Livestock Stocking Rates Research Articles

Livestock turnover and dynamic livestock carrying capacity are crucial factors for alpine grassland management: The Qinghai-Tibetan plateau as a case study

Alpine grasslands are distributed widely on high-elevated ranges and plateaus from the wet tropics to polar regions, accounting for approximately 3% of the world's land area. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is the highest and largest plateau in the world, and approximately 60% of the plateau consists of alpine grassland, which is used mainly for grazing animals. Livestock structure was determined in Guinan (GN), Yushu (YS) and Maqu counties (MQ) on the QTP by interviewing 235 local pastoralists. Based on data collected from GN, the livestock carrying capacity was calculated using herbage dry matter biomass intake (LCCm) by the livestock, and the metabolizable energy yield (LCCe) and digestible crude protein (LCCp) available in pasture. The pasture area per household differed among the regions of the QTP, which was the main reason for the difference in livestock stocking rate. The householders raised the appropriate proportion of breeding females and young yaks and sheep in GN and MQ, but not in YS, to maintain a constant turnover. Most pasture in YS was used at the community level, especially in summer. The calculated carrying capacities based on metabolizable energy yield (LCCe) of the pasture and dry matter biomass (LCCm) were similar in most months except for August, when the value of LCCe was higher than LCCm. Based on the digestible protein of the pasture, the calculated livestock carrying capacity overestimated the actual carrying capacity during the herbage growing season from May to September. Appropriate practices should be taken in different regions of QTP, such as providing supplementary feed, especially protein, during the forage non-growing season. Livestock carrying capacity should be adjusted dynamically, and calculated by a number of parameters. The stocking rate should be controlled to optimize livestock production and curb or minimize grassland degradation to generate a sustainable system. This study examined the grasslands and LCC on the QTP, but the results could be applied to grasslands worldwide.

Relationship between grass height, grazing management and avifauna in livestock systems in the eastern region of Uruguay

In the natural grasslands of the Río de la Plata, where livestock production can coexist with biodiversity, effective pasture management practices play a critical role. This study combines two approaches to shed light on the relationship between livestock management and bird species. The first study analyzes birds' responses to various variables influenced by livestock management. Field data were collected and 69 bird species were analyzed across 454 paddocks on 46 properties in the eastern region of Uruguay. We found that artificial grasslands had a negative impact on many bird species, while the presence of tussock patches (grasslands) was associated with positive effects, especially in endangered species. Grassland specialists exhibited sensitivity to grass height, responding positively to tussock patches but negatively to tree coverage. Adjusting livestock stocking rates to control grass height emerges as a valuable tool to promote grassland specialists. The ideal scenario for bird biodiversity involves a mosaic of native grasslands, both short and tall, interspersed with tussock patches and trees. Additionally, we found that species-specific responses were influenced by bird traits, such as body size and foraging behavior, enhancing predictive capacity for pasture management. The second study focused on assessing bird responses to changes in management on six properties to increase grass height, thereby improving dry matter intake by livestock and potentially increasing livestock production. Although the average grass height increased from 6 cm to 12 cm, bird abundances and species richness did not vary. However, since the abundances of the assessed species remained constant with increasing grass height (and thus, available dry matter for livestock), we conclude that it is possible to protect a subset of grassland specialist birds while potentially increasing livestock production.

Stakeholders' perception on the role of extensive livestock farming in the fight against climate change

