Rangeland Ecology & Management最新文献

{"title":"Beyond the Pasture: A Review of Business Risk and Rangeland Management Decisions","authors":"Rebecca Zanello,&nbsp;Eric Micheels","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Business risk management (BRM) programs in agriculture aim to enable producers to better protect their farms against threats to the sustainability and resilience of their business. While BRM programs are broadly considered beneficial to producers, the extent to which these programs could evoke negative environmental externalities remains understudied, especially concerning rangeland management. The purpose of this review was to investigate the link between BRM programs and the voluntary conservation of grasslands and its associated multiple species habitat, as well as the factors driving adoption of BRM, extension, or other government programs by beef cattle producers. A secondary focus of this review included identifying the factors motivating the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMP) and grassland conversion. Using a variety of search tools and terms, the application of our search strategy resulted in 30 articles meeting inclusion criteria, of which four were reviews, 14 were producer focused surveys, 11 conducted empirical analyses, and one utilized spatial analysis. From these articles, we were able to answer our five main global research objectives. Several studies found a link between BRM programs and negative environmental effects (including motivating grassland conversion). Producer characteristics such as age, education level, previous participation in government programs, and external motivations were found to impact the likelihood of adopting a BMP or new BRM program. Producers were also found to favour individually-led risk management strategies, and preferred learning about risk through independent self-study or from a trusted professional. Research gaps included the level of governmental support desired by producers, a connection between non-crop insurance BRM programs and rangeland conversion, and connections between BRM and rangeland management decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 550-560"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143153789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wild Horses and Burros in Economic Perspective","authors":"Timothy Fitzgerald","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wild horses and burros are a unique economic asset that enjoys federal protections that are stronger than those afforded to most other wildlife. Management challenges are evident in current populations that exceed targets by as much as four times. The imbalance between management targets and reality has grown in recent years, concomitant with mounting fiscal and opportunity costs. Programmatic tweaks have not been able to materially change the reality on the ground. Continuation on the current trajectory is unsustainable. An economic perspective provides key insights into the management problem and provides clarity about the requirements for a durable solution. A comprehensive reform is needed to achieve biological and fiscal sustainability. This includes initial excess removals to reduce overpopulation and then strict adherence to targets. Such a program offers a real present discounted fiscal savings of over $1 billion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 530-538"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143153787","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(25)00007-7","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1550-7424(25)00007-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Page IFC"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143153785","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":"Impact of Patch‐Burn Grazing on Vegetation Composition and Structure in Subtropical Humid Grasslands","authors":"Elizabeth H. Boughton ,&nbsp;Grégory Sonnier ,&nbsp;Nuria Gomez-Casanovas ,&nbsp;Carl Bernacchi ,&nbsp;Evan DeLucia ,&nbsp;Jed Sparks ,&nbsp;Hilary Swain ,&nbsp;Emily Anderson ,&nbsp;Keith Brinsko ,&nbsp;Akiem M. Gough ,&nbsp;Luca W. Kuziel ,&nbsp;Lydia Landau ,&nbsp;Haoyu Li ,&nbsp;Nicholas A. McMillan ,&nbsp;Alma L. Reyes ,&nbsp;Alan Rivero ,&nbsp;Amartya Saha ,&nbsp;Julie Sorfleet ,&nbsp;Amanda West ,&nbsp;Maya Zambrano-Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pyric herbivory, a process by which grazing is driven by fire, has been shown to create heterogeneity in fire-prone grasslands. Patch-burn grazing (PBG) is a management tool used to harness pyric herbivory and contrasts with full burn (FB) which fosters homogeneity. Here we provide a comprehensive assessment of plant communities (vegetation composition, diversity, and heterogeneity), soil characteristics, and fire fuel consumption responses to PBG as compared to FB management in two different pasture-types (intensively managed pastures [IMP] vs. less intensely managed seminatural pastures [SNP]) in subtropical, humid grasslands in Florida, USA. In 2017, we established 16 experimental pastures at Archbold Biological Station's Buck Island Ranch that were 16-ha each, eight