Assessment Of Rangeland Condition Research Articles

A Review of Sensor Technologies Applicable for Domestic Livestock Production and Health Management

The world is running for the digitalization of social, economic, and political endeavors. As the world is getting into technologies of various streams of development, agriculture, especially livestock production, is also one of the areas of development that requires the application or use of emerging technologies. But knowledge and skill are relatively scanty, particularly in developing countries. Hence, it is vital to fill this gap of knowledge by compiling information and presenting it to a large audience for further research in the field. In the era of the advent of sensors for broader fields, it is important to consider the possible application of these technologies in rangeland condition assessment and animal production. The technologies are more relevant in the implementation of precisions farming practices of livestock including the individual animal behavior, grazing condition, health condition, and forage intakes. For grazing stock, it is vital to assess the status of both livestock grazing behavior and rangeland resource conditions. The rangeland resources are important components of livestock production throughout the world. Forages and pasture are dynamics in the abundance, species composition, and chemical composition as a result of environmental and management changes. The rangeland resources must be assessed and monitored for better management and utilization. Conventional assessments which include manual or mechanical counting, identification, and chemical composition are laborious and time-consuming. Under field conditions, not only grazing lands condition can be monitored using sensors but also is possible to understand the grazing behavior of animals for better management of grazing stock. To complement and or replace conventional techniques, it is vital to understand the current technologies such as sensors or biosensors. This review study is organized to increase awareness of the available technologies and their relevance regarding rangeland resources, particularly in tropical rangelands. In most cases, in the tropics, GPS systems are commonly used to assess only the rangeland status without considering the grazing stock. The review also elucidates that sensor technologies are important to detect livestock health conditions and movements at the field level in a rapid and easy way. However, like other technologies, sensors (biosensors) have limitations including accuracy of measurements and repetitive data accusations. Nevertheless, the review elucidates the use of sensor technologies and saves time and energy in animal production which otherwise could demand extensive energy and time.

Rangeland Fractional Components Across the Western United States from 1985 to 2018

Monitoring temporal dynamics of rangelands to detect and understand change in vegetation cover and composition provides a wealth of information to improve management and sustainability. Remote sensing allows the evaluation of both abrupt and gradual rangeland change at unprecedented spatial and temporal extents. Here, we describe the production of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) Back in Time (BIT) dataset which quantified the percent cover of rangeland components (bare ground, herbaceous, annual herbaceous, litter, shrub, and sagebrush (Artemisia spp. Nutt.) across the western United States using Landsat imagery from 1985 to 2018. We evaluate the relationships of component trends with climate drivers at an ecoregion scale, describe the nature of landscape change, and demonstrate several case studies related to changes in grazing management, prescribed burns, and vegetation treatments. Our results showed the net cover of shrub, sagebrush, and litter significantly (p < 0.01) decreased, bare ground and herbaceous cover had no significant change, and annual herbaceous cover significantly (p < 0.05) increased. Change was ubiquitous, with a mean of 92% of pixels with some change and 38% of pixels with significant change (p < 0.10). However, most change was gradual, well over half of pixels have a range of less than 10%, and most change occurred outside of known disturbances. The BIT data facilitate a comprehensive assessment of rangeland condition, evaluation of past management actions, understanding of system variability, and opportunities for future planning.

Rangeland condition assessment in the Gobi Desert: A quantitative approach that places stakeholder evaluations front and Centre

There is widespread concern that the condition of rangelands in the Gobi Desert is declining. Opinions differ about how to translate these concerns into a defensible assessment of condition. Finding common ground is essential because condition measurements influence land-use decisions on large scales.We created ‘condition metrics’ for three Gobi Desert ecosystems. We do not use the word ‘condition’ to mean simply ‘the measurable conditions’ (attributes, observable state) of a site. Rather, we use it to describe the evaluated or judged ‘condition’ (health, desirability, goodness). The metrics explicitly represent the consensus view of a large (n = 92) and diverse stakeholder group, including nomadic pastoralists, botanists, wildlife ecologists and policymakers. The metrics were created by training models (regression trees) to predict stakeholder evaluation scores from site variables. These models can be used as metrics to produce a score for any site, on a scale of 0–100.We demonstrate using field tests that the metrics are practical to implement, sensitive to changes caused by management intervention, and produce scores which approximate the consensus view among stakeholders. There is a high level of redundancy among site variables, suggesting the metrics could be simplified for remote-sensing applications, where only some attributes are detectable.We conclude that the metrics are useful for evaluating rangeland condition in the Gobi Desert, and that the metrics represent the consensus opinion of a range of stakeholders. Our methods are applicable to ecosystem evaluation worldwide.