Abstract Livestock farming is currently highly questioned and is considered by society to be one of the main precursors of climate change and innumerable environmental impacts. This social concern has marked a trend in public policies in Europe, promoting strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by controlling the carbon footprint of agri-food products. However, in certain regions, the perception of the main actors in the sector about the role that livestock farming plays in this fight against climate change and how new political trends point the way toward the sustainability of agrarian systems is still uncertain. In this study, the opinions of stakeholders of the agro-livestock sector on the role that extensive livestock farming plays in the current context of the fight against climate change and the demands for public policies to facilitate the adoption of mitigation practices were examined. A participatory research process through focus groups was used in this qualitative study. Specifically, five sessions were held at the beginning of 2022; the sessions were recorded, transcribed, and anonymized for further analysis. In these sessions, projective techniques were used, such as word association and sentence completion to understand stakeholders' perceptions of the role of extensive livestock farming in climate change. Brand mapping was conducted to determine the opinion on the profitability and GHG emissions of 10 livestock systems typical of the region and of eight quality labelling systems related to sustainability. Brainstorming was carried out to assess available practices for the adaptation of livestock farms and mitigation of climate change. Finally, there was an open debate regarding the demands for public aid for the implementation of mitigation practices. The word association technique identified concepts such as ‘Equilibrium’ in extensive livestock farming and concepts such as ‘Effects’, ‘Action’ and ‘Concern’ in climate change. For the term carbon footprint, the most mentioned concept was ‘ignorance’, and for common agricultural policy, the most mentioned term was ‘injustices’. The results of the brand mapping allowed us to determine the perception of the stakeholders regarding the profitability of the different extensive farm systems and on their GHG emissions, with the most extensive and traditional ones being perceived as the lowest emitters of gases but also the least profitable. For sustainable labels, stakeholders believed that labels contribute to profitability and lower GHG emissions. Strategies to adapt to climate change and reduce the impact of farms were focused on reforestation, grazing, and soil management, adjusting the livestock stocking rate and self-production of food on farms. The best mitigating practices proposed were the maintenance of the extensive livestock farming (4.69), improvement of accesses, livestock routes and roads (4.63), making and applying compost (4.50) and the simplified administrative procedures (5.00). In the prioritization of public aids, three categories were established based on the field of action: social/organizational measures (38 votes), economic measures (44 votes) and environmental measures (22 votes). The aid related to maintaining profitability and improving marketing, followed by aid to reduce bureaucracy and direct aid to extensive livestock farming, were identified as priorities. This study offers a detailed picture of how stakeholders in the agro-livestock sector see the role that extensive livestock farming plays in the fight against climate change. The best farm management practices and priority lines of public support that policy-makers can apply have been identified in this study and emanate directly from those who receive subsidies and make the decisions in their livestock farming to ensure their implementation more successful.

A methodology based on territorial metabolism analysis to assess the multi-criteria sustainability of African village terroirs with contrasted crop-livestock systems

CONTEXTAgricultural intensification to ensure food security and limit rural exodus is a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa. The potential of livestock farming to improve the sustainability of farming systems has been studied but rarely at the landscape level. However, because the herds move about in the landscape, thereby creating horizontal biomass and nutrient flows between plots and households, the landscape is the only level where all the interactions between the different components of the agro-ecosystem (animals, crops and trees) can be considered. OBJECTIVEOur objective was to develop a methodology that uses territorial metabolism for multicriteria assessment of sustainability to compare contrasted livestock systems. METHODSWe compare two neighboring village terroirs in the former groundnut basin of Senegal. One village (Diohine), has kept a “traditional extensive system” based on fallow, free grazing and night corralling, while the other (Barry) uses a “modern semi-intensive system” based on livestock fattening in which the livestock is stall-fed with feed concentrate and crop residues. During the survey, village households were asked to describe their practices and to quantify biomass and nitrogen (N) flows to enable us to calculate sustainability indicators (productivity, balance, efficiency, dependency, profitability) at plot, household and village terroir levels. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSAt village terroir level, introducing livestock fattening increased the livestock stocking rate (0.96 TLU ha-1 in Diohine and 2.31 TLU ha-1 in Barry) and spreading of solid manure on crop fields (respectively 337 and 482 kgDM ha-1). Fattening livestock requires large imports of feed concentrate, 23.67 kgN ha-1 in Barry versus 3.39 kgN ha-1 in Diohine. The improved livestock productivity of fattening (+217 kgLW ha-1) produces higher financial returns (+432€ household-1 year-1) that enable the use of more mineral fertilizers (6.28 kgN ha-1 in Barry versus 1.09 kgN ha-1 in Diohine). The additional N inputs in Barry enable increased yields of the main staple crop (millet) (+101 kgDM ha-1). The population density of Barry village is +78% higher (320 capita km-2 in Barry versus 180 capita km-2 in Diohine). The village nitrogen balance (24.88 kgN ha-1 in Barry versus 8.51 kgN ha-1 in Diohine) and N use efficiencies (respectively 0.64 and 0.15) demonstrate that nutrient cycling and soil fertility management are more sustainable in Barry. SIGNIFICANCEWe propose a methodology to rebuild territorial metabolism from surveys. Territorial metabolism is used to calculate a set of multi-criteria sustainability indicators. This methodology will be particularly useful in sub-Saharan Africa where data on agricultural systems are lacking.

