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Rangeland Ecology & Management, July 2015
HIGHLIGHTS Rangeland Ecology & Management, July 2015
Chinas Rangeland Management Policy Debates: What Have We Learned?
management strategies and future research should explicitly include human variables.
Gongbuzeren, Li Yanbo, and Li Wenjun The impacts of the Rangeland Household Contract Policy (RHCP), Rangeland Ecological Construction Projects (RECPs), and Nomad Settlement Policy (NSP) in China are greatly debated. We reviewed the academic perspectives on policy impacts and causes of ineffective and negative outcomes. In general, the RHCP produced negative outcomes, mainly due to inappropriate policy rather than incomplete implementation; because of flawed implementation, although the RECPs improved the ecosystem, but caused deterioration of pastoral livelihoods, animal husbandry, and society. The NSP improved pastoralist livelihoods and animal husbandry but led to negative impacts on pastoral society and the ecosystem. China’s experiences and lessons may provide useful indications for global pastoral development.
Demographic Changes Drive Woody Plant Cover Trends—An Example From the Great Plains
Matthew Berg, Michael G. Sorice, Bradford P. Wilcox, Jay P. Angerer, Edward C. Rhodes, and William E. Fox Woody plant encroachment is converting many global rangelands to woodlands, but our understanding of this shift remains limited. To explore the role of humans in this process, we plotted changes in shrub and tree cover from historical photos against census data on population and land ownership. Over 75 years, woody plant cover very closely followed trends in local population and average farm size. These findings show that demographic factors may be driving these rangeland changes much more than is commonly recognized and that
166
Stocking Rates and Vegetation Structure, Heterogeneity, and Community in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie
Tonya Lwiwski, Nicola Koper, and Darcy C Henderson Grasslands National Park, in Saskatchewan, Canada, wanted to reintroduce cattle grazing to certain areas of the park to increase habitat diversity. However, they did not know what stocking rate would best benefit grassland biodiversity. We conducted a large-scale manipulative experiment that evaluated the effects of a variety of stocking rates (ranging from very low to very high). We assessed a variety of vegetation structures and community variables. Results observed following 4 years of grazing suggest that use of a variety of stocking rates, rather than the use of a single rate, will maximize habitat variability, and thus biodiversity, in Grasslands National Park.
Long-term Trade-Offs Between Herbage Growth, Animal Production and Supplementary Feeding in Heavily Grazed Mediterranean Grassland
Zalmen Henkin, Eugene D. Ungar, Avi Perevolotsky, Mario Gutman, Yehuda Yehuda, Amit Dolev, Serge Y. Landau, Marcelo Sternberg, and No'am G. Seligman A 17-year grazing trial on Mediterranean grassland quantified trade-offs among stocking density, duration of grazing, pasture and livestock productivity, amount of supplementary feed, and system profitability. Doubling the common stocking density allowed heavy use of green biomass but shortened the grazing period in the dormant season by nearly 3 months. This almost Rangelands
doubled weaned beef production but required more supplementary feed (mainly poultry litter). Increasing supplementary feed can be justified given the local price ratio between weaned beef and supplementary feed. However, there is a limit to the pressure caused by grazing during the growing season without compromising the regeneration of the pasture in subsequent years.
Herd Size—Dependent Effects of Restricted Foraging Time Allowance on Cattle Behavior, Nutrition, and Performance
Wilfred O. Odadi and Daniel I. Rubenstein Night corralling protects livestock from predators and allows for manure collection in integrated crop–livestock systems. However, it limits grazing time and therefore livestock productivity. We tested the influence of herd size on the effects of restricted foraging time on cattle in a Kenyan savanna rangeland. The negative effects of restricted foraging time on forage intake and weight gains were subdued when cattle were herded diurnally in predator-accessible areas in small-sized herds (100 steers) but not in larger-sized herds (N 150 steers). Daytime grazing of small herds could reduce the need for eliminating predators to allow unrestricted foraging time for cattle.
Habitat Selection by Free-Ranging Bison in a Mixed Grazing System on Public Land
Dustin H. Ranglack and Johan T. du Toit The presence of bison on public grazing allotments in the Henry Mountains of Utah is a source of contention between cattle ranchers and government management agencies. Global positioning system (GPS) telemetry was used to determine where and when bison use habitats that are important to cattle. These analyses demonstrated the value of habitat treatments that convert pinon-juniper habitats, which are least preferred by bison, to open rangelands, which are most preferred. Concerns of bison overutilizing habitats needed for cattle could be resolved by using such treatments to draw bison to areas more remote from water than cattle are willing to travel.