Assessment of rangeland condition

There is a substantial gap in the studies on classifications of rangeland condition in the Mongolian context. To fill this gap, this study aimed at assessing the condition and changes of rangeland in the forest-steppe zone in Mongolia with the use of remote sensing technique. The Bornuur soum of Tuv aimag in Mongolia was selected as the study area. A quantitative methodology with remote sensing tool was employed to assess rangeland condition. The results of the study showed an overall accuracy of 73.9%. The study provided an insight into possible improving methodology of rangeland monitoring, sustainable land management as well as environmental studies.
 Бэлчээрийн төлөв байдлыг үнэлэх зарим арга
 Монгол орны хувьд зайнаас тандан судлалын арга технологийг ашиглан газрын бүрхэвч болон газар ашиглалтын ангилал, өөрчлөлтийг үнэлэх судалгаа түгээмэл байгаа ч тус аргыг ашиглан бэлчээрийн төлөв байдлыг үнэлсэн судалгаа ховорхон хийгдсэн байна. Иймээс ойт хээрийн бүс болох Төв аймгийн Борнуур сумын жишээгээр зайнаас тандах аргаар бэлчээрийн төлөв байдлыг n=700 цэгийн хээрийн судалгааг ашиглан үнэлсэн. Судалгааны үр дүнг хээрийн хэмжилтийн мэдээгээр үнэлэхэд таарцын үнэлгээ нь 73.9% гарсан нь цаашид бэлчээрийн төлөв байдлын судалгаанд ашиглах боломжтойг харуулж байна. Цаашид тус ангиллын аргыг улам сайжруулан бэлчээрийн төлөв байдлын үнэлгээ, мониторинг, тогтвортой газрын менежмент болон байгаль орчны судалгаанд хэрэглэж болно.
 Түлхүүр үг: ургамлын индекс, ландсат хиймэл дагуулын мэдээ

Impact of grazing system on rangeland condition and grazing capacity in Zimbabwe

The influence of different land tenure and rangeland management systems on rangeland condition and livestock grazing capacity in African rangelands is not well documented. A rangeland condition assessment was carried out at 15 sites located in the communal grazing system, small-scale commercial grazing system and the large-scale commercial grazing system in Zimbabwe. Rangeland indicators assessed were: floristic composition, herbaceous biomass yield, shrub stem density and grazing capacity. Grass species composition and forage value were analysed using PROC FREQ procedure of SAS 9.3. Fisher’s exact test was performed to test for independence of the grass variables between grazing systems. A one-way ANOVA was used to test for significant differences (P < 0.05) in floristic composition, shrub stem density, herbaceous biomass yield and grazing capacity among the three grazing systems. It was observed that communal rangelands had significantly high levels of woody species, unpalatable wiry grass species, low biomass yield and were dominated by the invading shrub Helichyrsum kraussii compared with the other rangeland management systems. These results suggest that if control measures are not put in place, livestock production may not be feasible in communal rangelands in the near future because of high levels of rangeland deterioration when compared with the commercially managed rangelands. Furthermore, the observed high stem density of unpalatable woody species and the low grazing capacity of communal rangelands affect livestock production, a primary source of livelihood. This warrants a change in rangeland management system in favour of the rest-rotation grazing system, which is beneficial to both livestock and the range.

Discriminating and monitoring rangeland condition classes with MODIS NDVI and EVI indices in Iranian arid and semi-arid lands

ABSTRACTMonitoring is essential for appropriate rangeland management. The present study aimed to examine the potential of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery in rangeland condition assessment and monitoring within and across vegetation types in the arid and semi-arid rangelands of central Iran. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were calculated from MODIS Aqua/Terra Level 1B data (related to 2003–2013). The obtained values were compared with vegetation cover measurements and rangeland condition classes at 110 sampling sites using linear regression, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-samples t-tests, and Tukey’s pairwise comparisons. The results showed that two indices made stronger predictions of vegetation cover within a vegetation type (R2 > 0.87, P < 0.001) than across vegetation types (R2 > 0.51, P < 0.001). Both NDVI and EVI worked well across vegetation types (P ≤ 0.001) in predicting rangeland condition classes (poor, fair, and good), but their performance varied between vegetation types. The NDVI classified about 73, 19, and 7.5% of the rangelands in poor, fair, and good condition classes, respectively. The good performance of MODIS NDVI index at different landscapes indicates that this index has high potential in detecting vegetation cover and discriminating different condition classes, therefore, it can be used to aid field- based techniques in rangeland condition assessment and monitoring.