Habitat selection by Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi): Conservation implications

AbstractUnderstanding the spatial dynamics of landscape use by free‐ranging herbivores is essential for species management and conservation in its natural environment. We used Ivelv’s selection index, binary logistic regression analyses and stepwise regression to understand how environmental factors shape habitat selection by the Grevy’s zebra (Equus greyvi). We measured biotic, abiotic and human factors that may influence presence or absence of Grevy’s zebra in Samburu‐Laikipia landscape and showed: (1) during wet periods, percentage perennial grasses, livestock density and grass quality had the greatest effect on Grevy’s zebra presence; but (2) during dry weather periods a different suite of factors determined their landscape distribution, namely, the percentage of tree and bush density, distance to water and overall grass abundance. In addition, different Grevy’s zebra demographic and reproductive classes varied in their response to environmental selective forces, thus demonstrating flexibility in their patterns of habitat selection. While we recommend more detailed studies on how abiotic and biotic interact to shape habitat selection patterns, our findings underscored the need of maintaining both dry and wet season habitats to ensure essential grazing area refugia. Our findings show that ‘soft’ development with controlled livestock stocking rates within the landscape will enhance Grevy’s zebra conservation.

Twenty years of lion conservation in a commercial rangeland

Lion populations in Africa declined precipitously in the twentieth century outside of protected areas but the commercial cattle ranches of Laikipia County, Kenya, have been a unique exception, with low livestock stocking rates, careful range management, large populations of wild ungulates, and a full complement of large carnivores, including lions at a stable density of about 6/100 km2. The Laikipia Predator Project, later Living With Lions, started in 1997 with two primary objectives: improving livestock husbandry to reduce lion predation losses and subsequent killing of lions, and studying behavioral adaptations of lions to human activities and persecution. We initially interviewed ranch owners and managers on lion numbers, losses to all mortality factors, husbandry methods, costs, and lion control measures. Studies of husbandry and control methods led to improved livestock management, which gradually reduced losses and retaliatory lion killing. Persecuted lions are secretive and nocturnal, so behavioral research was dependent upon radio collaring, requiring development an effective capture technique. Collars introduced ranchers to their lions as individuals, decreasing their propensity to shoot them after livestock predation. The most important breakthrough was the development of “lion-proof” mobile bomas (corrals) which dramatically reduced night time losses and retaliatory killing. Global positioning system (GPS)-Iridium collars for research into lion movements, allowed development of a Lion Early Warning System to inform ranchers of morning lion locations, allowing them to avoid lions during day time grazing. These measures reduced retaliatory lion killing by 90% between 1998 and 2017. Development of simple and inexpensive hyena-proof bomas for traditional pastoralists dramatically reduced their losses and motivation to poison predators. Studies of lion movements and ecological energetics in relation to human activities have revealed patterns of diel avoidance of humans/livestock by day and predation of wild prey near bomas at night, showing that lions partition their activities temporally in order to utilize high quality hunting habitat while minimizing risk of encountering humans. Studies of predation ecology suggest that lion predation does not have a significant impact on Laikipia’s important population of endangered Grevy’s zebra. Several other carnivore research and conservation projects in Kenya arose out of the initial work in Laikipia.

Slope and distance from buildings are easy-to-retrieve proxies for estimating livestock site-use intensity in alpine summer pastures.

