Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Initial Divergent Postfire Recovery Converges Over the Long-term: A Case Study in Juniper-Encroached Sagebrush Steppe","authors":"Jonathan D. Bates,&nbsp;Kirk W. Davies,&nbsp;Rory C. O’Connor,&nbsp;Stella M. Copeland","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reduced fire frequency is recognized as a main cause of piñon–juniper (<em>Pinus–Juniperus</em> L.) expansion in western North American sagebrush steppe and grasslands. Piñon–juniper woodland control using prescribed fire and mechanical treatments have increased the past three decades with the goal of restoring sagebrush steppe plant communities. Factors shaping the response of sagebrush steppe communities following woodland treatment include shrub and herbaceous composition, level of tree dominance, and site characteristics. We compared vegetation recovery spanning 20 yr following prescribed fire on mid-succession and late-succession western juniper (<em>Juniperus occidentalis</em> Hook.) woodlands on Steens Mountain, Oregon. Our objective was to evaluate vegetation dynamics between early (first decade) and later successional (second decade) time periods after fire. The first decade after fire vegetation on burned mid-succession sites were codominated by native herbaceous perennials and sprouting shrub species and on late-succession sites vegetation was codominated by nonnative cheatgrass (<em>Bromus tectorum</em> L.) and snowbrush (<em>Ceanothus velutinus</em> Dougl.). During the second decade after fire, vegetation composition converged and both mid-succession and late-succession sites were codominated by herbaceous perennials, mountain big sagebrush (<em>Artemisia tridentata</em> spp. <em>vaseyana</em> [Rydb.] Beetle), round-leaf snowberry (<em>Symphoricarpos rotundifolius</em> A. Gray) and snowbrush. Herbaceous and shrub vegetation composition of both burned woodland phases proved to be highly resilient to fire, the difference was that native shrub-herbaceous recovery on late-succession sites required about twice as much time as mid-succession sites. The resilience of both mid-succession and late-succession woodland sites was likely a product of ecological site characteristics (e.g., elevation and precipitation zone) that affords a competitive advantage for native perennial species over invasive annuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 377-387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145361712","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":"Long-Term Legacy of Juniper Encroachment: Increased Infiltration and Reduced Compaction a Decade After Mortality","authors":"Austin R. Kelly ,&nbsp;Pedro A.M. Leite ,&nbsp;John W. Walker ,&nbsp;Bradford P. Wilcox","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Woody plant encroachment has altered many rangelands across North America, not only causing substantial changes in ecological and biophysical processes but often converting vast areas of grasslands and savannas into closed-canopy woodlands. While much research has documented impacts that living trees have on their surroundings (such as increases in soil infiltration and organic matter), very little is known about the legacy left by trees after their death or removal. In this study, we examined the legacy of juniper trees, one of the most widespread encroaching woody genera across North America, in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas that were determined to have died during a drought in 2011. Data were collected under canopies of both dead and living junipers, as well as in herbaceous intercanopy, where no trees are known to have grown. The parameters measured were soil infiltrability and compaction. We found that infiltrability of soils under canopies of both live (776 mm h^-1) and dead (501 mm h^-1) trees were significantly higher than in intercanopy areas (132 mm h^-1). Soil compaction was significantly lower under dead trees than in the intercanopy spaces, though compaction under live trees was not significantly distinct. These results suggest that even 10 years after tree death, the positive influences on soil physical properties persist or increase. Further, our findings suggest that the process of juniper encroachment and subsequent dieback (due to either natural causes or management practices) may be an effective method for improving long-term soil development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 71-77"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865889","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":"Remote Sensing of Forage Droughts in the Dry Chaco (Argentina)","authors":"Lisandro Blanco ,&nbsp;Walter Agüero ,&nbsp;Alicia Sancho ,&nbsp;Marcos Texeira","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Drought is widely recognized as one of the most complex natural hazards due to its gradual onset and long-lasting impacts. With climate change, droughts are becoming increasingly intense, frequent, and prolonged, particularly in arid and semiarid rangelands, posing a serious threat to the sustainability of livestock systems. The objective of this study was to develop, calibrate, and validate a methodology for detecting forage droughts and monitoring their spatial and temporal patterns using satellite-derived anomalies in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), hereafter NDVI anomalie (NDVIA).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forage droughts are defined as temporary reductions in forage productivity in rangelands, grasslands, and pastures caused by rainfall falling below the long-term average. These reductions are so severe that even with adaptive forage management, the forage biomass accumulated during the growing season is insufficient to sustain livestock during the vegetative rest period (forage drought model). The study focuses on the dry Chaco region of Argentina. NDVIA values were correlated with forage biomass data collected in the field at 20 sites over a 10-yr period. Using a logistic regression model, the NDVIA threshold indicating the presence or absence of forage drought was determined.