in IMP and eight in SNP. Of the eight pastures in each pasture-type, four were fully burned in 2017 (FB) while in the other four, one-third of the pasture was burned each year for three years (2017, 2018, and 2019) (PBG). PBG-treated pastures were expected to have greater plant richness, diversity, and structural heterogeneity due to the creation of patch contrast while in FB pastures, we expected homogeneous vegetation structure because patches would all have the same fire history. Fuel consumption by fire was greater in SNP vs. IMP and in burned patches within PBG vs. similar-size areas in FB. Recently burned patches had greater total native richness and Shannon diversity, driven by greater numbers and cover of forbs and sedges, but the magnitude of this response varied among years. PBG pastures had greater structural heterogeneity shortly after fire but this disappeared by the end of the growing season. PBG benefits both conservation and production goals in SNP, but incentive programs may be required to implement PBG in IMP to offset losses in forage production while gaining increased height heterogeneity and potential increases in vegetation diversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 588-599"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143153792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Cost of Hospital Building Materials: Effects of Temperature-Precipitation-Flood Dynamics on Landuse and Landcover","authors":"You Min ,&nbsp;Chen Sheng ,&nbsp;Muhammad Rizwan Quddusi ,&nbsp;Rana Waqar Aslam ,&nbsp;Hammad Mehmood ,&nbsp;Syed Yasir Usman ,&nbsp;M. Abdullah-Al-Wadud ,&nbsp;Muhammad Azeem Liaquat ,&nbsp;Rana Muhammad Zulqarnain","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the economic implications of hospital building materials in relation to hydro-climatological changes and their impacts on land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from 2010 to 2013. Our objectives were to analyze temperature, precipitation, and flood patterns, assess their effects on building material costs, and examine subsequent LULC changes through Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Using MODIS satellite imagery and meteorological data, we found significant correlations between climatic variables and construction costs, with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 38°C and monthly rainfall peaking at 611mm in 2011. Climate Impact Assessment revealed that extreme weather events, particularly flooding affecting 30,633 km² in 2013, substantially influenced building material durability and costs. Resource availability analysis showed that rangeland area decreased from 30,522 km² to 25,435 km², affecting local construction material sourcing. Water discharge data demonstrated seasonal variations correlating with flooding events, with peak discharge reaching 16,844 m³/s, directly impacting construction site accessibility and material transportation costs. The study found that flood-prone areas experienced up to 25% higher construction costs due to necessary flood-resistant materials and design modifications. These findings highlight the critical relationship between climatic factors, resource availability, and hospital construction costs, providing valuable insights for construction planners and healthcare facility managers to develop cost-effective and climate-resilient building strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"99 ","pages":"Pages 1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093391","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":"Roles of Maasai Alalili Systems in Sustainable Conservation of Fodder Species of East African Rangelands","authors":"Elkana Hezron,&nbsp;Issakwisa B. Ngondya,&nbsp;Linus K. Munishi","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Alalili</em> systems are among the indigenous rangeland management strategies that face pressures from unsustainable land use practices and impacts of climate change. We aimed to establish the vascular fodder plants' composition and abundance, compared with historical vegetation data to understand their evolution and trends to inform sustainable management of rangelands in northern Tanzania. The vegetation composition of the northern Tanzania rangelands surveyed before the 1980s was compared to empirical data from a vegetation survey of <em>Alalili</em> in 2022. A cross-sectional design using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques was applied during the field survey. The quadrat count method was used to estimate the composition and diversity of fodder taxa in <em>Alalili</em> systems. Secondary data from the northern Tanzania rangelands before the 1980s were collected through a systematic literature review. Key informant interviews, focused group discussions, and household surveys were used to gather information about the community's knowledge of historical quality changes in the rangelands. Our results indicate that, before the 1980s, the rangelands of northern Tanzania had relatively higher fodder species composition (127 woody and 119 herbaceous species) than the <em>Alalili</em> systems in 2022 (119 woody and 82 herbaceous