Regardless of the issue, most of the research carried out on summer pastures of European Alps had to consider the effects of grazing management, as it is an intrinsic component of alpine environment. The management intensity of grazing livestock is measured in terms of livestock stocking rate, but not always a direct measure of it is easily retrievable. Therefore, the aim of the research was to test the reliability of proxies easily retrievable from open data sources (i.e. slope and distance from buildings) in approximating the pastoral site-use intensity. To test the proxies' effectiveness two different approaches were used. With the first one, the proxies' reliability was assessed in a case-study conducted at farm scale by using the number of positions gathered with GPS collars, which are a reliable measure of livestock site-use intensity. With the second, the proxies' reliability was assessed by means of five Vegetation Ecological Groups (VEGs), used as a tool for indirect quantification of livestock site-use intensity at regional scale (thirty-two alpine valleys of the Western Italian Alps, Piedmont Region-Italy). At farm scale, distance from buildings and slope were both reliable predictors of the number of GPS locations as assessed with a Generalized Additive Model. Results of Generalized Linear Models at the regional scale showed that the values of both the slope and the distance from buildings were able to separate VEGs along the same site-use intensity gradient assessed by modelling the number of GPS locations at farm scale. By testing proxies' reliability both with a direct (i.e. GPS collar positions) and indirect (i.e. VEGs) measurement of livestock site-use intensity, results indicated that slope and distance from buildings can be considered effective surrogates of site-use intensity gradient in alpine grasslands managed under livestock grazing. Therefore, when the level of site-use intensity in research carried out in alpine summer pastures is not directly available, a reliable solution consists in the use of the terrain slope and the distance from buildings, which are also easily retrievable from open data sources or computable.

Understanding the economic barriers to the adoption of agroforestry: A Real Options analysis

Agroforestry has a potentially important role in helping agriculture address both the climate and biodiversity crises. It provides a means of producing additional marketable goods from agricultural land and enhancing biodiversity at the same time as increasing carbon sequestration and, in silvo-pastural systems, reducing carbon emissions if livestock stocking rates are reduced. However, the uptake of agroforestry in the UK has been limited. This paper adopts Real Options techniques to explore how the decision to adopt agroforestry is influenced by the relative levels of returns from agriculture, forestry and the price of carbon under the scenario where there are financial penalties from livestock Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, financial benefits from carbon sequestration in trees and reversibility in land use decisions. The results are compared to the equivalent findings from a Land Equivalent Value capital budgeting approach to agroforestry adoption. Analysis is based on data from a case study upland livestock farm in Scotland, comparing the impacts of introducing agroforestry into the hill sheep enterprise or the low ground cattle and sheep enterprise. The results suggest that the adoption of agroforestry is far less likely than would be suggested by standard budgeting approaches, especially in more extensive upland enterprises (hill area) where sequestration benefits are low relative to more productive farmland areas (low ground area). Upfront support payments are shown to increase the likelihood of agroforestry adoption. They also have the effect of reducing the rotation length of forestry in such systems.

Savanna woody plants responses to mammalian herbivory and implications for management of livestock–wildlife landscape

Abstract The need to address wildlife conservation outside of protected areas has become more urgent than ever before to meet environmental and socio‐economic goals. However, there is limited knowledge about how woody plants respond to herbivory within landscapes shared by wildlife and domestic herbivores in African savanna, thus management decisions might be based on inaccurate information and ultimately be ineffective. We compared woody vegetation dynamics between two adjacent ranches with different management objectives and subjected to varying levels of herbivory by both wildlife and domesticated mammals using 421 square plots of 400 m2 nested on three transects, each 3 km long and purposively selected to minimize bio‐physical differences. Both species and structural diversity were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the site with lower levels of herbivory. Conversely, the site with higher levels of herbivory recorded enhanced biomass production for a selection of palatable forage species, perhaps due to compensatory re‐growth. This enhanced biomass however dampens as trees grow taller than the browsing zone. A higher intensity of herbivory seems to promote increases in browsing‐tolerant Acacia mellifera as well as homogenization of the vegetation architecture and lower structural diversity. Conversely, low intensity of browsing modified by environmental factors seems to promote proliferation of encroaching unpalatable species which are increasingly becoming a major rangeland management challenge in the study region. Managing landscapes for the co‐existence of both wildlife and livestock demands critical analysis of how vegetation responses to herbivory to ensure suitable ecological niches are maintained. To increase browse biomass for livestock within the landscape would demand that dominant palatable browse‐tolerant species are suppressed within the browsing zone of majority of browsing livestock kept by promoting appropriate browsing intensity. On the other hand, if the management objective is to promote co‐existence of both wildlife and livestock, then the strategy would be to promote structural diversity by varying livestock stocking rate. Given the movement of wildlife between properties, livestock stocking rates should be considered within a wider landscape than just individual private lands.

