitation and forage growth rates, as well as substantial variation in prairie dog populations induced by periodic disease outbreaks. Here, we examine the effects of black-tailed prairie dogs on the productivity and economic returns of </span>yearling steers grazing semiarid </span>rangeland of eastern Colorado during a series of years that included above-average precipitation and severe drought. We evaluated the degree to which drought suppresses livestock </span></span>weight gains in the presence versus absence of prairie dogs, as well as how this effect varied by soil type (low vs. high productivity). Black-tailed prairie dogs significantly reduced livestock weight gain (kg steer</span>⁻¹ cm precipitation⁻¹<span>) on high productivity soils in the 2 drought yr (−23% in 2020; −38% in 2022), but not in a wet or average precipitation yr. Cattle from two pastures with prairie dogs were destocked earlier in the drought of 2022 (due to more severe forage shortages) than cattle from remaining pastures, which negatively affected net economic returns more than it did weight gain, resulting in a significant negative effect of prairie dogs on net revenue (−27%) across all soil types during severe drought. Net economic returns were more similar across soil types in wet years but were reduced by 41% and 25% on low- compared with high-productivity soils in the 2 drought yr. Coexistence of prairie dogs with livestock production may increasingly depend on spatially explicit management that seeks to minimize control costs and focus prairie dog conservation on soil types where impacts to livestock production are also minimized.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 554-562"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790000","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":"Economic Assessment of Virtual Fencing Technology in Dairy Systems: A Model Study in Temperate Climates","authors":"Anna Kiefer ,&nbsp;Johannes Isselstein ,&nbsp;Enno Bahrs","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent developments in Europe indicate a continuous decline in pasture-based dairy farming, despite its recognized advantages in grassland regions, including reduced food–feed competition, lower feed costs, and enhanced animal welfare. The management of large herds across extensive grazing areas typically requires precise and labor-intensive fencing operations using electrical physical fences (EPFs), which depend on fixed or semi-mobile infrastructure—such as wires, posts, and energizers—to allocate fresh pastures according to animals’ nutritional demands. Virtual fencing (VF) represents an emerging technological alternative that utilizes GPS-enabled collars and software-based geofencing to regulate livestock movement without physical barriers. This approach offers the potential to reduce labor requirements and increase flexibility in pasture management. However, the economic and technical disparities between EPF and VF systems necessitate an assessment of farm-specific conditions under which VF can serve as a feasible substitute. This study investigated the economic and managerial determinants influencing the adoption of VF systems in temperate dairy production. The findings demonstrate that the economic performance of VF is highly dependent on farm size, pasture management strategy, and the extent of necessary operational adaptations. While VF can considerably reduce labor input, its economic viability remains limited by substantial initial investment and adaptation costs unless management practices are specifically optimized. Profitability increases with a higher proportion of grazed herbage in livestock diets. The integration of VF with complementary digital technologies could further enhance its efficiency and practical applicability. Moreover, targeted policy measures–such as those within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP, 2023–2027)—and investments in research, training, and advisory services may foster wider adoption. Recognizing and compensating the ecosystem services facilitated by VF could further strengthen its economic sustainability. Nevertheless, integration into agri-environmental schemes requires further clarification of legal, ethical, and technical standards to ensure compliance with animal welfare and data governance frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 417-430"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465560","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":"Can Seminatural Grassland Vegetation in Abandoned Fields Support the Nutritional Requirements of Grazing Goats? A Study in Central Japan","authors":"Noriaki Nakajima ,&nbsp;Kazuya Doi ,&nbsp;Sae Tamiya ,&nbsp;Masato Yayota","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The nutritional value of wild plants varies greatly, and some species have nutritional values and digestibility comparable to those of commonly cultivated grass varieties. Thus, we hypothesized that foraging on seminatural grassland vegetation in abandoned fields could fulfill nutritional requirements for goat maintenance, and selective foraging could ensure greater availability of these nutrients, contributing to the maintenance of livestock and their growth. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of semi-natural grassland vegetation in abandoned fields with selective foraging by goats and to estimate whether the vegetation in abandoned fields can satisfy the nutritional requirements of goats through the seasons. We used 16 goats to conduct grazing trials throughout the seasons in two experimental areas of an abandoned field. The variations in the chemical components of each plant group were also evaluated for each season. The nutritional composition of the goat ingesta was estimated from the number of bites of the ingested plant species, chemical components, and bite mass. The goats grazed on 33–43 plant species across the seasons, and the plants that the goats foraged changed throughout the seasons. Goats shifted their foraging from forbs to multiple other plant categories (bamboo species and the Poaceae and Cyperaceae families), increasing their intake of crude protein (CP) and minerals. Grazing under seminatural grassland vegetation in such fields allowed goats to meet their nutritional requirements of CP, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, cobalt, manganese, zinc, and chlorine and support a daily gain (DG) of 100 g throughout the season. In contrast, grazing in seminatural grassland vegetation caused excess Fe intake and deficiencies in selenium