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results revealed a significant relationship (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) between NDVIA and forage drought presence/absence. During the study period (2001–2023), forage droughts in the region typically recurred every 5 ± 2 growing seasons. A cluster analysis identified two subzones with significant differences (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in the temporal dynamics of forage drought occurrence.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>The combined application of the forage drought model and this NDVI-based monitoring system could serve as a “guidebook” for implementing forage management strategies at the farm scale (e.g., adaptive forage management) and shaping public policies at the regional scale (e.g., satellite index-based insurance). This methodological approach, first-of-its-kind in region, could be adapted to other arid and semiarid ecosystems globally, enhancing the early warning and management of forage droughts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 93-103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144916993","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":"Thicketization by Yaupon Holly Increases Canopy Interception in the Texas Post Oak Savannah","authors":"Jordan E. Gignac ,&nbsp;Shishir Basant ,&nbsp;Pedro A.M. Leite ,&nbsp;Bradford P. Wilcox","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past century, the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion of Texas has experienced widespread woody plant encroachment, particularly by yaupon holly (<em>Ilex vomitoria</em>). This expansion has transformed open savannahs into densely thicketized woodlands, raising concerns about its impact on ecohydrological processes. Because much of the region overlies the recharge zone of the Carrizo–Wilcox aquifer—a critical regional water source—thicketization may reduce groundwater recharge by increasing rainfall interception. Despite yaupon’s rapid proliferation, few studies have quantified its hydrological impacts. This study assessed how yaupon-dominated thicketization influences interception—an underacknowledged component of the water budget—by comparing throughfall under thicketized and treated (cleared) conditions. Rainfall was monitored over a 12-mo period to evaluate how vegetation structure, rainfall intensity, and seasonality affect interception dynamics. Our results show that thicketized sites intercepted significantly more rainfall than treated sites, reducing throughfall by approximately 31%. These findings suggest that woody understory encroachment may substantially alter water availability at the soil surface, with potential consequences for aquifer recharge. This work provides one of the first field-based assessments of interception in yaupon-dominated systems and offers valuable insights for land managers seeking to balance ecological restoration with water conservation in the Post Oak Savannah.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 431-440"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465561","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 Winterfat Seedling Emergence Using Hydrophobic Seed Coatings","authors":"Kyle A. Cook ,&nbsp;Brad Geary ,&nbsp;Phil S. Allen ,&nbsp;April Hulet ,&nbsp;Kevin L. Gunnell ,&nbsp;Melissa Landeen ,&nbsp;Shannon V. Nelson ,&nbsp;Sage K. Johansen ,&nbsp;Colin T. Mckee ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Madsen","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Direct seeding of native plant species is a widespread technique in rangeland restoration; however, its efficacy can be limited by numerous factors. Restoration of winterfat (<em>Krascheninnikovia lanata</em>) may be constrained by poor seed flowability and premature seed germination that can cause overwinter mortality of fall-sown seeds. Hydrophobic seed coatings may be effective in addressing these barriers. We compared seedling emergence from seeds that were left uncoated, coated with calcium carbonate (blank coated), and coated with calcium carbonate plus an exterior hydrophobic coating. Total seedlings were counted and assigned as dead or alive. This total seedling count was used to estimate mortality for each treatment. Seeds were planted in the fall of 2021 at two sites within the Great Basin Region of the United States. The number of seedlings that emerged from hydrophobic-coated seeds was three-fold greater than that of noncoated seeds and five-fold greater than that of blank-coated seeds. The percentage of seedlings that died after emerging was highest for noncoated seeds and lowest for those with hydrophobic coatings. These results suggest that coating alone may not improve seeding success, but coating seeds with a hydrophobic polymer to delay germination can improve seedling emergence of winterfat. Thus, seed coatings could play a crucial role in restoring winterfat to degraded rangelands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 288-294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265991","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":"Shrub Removal Practices in Livestock Environments of the Argentine Arid Chaco: Changes on Soil Physicochemical Properties","authors":"Luis M. Guzmán ,&nbsp;Pablo E. Villagra ,&nbsp;Raul E. Quiroga ,&nbsp;Diego I. Pereyra ,&nbsp;Martin E. Pelliza","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increase in shrub cover, driven by factors such as climate change, overgrazing, and reduced fire frequency, is a global process that is also affecting the native forests of the Arid Chaco in Argentina. One of its main effects is the reduction in the production of native and non-native grasses, which are important forage resources for extensive livestock farming. To counteract this, shrub removal practices such as roller-chopping and hand cutting are implemented, often