Evaluation of rangeland condition in miombo woodlands in eastern Tanzania in relation to season and distance from settlements

Miombo woodlands sustainability in east and south-central Africa is threatened by human activities, including overgrazing. This study investigated seasonal variations in rangeland condition in three grazed areas in miombo woodlands in eastern Tanzania. Transect lines were established across the grazing areas, sampling points were identified and marked at every 10% of the length of transect line. Sampling points were categorised in different distances with respect to settlement. The line intercept method was used to collect data on vegetation cover and forage distribution, while herbaceous forage biomass was estimated using a disc pasture meter. A total of 118 different plant species were observed and grasses comprised 40.6% of all herbaceous species. Bothriochloa pertusa, Cynodon plectostachyus, Hyparrhenia rufa and Urochloa mosambicensis grass species dominated miombo grazed areas in various seasons and distances. These perennial grass species are desirable and indicated moderate grazing activities in miombo. Season affected grass cover, herbaceous forage biomass and nutritional composition. Grass cover and forage biomass were at the lowest during late dry season while forage nutritional quality was best during early dry season. Distance from settlement had no effect on grass cover and herbaceous forage biomass. Rangeland condition was generally fair, livestock stocking rate in continuously grazed drylands should be set at the lowest monthly forage biomass in order to ensure grazing land sustainability.

Overgrazing causes a reduction in the vegetation cover and seed bank of Patagonian grasslands

Soil and vegetation degradation are among the most serious consequences of overgrazed grasslands. Changes in vegetation may affect soil seed bank size and composition. We evaluated the contribution of the seed bank to recovery of the degraded grasslands. The vegetation and seed bank of a degraded grassland and in a good condition grassland of Patagonia were sampled for analysis of species richness and composition, vegetation cover, and seed density, focusing in all cases on functional groups. We also studied the influence of seasonal weather conditions (precipitation and temperature) on the vegetation and seed bank of the degraded grassland over 2 years. Vegetation cover and seed bank size were notably lower in the degraded grassland. Perennial grasses had been replaced by shrubs in the vegetation. Annual herb seed density was higher in the grassland in good condition than in the degraded grassland. Pappostipa speciosa were the only perennial grass seeds present in the seed banks of both grasslands. Species composition similarity of the seed banks of the two grasslands was high. Differences between years in the richness, vegetation cover and seed bank size of functional groups in the degraded grassland were related to weather conditions. Recovery of the matrix species can improve the entire system through regeneration of microsites and an increase in soil fertility. To reduce overgrazing and halt soil degradation we suggest a decrease in the livestock stocking rate, allowing recovery of the vegetation from the soil seed bank, which represents a legacy from the previous vegetation.

Does cattle and sheep grazing under best management significantly elevate sediment losses? Evidence from the North Wyke Farm Platform, UK

PurposeIntensive livestock grazing has been associated with an increased risk of soil erosion and concomitant negative impacts on the ecological status of watercourses. Whilst various mitigation options are promoted for reducing livestock impacts, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between stocking rates and quantified sediment losses. This evidence gap means there is uncertainty regarding the cost–benefit of policy preferred best management.MethodsSediment yields from 15 hydrologically isolated field scale catchments on a heavily instrumented ruminant livestock farm in the south west UK were investigated over ~ 26 months spread across 6 years. Sediment yields were compared to cattle and sheep stocking rates on long-term, winter (November–April), and monthly timescales. The impacts of livestock on soil vegetation cover and bulk density were also examined. Cattle were tracked using GPS collars to determine how grazing related to soil damage.ResultsNo observable impact of livestock stocking rates of 0.15–1.00 UK livestock units (LU) ha−1 for sheep, and 0–0.77 LU ha−1 for cattle on sediment yields was observed at any of the three timescales. Cattle preferentially spent time close to specific fences where soils were visually damaged. However, there was no indication that livestock have a significant effect on soil bulk density on a field scale. Livestock were housed indoors during winters when most rainfall occurs, and best management practices were used which when combined with low erodibility clayey soils likely limited sediment losses.ConclusionA combination of clayey soils and soil trampling in only a small proportion of the field areas lead to little impact from grazing livestock. Within similar landscapes with best practice livestock grazing management, additional targeted measures to reduce erosion are unlikely to yield a significant cost-benefit.