species). Fodder species composition and diversity were relatively higher in communal than in private <em>Alalili</em> (t = 4.18, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). At the same time, the species density was lower in communal than in private <em>Alalili</em> (t = -2.7272, <em>P</em> = 0.008). This work suggests that <em>Alalili</em> systems still hold substantial diverse fodder plants that most northern Tanzanian rangelands used to harbor before the 1980s. Therefore, they can be considered reservoirs of vital fodder species that can be used to restore degraded rangeland areas in northern Tanzania and elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 490-507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759497","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":"Changes in Plant Composition Following Disturbance in Restored Native Early Successional Communities","authors":"Bonner L. Powell ,&nbsp;J. Wade GeFellers ,&nbsp;David A. Buehler ,&nbsp;Christopher E. Moorman ,&nbsp;John M. Zobel ,&nbsp;Craig A. Harper","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Restoration of nonnative grasslands to native early successional plant communities has been a conservation focus throughout the United States for several decades. In the eastern US, where precipitation exceeds 1 000 mm per year, disturbance is necessary following restoration to prevent early successional communities from progressing into woody-dominated midsuccessional communities. Resulting plant composition may vary among disturbance practices, and knowledge of such effects will help direct maintenance of restored native early seral plant communities. We evaluated the effects of the two most common disturbance practices, prescribed fire and mowing, following restoration of nonnative grasslands to native plant communities via two methods: 1) planting native grasses and 2) forbs and seedbank response without planting, across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2018–2020. Specifically, we evaluated how disturbance altered vegetation composition following four treatment combinations (planted mowed, planted burned, seedbank mowed, and seedbank burned) and tall fescue (<em>Schedonorus arundinaceus</em>) control from predisturbance conditions. Grass coverage increased in all treatment units, but tended to increase more in mowed treatments than burned treatments. Forb coverage declined in all treatments except seedbank burned, where it increased. Similarly, spring-, summer-, and fall-flowering forbs, which are the focus of conservation programs designed to enhance habitat for pollinators, increased most in seedbank burned. Species richness decreased across all treatments and control, except seedbank burned, where it increased. The species evenness did not differ by treatment. Our results provide insight into how disturbance techniques may alter plant community composition soon after restoration. We recommend managers use prescribed fire instead of mowing if increased forb coverage is important to meet objectives. Furthermore, our results highlight how planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites dominated by nonnative grasses in the eastern United States, where precipitation is not limiting succession.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 480-489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759496","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":"Impact of Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) Canopy Diameter and Stand Canopy Cover on Aboveground Biomass and Composition in the Northern Great Plains Mixed-Grass Prairie","authors":"Austin Domeier ,&nbsp;Lan Xu ,&nbsp;Gary Hatfield ,&nbsp;Alexander J. Smart","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eastern redcedar (ERC) (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em> L.) trees are invading prairies throughout the Great Plains. This encroachment poses a threat to native plant communities in terms of their production, regeneration, and diversity. The objectives of this study were to determine how ERC canopies impact herbaceous biomass production and composition. Square quadrats (0.25 m²) were placed in four cardinal directions underneath canopies of ERC trees ranging from 0.1–10 m in diameter and at grassland control locations. We collected herbaceous foliar cover by species and biomass estimates underneath 326 ERC trees and at 240 grassland control locations among two sites totaling 1381 samples overall. We found herbaceous biomass production underneath ERC canopies decreased exponentially with increasing ERC canopy diameter with 63–97% reduction under trees with canopies larger than 2 m. Also, biomass decreased linearly with increasing ERC stand canopy cover (%) at nearly a 1:1 ratio. Mean foliar cover for all species, Floristic Quality Index, species richness, and native species richness decreased as individual ERC canopy diameter increased. Results indicate that ERC encroachment is not only reducing herbaceous biomass production, but it is also altering the composition of plant communities. This highlights the importance of ERC control on grasslands and provides landowners