combined with the seeding of <em>Cenchrus ciliaris</em> L. (buffelgrass). Despite its widespread regional application, little is known about the medium-term (5–10 years) changes these practices induce in the soil. In this study, we explored the effects of roller-chopping and hand-cutting on soil physicochemical properties. To do so, we compared plots with different land-use histories: without shrub removal (conserved woodland and degraded rangeland) and with shrub removal (roller-chopping and hand-cutting, both in degraded rangeland), across five livestock farms. We found that, compared to conserved woodland and degraded rangeland, soil mechanical resistance was higher in the removal treatments, being greatest in the hand-cutting plots, which also exhibited the highest bulk density. In both cases, these values increased with depth, showing an inverse pattern to that of conserved woodland and degraded rangeland. Similarly, we detected a lower infiltration rate in the shrub removal treatments. We found no significant differences in most soil nutrient concentrations between treatments, except for phosphorus, which showed significantly higher values in the degraded rangeland and roller chopping. The increase in soil compaction and the reduction in water infiltration in roller-chopping and hand-cutting treatments could affect key ecosystem functions, such as net primary productivity dynamics and the water and carbon cycles. This study provides key information for decision-making in the management of livestock-forestry systems, contributing to the design of vegetation interventions that are compatible with soil quality conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 319-328"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145323858","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":"Flexible Stocking: Livestock Production and Economic Responses in Mixed-Grass Prairie","authors":"Justin D. Derner ,&nbsp;John P. Ritten ,&nbsp;Tevyn Baldwin ,&nbsp;Tamarah Jorns ,&nbsp;Matt Mortenson ,&nbsp;David J. Augustine","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Matching animal demand to forage availability is a core principle in sustainable rangeland management. We evaluated the use of interannual flexibility in stocking rates compared with fixed stocking at light, moderate, and heavy stocking rates on livestock weight gains and economic responses for 7 yr (2016−2022) in North American northern mixed-grass prairie. The grazing season began in early June each year, so stocking rates in the flexible treatment were calculated on the basis of the amount of forage production predicted from actual precipitation received in April and May combined with long-term mean annual precipitation received at the study site in June, as well as an adjustment in stocking rate based on the amount of residual forage remaining at the end of the previous grazing season. Across years, mean stocking rate for the flexible stocking treatment (32.5 animal unit days [AUD] ha⁻¹) was between heavy (38.6 AUD ha⁻¹) and moderate (29.7 AUD ha⁻¹) and was twice as high as the light (15.8 AUD ha⁻¹). Cumulative total beef production for the 7 yr was highest with heavy stocking (282.6 kg ha⁻¹), 17% less in the flexible (234.2 kg ha⁻¹), and 19% less in the moderate (229.4 kg ha⁻¹) stocking rates. It was 55% lower with light stocking (128.4 kg ha⁻¹). Crude protein and digestible organic matter, as well as composition of plant functional groups in diets of yearlings, did not differ between the moderate versus the flexible stocking treatments. Compared with moderate stocking, flexible stocking resulted in 6.9% lower cumulative gross ($2 299) and 10.8% lower net ($1 407) economic returns per yearling. We suggest that future evaluations of flexible stocking strategies consider incorporating seasonal forecasts combined with intraseasonal adjustments in stocking rates as the growing season unfolds. Advancements in predictive forage forecasting tools and remote sensing capabilities are needed to support such a strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 535-544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139823801","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":"Aboveground Biomass Partitioning and Utilization in Festuca dolichophylla: Implications for Rangeland Management","authors":"Ysai Paucar ,&nbsp;Flor L. Mejía ,&nbsp;Enrique R. Flores ,&nbsp;Paul H. Mayhua ,&nbsp;Deysi Ruiz-Llontop ,&nbsp;José A. Saucedo-Uriarte ,&nbsp;William Bardales ,&nbsp;Leandro Valqui ,&nbsp;Lucrecia Aguirre","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peruvian rangelands are dominated by grasses; whose aerial biomass is distributed among blades, culms, sheaths, and inflorescences serving as essential forage for livestock. Effective management of these rangeland require an accurate assessment of biomass utilization to determine carrying capacity properly. Biomass partitioning varies by species, whereas utilization estimation depends on both, species characteristics and methodological approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the partitioning and utilization of aboveground biomass in geographically different populations of <em>Festuca dolichophylla</em> under similar conditions, a key grass species in Peruvian rangelands. <em>F. dolichophylla</em> from: Pastales Huando Peasant Community–Huancavelica (Huancavelica-community), Lachocc South American Camelid Research and Development Center of the National University of Huancavelica (Huancavelica-university), Junín, Pasco, and Puno were transplanted to an environment with uniform soil and climate. Aboveground biomass partitioning was analyzed using a linear model analysis of variance with fixed and nested effects, including covariate adjustment, followed by Tukey’s post hoc tests. Biomass utilization was estimated using height–weight relationships, allowing for the evaluation of how plant structure relates to available forage. The Puno population exhibited significantly higher aboveground biomass (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in blades and culms + sheaths, whereas inflorescence biomass did not differ among populations (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). In terms of biomass partitioning, no significant differences were observed for inflorescences (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05); however, the populations of Pasco and Puno were different (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Plants from Pasco allocated a greater proportion of biomass to blades, while those from Puno exhibited a higher allocation to culms + sheaths. Logarithmic regression provided a more accurate model (<em>R</em>² ≥ 0.88) for estimating biomass utilization compared with linear regression (<em>R</em>² ≤ 0.77), with <em>F. dolichophylla</em> population-specific variations. The observed differences in biomass partitioning and utilization highlight the necessity of population-specific management strategies. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the sustainable management of rangelands dominated by <em>F. dolichophylla</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 210-217"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145108680","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":"Mule Deer Response to Invasive Annual Grasses: Implications for Strategic Management in Sagebrush Priority Areas","authors":"Kurt T. Smith ,&nbsp;Brian A. Mealor ,&nbsp;Jerod A. Merkle","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.07.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive annual grasses (IAG) are a widespread threat to the sagebrush steppe (<em>Artemisia</em> spp. L) rangelands and associated wildlife of the western United States. Multiple ungulate species including mule deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus</em> Rafinesque) rely on sagebrush steppe seasonally. While substantial efforts have been made to conserve critical mule deer habitat, less attention has been given to mule deer habitat affected by IAGs and there is limited information about how mule deer respond to IAG invasions. We evaluated mule deer resource selection in a sagebrush grassland community impacted by IAGs in northeast Wyoming. We then used empirical model estimates to forecast how IAG management could impact mule deer habitat in the future following a strategic IAG framework focused on defending and growing sagebrush core areas most threatened by IAGs. We found that mule deer responded to IAGs in a nonlinear pattern across all seasons and strongly avoided areas once cover exceeded approximately 20%. When projecting results 20 yr into the future, we found that over half of the study area is expected to experience significant declines in mule deer habitat quality if IAGs continue to spread at the same rate observed over the past two decades. However, with targeted IAG treatments, we predicted widespread improvements in mule deer habitat, particularly in priority areas where ecological integrity can be restored with future IAG management. Our findings reinforce the emerging notion that ecosystem-based frameworks designed to defend and grow intact sagebrush steppe through strategic management efforts also have the potential to benefit species of conservation interest. As current conservation efforts to mitigate IAGs are not progressing fast enough to address the magnitude of the IAG problem in sagebrush across the west, strategic management efforts will be necessary to maintain important habitats for numerous sagebrush occurring wildlife.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 128-137"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925569","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":"Implications of Climate Change for the Distribution of the Invasive Grass Genus Nassella in South Africa and Lesotho","authors":"Anthony Mapaura ,&nbsp;Kim Canavan ,&nbsp;David M. Richardson ,&nbsp;Joao de Deus Vidal Junior ,&nbsp;V. Ralph Clark ,&nbsp;Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Three South American <em>Nassella</em> species (<em>N. neesiana, N. tenuissima</em> and <em>N. trichotoma</em>) have naturalized in South Africa but have not yet been reported in Lesotho. Of these, <em>N. tenuissima</em> and <em>N. trichotoma</em> have been recognized as serious invaders since the 1970s. Assessing their current and future distributions is crucial for understanding the threats they pose in both countries. This study addressed the following questions: 1) What key bioclimatic variables control the geographical distribution of these species? 2) What is the current potential distribution range? and 3) What is the future potential distribution under three carbon-emission scenarios using estimates for the period 2071–2100? Nine non-collinear predictors from the CHELSEA database were selected for Maxent species distribution models. These models were projected under future climate scenarios, incorporating three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from five global circulation models. Results showed that temperature-related variables, particularly mean diurnal range, were critical for all species, while precipitation in the driest month also influenced <em>N. trichotoma</em>. Results suggest that all three species can potentially occupy a greater area than they currently occupy. While highly suitable area is predicted to contract for all species, the Maloti-Drakensberg region—including in Lesotho—is predicted to become increasingly suitable. This poses a severe risk to the endemic-rich biodiversity and rangeland productivity. Much of Lesotho is affected by overgrazing and other disturbances which favor <em>Nassella</em> establishment. Proactive surveillance directed at early detection of <em>Nassella</em> incursion into Lesotho should be given high priority.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"103 ","pages":"Pages 367-376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145361713","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}