气候变化和人类活动对中国陆地生态系统总初级生产力的影响厘定研究

总初级生产力（GPP）是生态系统植被光合作用生成有机物的能力表征，是生态系统服务功能的基础，关系到区域社会经济可持续发展及区域生态安全。基于生态系统过程模型CEVSA2，应用中分辨率成像光谱仪（MODIS）卫星遥感的叶面积指数数据产品（MCD15A2H），以强迫法构建了遥感数据驱动的模型新版本——CEVSA-RS；基于CEVSA-RS模拟分析了气候变化和人类活动对中国陆地生态系统GPP时空变化的相对影响，从气候潜在总初级生产力（GPP_CL）和现实总初级生产力（GPP_RS）的大小和趋势两方面厘定了人类活动影响。2000至2017年全国平均潜在GPP （1016.36 gC m^-2a^-1）略高于对应现实GPP （962.85 gC m^-2a^-1），但存在明显的空间分异：长江以南大部、秦岭、太行山脉以东以及大兴安岭以东和长白山地区等森林植被覆盖区，现实GPP高于潜在GPP；而西部草地及灌丛等地区现实GPP低于潜在GPP。全国GPP呈显著增加趋势（P<0.05），其中现实GPP的增速（46.04 gC m^-210a^-1）高于潜在GPP的增速（41.46 gC m^-210a^-1），人类活动影响促进GPP增长，主要体现在华南地区和华北平原等地；内蒙古东部、东北平原北部、青藏高原西部等地人类活动呈负面影响。人类活动影响大于气候影响的区域可达全国陆地面积的53%，其中西部生态相对脆弱的草地区人类活动仍为负面影响，这些地区以草定畜，发展草牧业和保护生态，仍然任重道远。;Gross primary productivity (GPP) is the fundament of all ecological services that ecosystems can provide, and its change will influence the sustainable development of regional socio-economic and ecological security. Based on the ecosystem process model CEVSA2, this study applied the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite remote sensing data to construct a new version of the remote sensing data-driven model, CEVSA-RS. The relative impacts of climate change and human activities on the spatial and temporal changes of terrestrial ecosystem gross primary productivity were analyzed based on CEVSA-RS, and the impacts of human activities were determined in terms of both the magnitude and trends of potential gross primary productivity (GPP_CL) driven by climate and actual gross primary productivity (GPP_RS) driven by climate and remote sensing. According to the national average, potential GPP (1016.36 gC m^-2a^-1) was slightly higher than actual GPP (962.85 gC m^-2a^-1) from 2000 to 2017. However, there is an obviously spatial disparity:the actual GPP is higher than the potential GPP in forested vegetation cover areas such as most of the south of the Yangtze River, the east of the Qinling and Taihang Mountains, and the east of the Daxinganling and Changbai Mountain areas. Meanwhile, the actual GPP is lower than the potential GPP in areas such as grassland and shrubland over western China. The GPP of whole Chinese terrestrial ecosystems showed a significant increasing trend (P<0.05), and the increasing speed of actual GPP (46.04 gC m^-210a^-1) exceeded that of potential GPP (41.46 gC m^-210a^-1), which meant human activities positively contributed to the most area in South China and North China Plain, while negatively impacted the ecosystems in eastern Inner Mongolia, northern Northeast Plains and western Tibetan Plateau. The areas where the impacts of human activities are greater than the impacts of climate chang accounted for 53% of the total land area in China. Considering negative impacts of human activities in the western China, as an area of fragile eco-environment, there is a long way to protect its ecosystems while to develop grassland-based husbandry through determining livestock stocking rate according forage production.

Joint monitoring of livestock stocking rates and rangeland vegetation of Hombori district in Mali during the 2010-2011 dry season

and wide seasonal and interannual variations. Pastoral livestock systems adapt to these patchy and variation resources by herd mobility and some supplement feeding that only partially overcome seasonal forage shortages in dry years. This study aimed at analyzing the relationship between livestock stocking rates and forage availabilities during the 8-9 month dry season at the scale of the Hombori district. Stocking rates were estimated by monthly count of livestock by species, sex and age classes at the main pastoral water points. Herbaceous forage over the district was assessed at the onset of the dry season over using NDVI-MODIS remote sensing calibrated with in situ measurements. In addition, forage availabilities were monitored monthly in the service area of three selected water points as a function of distance from the water point up to 12 km. The results indicated that despite the large numbers of livestock and the weak mobility of the resident herds, the overall stocking rate in the Hombori district remains low, as it entails an average grazing exploitation rate of only 9.4% of the fodder resource during the dry season. The grazing exploitation rate invalidates the statement of widespread 'overgrazing' of forage resources by livestock in the Sahel often advanced in rangeland ecology and management projects.&#x0D; Keywords: Rangelands, stocking rate, dry season, degradation rate, overgrazing, Sahel.