with data that can be applied to their individual operation. To maintain or restore native grasslands, we suggest the removal of ERC through prescribed fire and/or mechanical removal every 5–10 years. Following these management strategies should maintain a healthy grassland system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 467-479"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746901","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":"Trends in the Outcomes, Practice, and Law of Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration in Western Rangelands","authors":"Julianne Scamardo ,&nbsp;Will Munger ,&nbsp;Kelly Loria ,&nbsp;Benjamin Nauman ,&nbsp;Junna Wang ,&nbsp;Sara Leopold ,&nbsp;Anne Heggli ,&nbsp;Nancy Huntly ,&nbsp;Michelle Baker ,&nbsp;Alison M. Meadow","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) is increasingly used to improve river corridor resilience to diverse stressors introduced by changing land use, climate, and water usage. However, the future of LTPBR depends on multiple physical, ecological, and social factors, including the influence of water availability on LTPBR outcomes and the legal capacity for future restoration in water-limited environments. A growing body of scientific and legal literature on LTPBR allows for a quantitative, regional comparison of LTPBR projects to understand: (1) How do physical characteristics of LTPBR projects (including structure type, number, and local setting) influence the magnitude of change following LTPBR? and (2) How are social dimensions related to practitioner attitudes and water law impacting LTPBR? We evaluated data from 65 LTPBR projects in the western U.S. that used natural beaver dams, beaver dam analogues, or one-rock dams to quantify trends in commonly measured outcomes with geographic location, project size, and local precipitation. We additionally reviewed water law in five states across the western U.S. and interviewed 13 restoration practitioners to consider the social dimensions of LTPBR. Results show that LTPBR projects significantly increased water storage, sediment storage, and riparian vegetation greenness, and that outcomes vary significantly with mean annual precipitation, time since restoration, and LTPBR type. Trends suggest that LTPBR could provide expected outcomes across western rangelands even amid changing water availability. Changes to state-level water laws and perceptions of social benefits of LTPBR could support the expansion of stream restoration in rangeland streams. More monitoring and collaborations are needed to better implement, manage, and understand LTPBR projects and outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 344-356"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prioritizing Accuracy or Efficiency: Comparing General Allometric Models for Perennial Bunchgrass Species","authors":"Scott M. Carpenter ,&nbsp;Daniel R. Schlaepfer ,&nbsp;Ingrid C. Burke ,&nbsp;William K. Lauenroth","doi":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rama.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aboveground biomass is important, yet difficult to estimate in dryland ecosystems due to high spatial heterogeneity and the variability of graminoid growth form and density. Allometric relationships are one method of estimating above-ground biomass of forage resources. These models use growth characteristics such as height or diameter to predict biomass. While allometry in forest ecosystems is common, biomass estimation in grasslands and shrublands is primarily based on harvesting or percent cover. Cover estimates vary among researchers and require double sampling at each site to create a relationship between cover and biomass. Multispecies (general) allometric models for high value forage groups, like perennial bunchgrasses, could increase the efficiency of biomass estimation by eliminating the need for destructive sampling. While some general models exist, few studies focus on the application of these models to locations outside the training populations. We tested the applicability of a general bunchgrass model to locations not included in model training against general models developed using biomass samples from our focal sites. We found that our general bunchgrass model trained on data we collected in 2019 made accurate predictions at 76% of sites and that this model outperformed a general bunchgrass model trained on data collected at different sites and by a different research group, which made accurate predictions at 64% of our sites. Despite the loss in accuracy, our study highlights the potential value in further developing general allometric equations for perennial grasses through the development of a grass database. This database may lead to the development of general models with higher confidence in extrapolation beyond the training populations increasing both efficiency and accuracy for land managers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49634,"journal":{"name":"Rangeland Ecology & Management","volume":"98 ","pages":"Pages 177-183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746250","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}