Assessing rangeland condition in the Kalahari Duneveld through local ecological knowledge of livestock farmers and remotely sensed data

Monitoring of land degradation in remote rangelands, such as the Kalahari Duneveld, presents significant logistical challenges because of the need for systematic measurements of rangeland condition over time and space. The distinct vegetation dynamics and manifestation of degradation on dunes and interdunes in the Kalahari Duneveld, and their edaphic characteristics augment the difficulty with rangeland assessment. This study examined the effectiveness of using the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of livestock farmers in Mier and remotely sensed data to assess rangeland condition relative to field-measured vegetation and ground cover with step-point walking transects. We used Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery to calculate the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tasseled cap greenness to characterize vegetation cover. The multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance showed that the farmers' assessment of rangeland condition explained the significant difference in the field-measured grass, shrub and bare ground cover. NDVI, SAVI and tasseled cap greenness all correlated poorly to the field-measured vegetation cover because of the excess spectral noise from the high iron oxide content in the soil. The farmers' LEK has potential to contribute toward monitoring of remote Kalahari Duneveld.

Satellite based long-term assessment of rangeland condition in semi-arid areas: An example from Botswana

A methodology was devised for comparison of generalised range condition over time, irrespective of the nature of original imagery used. It was applied for range condition change mapping throughout Botswana through 1984–2000. Results showed that range degradation was most widespread during the 1980s drought when 25% of the country was affected, decreased to 6.5% in 1994 and increased to 9.8% in 2000. This suggests that these semi-arid rangelands are fairly resilient and can withstand “normal” droughts even under conditions of heavy grazing pressure. However, degradation that persists during normal or above average rainfall years is related to increasing livestock and other pressures on rangelands and may represent areas with severe range recovery problems. This application meets some requirements of a semi-arid developing country looking to improve range condition monitoring over relatively remote areas.

Rangeland dynamics in southern Ethiopia: (3). Assessment of rangeland condition in relation to land-use and distance from water in semi-arid Borana rangelands

The condition of the semi-arid Borana rangeland in southern Ethiopia was assessed by studying different land-use systems (communal land, a government ranch and a traditional grazing reserve enclosure) and along a distance gradient (near, middle and far) from water sources. The assessment incorporated the soil, herbaceous and woody plant layers. Two methods were employed to evaluate the grass layer, viz. ecological condition index (ECI) and weighted palatability composition (WPC). The ECI on the government ranch was 21.7% and 26% greater than that of the traditional reserve and the communal land, respectively. The WPC on the government ranch was 83.3% and 48.6% greater than that of the communal area and the traditional reserve, respectively. Both ECI and WPC values were similar for all distance sites from water. Tree equivalent (TE) density, of all encroaching woody plants combined, was higher on the communal land (504 TE ha −1) than the government ranch (373 TE ha −1) and traditional grazing reserve (118 TE ha −1), but with no marked variations in the distance sites from water. Height class distribution of encroaching woody plants in the study areas showed the largest abundance (range: >50–100%) at the height class >0–2 m. Tree equivalents per hectare of encroaching woody plants were negatively correlated ( r=−0.60) with ECI and WPC and positively correlated ( r=0.87) with percentage bare ground. The correlation ( r=0.50) between percentage bare ground and soil compaction was positive and low. Although the government ranch had a greater composition of highly palatable grass species than the other land uses, the rangeland was not in good condition due to severe bush encroachment. The communal land was generally in poor condition. In the traditional grazing reserve, bush encroachment was not a problem, but the productivity of the grass layer was poor when assessed on the basis of ecological and palatability merits. The negative interaction of TE density of all encroaching woody plants combined with ECI or WPC and the positive interaction with bare ground, may suggest that the abundance of these species is more critical in aggravating deterioration in grassland productivity. Therefore, the priority of any bush control program must be towards minimizing the abundance of these woody plants.