Temporal Overlap Among Feral Horses, Cattle, and Native Ungulates at Water Sources

ABSTRACTFeral horse (Equus ferus caballus) populations on public rangelands in the western United States threaten forage production for livestock and wildlife habitat. Interference competition between feral horses and heterospecifics at watering sources can have negative effects on livestock and wildlife. Researchers have documented altered timing and behavior of wild ungulates at water sources when horses were present. The few studies examining these interactions have infrequently occurred within areas specifically managed for feral equids and have not occurred in sites with cattle. We used motion‐sensitive cameras at 8 watering sources to document watering activity patterns and construct indices of temporal overlap among feral horses, cattle, elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) within the Adobe Town Herd Management Area in southern Wyoming, USA, between June and September 2018 and 2019. Feral horses, cattle, and pronghorn exhibited a high degree of temporal overlap (&gt;79%) in water use, with feral horses and pronghorn exhibiting the highest estimated percent overlap (88.1%, 95% CI = 86.5–89.6%). Mule deer and elk watering activity also overlapped with horses and cattle but to a lesser degree (&lt;55%). Feral horses spent a mean of 16.7 ± 30.5 (SD) minutes during a watering event and were present at a given water source on average 4.5 ± 6.3% and up to 34.9% of the day, which is less than reported in previous studies. Cattle spent on average 23.5 ± 44.9 minutes during a watering event, and were present on average 4.2 ± 7.7% and up to 42.4% of the day at a single water source. Results of generalized linear mixed‐effects models indicated that number of conspecifics was the strongest predictor of visit duration for pronghorn and horses; hour of the day and group size of heterospecifics were informative, but less important, variables. There was no difference in peak visitation time for any species between sites of high versus low horse or cattle use. Despite temporal overlap, we did not find evidence of interference competition between feral horses, cattle, and pronghorn. We recommend future examination of interference competition and its biological consequences between introduced and native ungulates at water sources of varying size across sites, equid population levels, and livestock stocking rates. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Climate warming benefits alpine vegetation growth in Three-River Headwater Region, China

Environmental factors that drive vegetation change in the Three River Headwater Region (TRHR) on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are largely unknown. In particular, the response of alpine grasslands in the TRHR to changing climate and ecological compensations is still poorly understood. Here, we present data on vegetation trends of the TRHR from 1982 to 2015 by employing multiple high-resolution satellite data to determine the mean annual normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In addition, spatio-temporal changes in climate were monitored by long-term climate data collection and by using the distributed modeling system. It emerged that: 1) there was a weak increasing trend, albeit not significant, in overall TRHR NDVI, ranging between 0.23 and 0.27; whereas, grassland NDVI ranged between 0.43 and 0.50, and displayed a significant (r2adj = 0.46; P = 0.004) linear increase with year; 2) annual average temperature was below 0 °C and increased linearly (r2adj = 0.60; P = 0.01) at a rate of 0.06 °C/yr from 2000 to 2015, which was almost four times faster than the rate of global warming; and 3) average rainfall was 493 mm/yr, with no significant yearly trend. In conclusion, climate warming enhanced vegetation growth and recovery in the TRHR since 2000; whereas, rainfall did not show a trend. However, vegetation changes on the spatial scale demonstrated zoning and segmentation effects. Consequently, for restoration of degraded lands in the TRHR, effective one-to-one ecological conservation projects, which are particular to an eco-fragile area, should be implemented. In addition, these results are important for regional planning of livestock stocking rates and animal husbandry systems, which can have great impact on the livelihood of the people in the area.