Big Game and Cattle Influence on Aspen Community Regeneration Following Prescribed Fire
Scott C. Walker, Val Jo Anderson, and Rachel A. Fugal Aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities are valuable resources in intermountain forests that rely on periodic
2015
disturbances, such as fire, to perpetuate them. Immediately following a fire, aspen is high in browse quality but low in quantity, making it susceptible to damage by overgrazing. Both big game and cattle depend on these communities, which has contributed to intense conflict. This study measured the effects of cattle and big game browsing separately and together on aspen regeneration in comparison with unbrowsed aspen communities. Results show that aspen community regeneration is successful with no browsing and either cattle or big game browsing, but not both.
Restoration of Native Plants is Reduced by Rodent-Caused Soil Disturbance and Seed Removal
Christopher M. Gurney, Laura R. Prugh, and Justin S. Brashares Burrowing rodents can have prolific effects on plant community composition and structure, yet few studies have quantified the impact of this guild on plant restoration efforts. We examined the effects of seed removal (granivory) and soil disturbance (burrowing) by the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) on native plant restoration in the Carrizo Plain in California. In our study, the effects of burrowing outweighed the effects of seed removal and reduced native plant establishment. In areas with burrowing rodents, seeding with disturbance-tolerant native species may substantially increase restoration success.
Litter Reduction by Prescribed Burning Can Extend Downy Brome Control
Kallie C. Kessler, Scott J. Nissen, Paul J. Meiman, and K. George Beck Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) degrades rangelands by producing large amounts of litter over time. We used an early-winter prescribed burn to evaluate the impact of removing downy brome litter on the duration of herbicide control. Burning followed by postemergent herbicide applications of imazapic or tebuthiuron increased control for at least one additional season. We found that litter intercepted 75% of the herbicide that was applied. Fortunately, most of the herbicide could be washed off the litter with rainfall. Due to downy brome’s short seed viability, extending herbicide efficacy to several years could help reduce the soil seed bank. Rangelands (37)4:166—167 doi: 10.1016/j.rala.2015.06.001 © 2015 The Society for Range Management.
167
Chinas Rangeland Management Policy Debates: What Have We Learned?
management strategies and future research should explicitly include human variables.
Gongbuzeren, Li Yanbo, and Li Wenjun The impacts of the Rangeland Household Contract Policy (RHCP), Rangeland Ecological Construction Projects (RECPs), and Nomad Settlement Policy (NSP) in China are greatly debated. We reviewed the academic perspectives on policy impacts and causes of ineffective and negative outcomes. In general, the RHCP produced negative outcomes, mainly due to inappropriate policy rather than incomplete implementation; because of flawed implementation, although the RECPs improved the ecosystem, but caused deterioration of pastoral livelihoods, animal husbandry, and society. The NSP improved pastoralist livelihoods and animal husbandry but led to negative impacts on pastoral society and the ecosystem. China’s experiences and lessons may provide useful indications for global pastoral development.
Demographic Changes Drive Woody Plant Cover Trends—An Example From the Great Plains
Matthew Berg, Michael G. Sorice, Bradford P. Wilcox, Jay P. Angerer, Edward C. Rhodes, and William E. Fox Woody plant encroachment is converting many global rangelands to woodlands, but our understanding of this shift remains limited. To explore the role of humans in this process, we plotted changes in shrub and tree cover from historical photos against census data on population and land ownership. Over 75 years, woody plant cover very closely followed trends in local population and average farm size. These findings show that demographic factors may be driving these rangeland changes much more than is commonly recognized and that
166
Stocking Rates and Vegetation Structure, Heterogeneity, and Community in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie
Tonya Lwiwski, Nicola Koper, and Darcy C Henderson Grasslands National Park, in Saskatchewan, Canada, wanted to reintroduce cattle grazing to certain areas of the park to increase habitat diversity. However, they did not know what stocking rate would best benefit grassland biodiversity. We conducted a large-scale manipulative experiment that evaluated the effects of a variety of stocking rates (ranging from very low to very high). We assessed a variety of vegetation structures and community variables. Results observed following 4 years of grazing suggest that use of a variety of stocking rates, rather than the use of a single rate, will maximize habitat variability, and thus biodiversity, in Grasslands National Park.