and copper. However, this study suggests that goats grazing under seminatural grassland vegetation in abandoned Japanese fields could support the nutritional requirements for a DG of 100 g in terms of CP and several minerals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 83-92"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144879691","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":"2025-11-01","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":"Current and Future Redcedar Encroachment: Potential Implications for Central Nebraska Landscapes","authors":"Nawaraj Shrestha ,&nbsp;Aaron R. Mittelstet ,&nbsp;Yi Qi ,&nbsp;Daniel R. Uden","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Woody plant encroachment is one of the primary threats to the grasslands of the North American Great Plains. Woody plant encroachment not only reduces biodiversity but also alters ecosystem services, such as groundwater recharge and livestock forage production, which are vital to the socio-economy of the region. In this study, we used machine learning, Markov chains, and cellular automata modeling to map the current and future cover of eastern redcedar (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em>). Eastern redcedar, a native species to the United States, is a dominant woody evergreen species in landscapes of the Central Great Plains. We used a multilayer perceptron to classify Landsat image archives (2000, 2010, and 2020) with training samples generated from the classification of high-resolution National Agriculture Imagery Program images. A sampling-based approach was used to estimate the encroachment rate between 2000 and 2020. We used transition probabilities between 2000 and 2010 to represent four different encroachment scenarios and predicted redcedar encroachment using transition potentials for the years 2020, 2050, and 2100. Results from image classification indicated that redcedar increased annually by 0.34–3.31% in 2000–2010, 3.88–4.15% in 2010–2020, and 2.10–3.73% in 2000–2020. The most encroachment occurred in counties with high proportions of loess canyons and hills. Redcedar’s distribution, predicted using Markov chains and cellular automata modeling, increased by &gt; two-fold (3 999 km²) in 2050 and four-fold (7 226 km²) in 2100 compared with an area of 2 006 km² in 2020. Our results demonstrate that despite differences in transition probabilities and accompanying rates of spread, redcedar is likely to continue spreading at the expense of grassland ecosystems. Redcedar encroachment scenarios with various encroachment patterns can be used to guide proactive conservation, inform decision-making, and provide inputs for biophysical models to simulate the effects of encroachment on various ecosystem services in the absence of large-scale management success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 258-269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157536","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":"Importance of Stocking Rate, Grazing, and Browsing Capacity in Relation to Rainfall on a Wildlife Estate in the Central Free State of South Africa","authors":"Francois Deacon ,&nbsp;Wesley John Black","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, the concept of wildlife estates has emerged as a compelling alternative to traditional golf estates. Wildlife estates provide a novel approach to land management by integrating conservation goals with private property development. The establishment of wildlife estates reflects an innovative land use strategy that balances human development with environmental stewardship. These properties are typically small to medium-sized, necessitating active management to ensure their effectiveness as conservation areas. Scientific monitoring plays a crucial role in this process, particularly in assessing the grazing and browsing capacity of the land as well as the overall condition of the rangeland. Effective management is essential for maintaining the ecological integrity of these estates and ensuring their long-term sustainability. The Woodlands Wildlife Estate, located in the Central Free State Province, serves as a case study for evaluating the habitat conditions and rangeland health in the context of these challenges. This technical report analyses the veld condition, grazing, and browsing capacity of the estate, providing valuable insights into its current status and the effectiveness of its management practices. The findings highlight the importance of adapting conservation models to changing environmental conditions, including drought, and underscore the need for ongoing research and monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 388-394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145415758","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":"Resource Selection by Sheep and Goats in Queensland Australia","authors":"Caroline Wade ,&nbsp;Mark Trotter ,&nbsp;Caitriana Steele ,&nbsp;Lara Prihodko ,&nbsp;Derek W. Bailey","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Abiotic and biotic factors influence sheep and goat landscape distribution. Resource selection functions allow us to determine which factors influence distribution the most. This study tested distance to water, distance to trees, tree count, wind direction, and vegetation metrics as resources influencing the distribution of sheep and goats on extensive pastures in Queensland, Australia. Vegetation metrics were computed from remotely sensed data, and are measured as green vegetation, nongreen vegetation, bare ground, and total standing dry matter. We found the location of water, trees, and the prevailing wind direction were the most influential factors affecting sheep and goat distribution. Both sheep and goats selected for areas close to water, trees, and in the direction of the prevailing wind. At one site, goats showed a preference for green vegetation mainly in treed areas, while sheep showed a preference for nongreen vegetation which in the drought conditions of this study were found in less treed areas and can be interpreted as a selection for herbaceous material. At the other sites, the influence of water, trees, and wind was too strong to see a direct influence of vegetation on resource selection. Further research in nondrought conditions would help to better explain vegetation influence on sheep and goat landscape utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 270-280"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220196","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}