Soil carbon increases with long‐term cattle stocking in northern temperate grasslands

AbstractGrassland management aimed at enhancing carbon (C) in soil is an important tool in mitigation of rising atmospheric CO2, yet little is known of how grassland soil C changes with livestock stocking rate (SR). We relate soil organic and inorganic C mass (t ha−1 to 60 cm depth) with cattle stocking over periods of 7–27 year for 32 paddocks distributed across nine community pastures in the mixed‐grass prairie of Saskatchewan, Canada. Initial analysis comparing Akaike information criterion models showed that cattle SR explained a greater proportion of variance in soil C, particularly soil organic C, than rainfall. Soil organic C mass increased with cattle SR (R2 = .293; p = .001), even when the latter was normalized to account for differences in vegetation composition and growing conditions among pastures. Normalized SR varied from 0.49 to 2.30 times recommended levels, over which SOC increased from 24.7 to 57.4 t ha−1. Increases in soil organic C under greater stocking coincided with increased abundance of introduced vegetation, particularly the rhizomatous grass Poa pratensis. Inorganic soil C accounted for 34.6% of total soil C, being particularly large below 30 cm soil depth, but did not vary with stocking rate. These findings indicate that both organic and inorganic C are important pools of C in northern temperate grassland soils, with soil organic C positively associated with long‐term cattle SR. Further studies are recommended to understand more fully the mechanisms regulating grazing impacts on soil C mass in northern temperate grasslands.

Rising Plate Meter Calibrations for Forage Mass of Wheat and Rye

Core Ideas The rising plate meter was useful in predicting forage mass. A quadratic functional form is favored for predicting forage mass using the rising plate meter. Relationships differed by species, season, and tillage Estimating forage availability is important in optimizing livestock stocking rates. The rising plate meter was developed to estimate forage availability. It needs a calibration equation to convert its measurement to a prediction of forage mass, and predictions can vary across crops, seasons, and locations. Our research objective was to derive new calibration equations for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.). Most past literature used a linear model, but recent literature has suggested that using a quadratic model without an intercept could improve predictions. A non‐nested test was used to test among these two non‐nested models for wheat and rye calibration equations. The results favored the more encompassing model of a quadratic with an intercept; however, with wheat the quadratic with no intercept was not rejected. A pooling test indicated different equations were needed for species, seasonality (winter and non‐winter), and tillage type (tilled or no‐till).

Impact of Climate Change on Livestock Returns and Rangeland Ecosystem Sustainability in the Southwest

Climate change will increase variability in temperature and precipitation on rangelands, impacting ecosystem services including livestock grazing. Facing uncertainty about future climate, managers must know if current practices will maintain rangeland sustainability. Herein, the future density of an invasive species, broom snakeweed, is estimated using a long-term ecological dataset and climate projections. We find that livestock stocking rates determined using a current method result in lower forage production, allowable stocking rate, and grazing value than an economically efficient stocking rate. Results indicate that using ecology and adaptive methods in management are critical to the sustainability of rangelands.

Assessment of woodland grazing in southwest wisconsin

Grazing of farm woodlots in the upper Midwest is generally thought to degrade timber value and damage soil health. Nonetheless, Wisconsin property tax law creates an incentive for this practice. Therefore, this project sought to determine the effects of cattle grazing on vegetation and soil conditions in woodlands under different grazing management. We compared eleven grazed woodlots under various livestock management regimes with five woodlots that have not been grazed for at least 30 years in the Kickapoo Watershed in Crawford County, WI. We conducted vegetation surveys in all the woodlands and measured soil properties in a subset. We talked to farmers about their cattle management practices and beliefs about farm woodlots. Grazed woodlands had higher frequencies of introduced shrubs, less litter depth, fewer seedlings and saplings, more grass cover, and higher soil bulk density compared with un-grazed woodlands. Grazing negatively impacted regeneration and condition of seedlings, saplings, and saplings of commercial value. In grazed woods, we noted a relation between the cattle stocking rate and edaphic variables including amount of bare soil, litter depth, and canopy cover, and a difference between dairy and beef cattle in shrub density. We validated a set of simple indicators and metrics for on-going comparison of grazed and un-grazed farm woodlots in this area. Introduced shrub species was the clearest indicator of change, followed by litter depth, regeneration status of trees, and soil bulk density. The study points to potential opportunities for silvopasture techniques that could mitigate vegetation and soil degradation such as careful management of livestock stocking rate and timing of grazing.