Long-term Trade-Offs Between Herbage Growth, Animal Production and Supplementary Feeding in Heavily Grazed Mediterranean Grassland
Zalmen Henkin, Eugene D. Ungar, Avi Perevolotsky, Mario Gutman, Yehuda Yehuda, Amit Dolev, Serge Y. Landau, Marcelo Sternberg, and No'am G. Seligman A 17-year grazing trial on Mediterranean grassland quantified trade-offs among stocking density, duration of grazing, pasture and livestock productivity, amount of supplementary feed, and system profitability. Doubling the common stocking density allowed heavy use of green biomass but shortened the grazing period in the dormant season by nearly 3 months. This almost Rangelands
doubled weaned beef production but required more supplementary feed (mainly poultry litter). Increasing supplementary feed can be justified given the local price ratio between weaned beef and supplementary feed. However, there is a limit to the pressure caused by grazing during the growing season without compromising the regeneration of the pasture in subsequent years.
Herd Size—Dependent Effects of Restricted Foraging Time Allowance on Cattle Behavior, Nutrition, and Performance
Wilfred O. Odadi and Daniel I. Rubenstein Night corralling protects livestock from predators and allows for manure collection in integrated crop–livestock systems. However, it limits grazing time and therefore livestock productivity. We tested the influence of herd size on the effects of restricted foraging time on cattle in a Kenyan savanna rangeland. The negative effects of restricted foraging time on forage intake and weight gains were subdued when cattle were herded diurnally in predator-accessible areas in small-sized herds (100 steers) but not in larger-sized herds (N 150 steers). Daytime grazing of small herds could reduce the need for eliminating predators to allow unrestricted foraging time for cattle.
Habitat Selection by Free-Ranging Bison in a Mixed Grazing System on Public Land
Dustin H. Ranglack and Johan T. du Toit The presence of bison on public grazing allotments in the Henry Mountains of Utah is a source of contention between cattle ranchers and government management agencies. Global positioning system (GPS) telemetry was used to determine where and when bison use habitats that are important to cattle. These analyses demonstrated the value of habitat treatments that convert pinon-juniper habitats, which are least preferred by bison, to open rangelands, which are most preferred. Concerns of bison overutilizing habitats needed for cattle could be resolved by using such treatments to draw bison to areas more remote from water than cattle are willing to travel.
Big Game and Cattle Influence on Aspen Community Regeneration Following Prescribed Fire
Scott C. Walker, Val Jo Anderson, and Rachel A. Fugal Aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities are valuable resources in intermountain forests that rely on periodic
2015
disturbances, such as fire, to perpetuate them. Immediately following a fire, aspen is high in browse quality but low in quantity, making it susceptible to damage by overgrazing. Both big game and cattle depend on these communities, which has contributed to intense conflict. This study measured the effects of cattle and big game browsing separately and together on aspen regeneration in comparison with unbrowsed aspen communities. Results show that aspen community regeneration is successful with no browsing and either cattle or big game browsing, but not both.
Restoration of Native Plants is Reduced by Rodent-Caused Soil Disturbance and Seed Removal
Christopher M. Gurney, Laura R. Prugh, and Justin S. Brashares Burrowing rodents can have prolific effects on plant community composition and structure, yet few studies have quantified the impact of this guild on plant restoration efforts. We examined the effects of seed removal (granivory) and soil disturbance (burrowing) by the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) on native plant restoration in the Carrizo Plain in California. In our study, the effects of burrowing outweighed the effects of seed removal and reduced native plant establishment. In areas with burrowing rodents, seeding with disturbance-tolerant native species may substantially increase restoration success.
Litter Reduction by Prescribed Burning Can Extend Downy Brome Control
Kallie C. Kessler, Scott J. Nissen, Paul J. Meiman, and K. George Beck Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) degrades rangelands by producing large amounts of litter over time. We used an early-winter prescribed burn to evaluate the impact of removing downy brome litter on the duration of herbicide control. Burning followed by postemergent herbicide applications of imazapic or tebuthiuron increased control for at least one additional season. We found that litter intercepted 75% of the herbicide that was applied. Fortunately, most of the herbicide could be washed off the litter with rainfall. Due to downy brome’s short seed viability, extending herbicide efficacy to several years could help reduce the soil seed bank. Rangelands (37)4:166—167 doi: 10.1016/j.rala.2015.06.001 © 2015 The Society for Range Management.
167