Rangeland condition and trend in the semi-arid Borana lowlands, southern Oromia, Ethiopia

Rangeland condition assessment was conducted in the Borana lowlands, southern Ethiopia to determine the current status and future trend of the grazing land with emphasis on comparing different functional land use units, called Kalo, Worra and Foora. An approach that integrated data from herbaceous and woody plants, soil and pastoralists' perceptions was followed. Density and canopy cover of woody plants were determined in 123 plots of 500m2. Scores of grass species composition, basal cover, litter cover, number of grass seedlings, grass age distribution, soil erosion and compaction were recorded from 615 subplots of 0.25m2. Furthermore, relationships between rangeland condition score and herbaceous biomass production, percent bare soil, and density, frequency and percent cover of woody plants were determined by applying multivariate analyses. The overall rangeland condition appeared to be in a transitional state from good to poor with a downward trend. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) illustrated that woody plants were negatively correlated with rangeland condition score, botanical composition and basal cover of grasses. The pastoralists perceived that woody plants encroachment, lack and/or shortage of rain, and ban of rangeland burning were among the major factors that caused rangeland deterioration. Therefore, rangeland rehabilitation, re-utilization of fire as a rangeland management tool, and selective clearing of woody plants are recommended as a result of this study.

Rangeland Trend: Quality vs Quantity

Range trend is a qualitative method of determining range health. What is rangeland trendl? It is defined as the direction of change in a rangeland compared with its historic potential. Instead of evaluating the quantity, you are evaluating the quality of the rangeland by using proven methods so that once the trend is determined, action can be taken to improve the rangeland (Photo 1). Range trend is usefiil only if it is used as a long-term, moment-in-time monitoring technique. Without repetition it is not reliable; if only 1 measurement is taken, it is not a trend. We estimate or measure trend because we want to monitor rangeland health: it gives valuable information how current or past management practices are affecting the plant community; it gives you an idea of whether or not you are meeting your goals; and it can be a warning sign if serious, negative changes are occurring.' For a farmer or rancher, the benefits of monitoring the trend of the land resources are great. The rancher who monitors the trend will know on average what species he or she has and in what quantity. Also, knowing what improvements need to be made and where to make them is vital to a successful landowner. This approach was developed as a tool for conducting a moment-in-time, qualitative assessment of rangeland condition and as a communication and training tool for helping land managers and other interested people to better understand rangeland ecological processes and their relationship to indicators. Every land manager must consider ranch-specific goals. What are the overall objectives of the ranch operation? Is there a management plan or a set of goals? Has a problem been identified the ranch? Having a goal or a common agreement what needs to be accomplished is a crucial step to successful range management. Goals should be realistic and achievable, and once they are developed, range trend can be used to monitor and make sure you are meeting those goals.2

A degradation gradient for the assessment of rangeland condition of a semi-arid sourveld in southern Africa

Data collected between 1986/87 and 1999/2000 from a long-term rangeland monitoring project on three different sites were used to construct a degradation gradient in a semi-arid sour grassland of southern Africa. The degradation gradient was then used to quantify rangeland condition of areas ranging from poor (trampled areas close to watering points) to well-managed areas and areas that degraded as a result of selective grazing due to under-utilisation. Changes in the proportion of species composition over the degradation gradient were determined using a nearest plant point technique. Indicator species for the purpose of rangeland condition assessment were identified. Elionurus muticus was identified as a indicator species for rangeland that degraded as a result of selective grazing, while species such as Eragrostis chloromelas, Eragrostis plana and Cynodon hirsutus were indicators for rangeland that degraded due to long-term overgrazing. As computer equipment can limit the use of the degradation gradient, easier alternative methods were investigated, and the accuracy of these methods was tested against the degradation gradient. The advantage of this technique lies in its simplicity and ease of use. Another advantage is that only the most important indicator and the dominant species can be used to determine rangeland condition.

The quantification of rangeland condition in a semi-arid grassland of southern Africa

The degradation gradient technique was used to quantify rangeland, condition in areas ranging from poor, trampled areas close to watering points to well managed areas in a semi-arid, sweet grassland of southern Africa. Ecological values were linked to species by means of their individual positions on the degradation gradient. These species were further classified according to ecological index values. Identification of indicator species for purposes of rangeland condition assessment was done by using the correlations between the relative composition and the rangeland condition value of a species. Index values and Gaussian distribution curves were used in calculations to determine rangeland condition. The accuracy of these methods was tested and the best results were obtained by using the species curves of Themeda triandra and other species which dominate at other positions along the gradient. The advantage of this technique lies in its simplicity and ease of use. Another advantage is the fact that only the most important indicator and dominant species in the study area are used to determine rangeland condition.

Patchiness in semi‐arid dwarf shrublands: Evidence from satellite‐derived indices for elevated CO2 assimilation rates on a geochemical mound in the Karoo National Park, South Africa

Satellite‐derived vegetation indices were used to identify a geochemical mound of higher active greenness in the Karoo National Park, Beaufort West, South Africa. We determined whether this mound was occupied by plants with higher CO2 assimilation rate. Plant cover on and off the mound was determined. Three woody species with high cover were selected for further investigation. Two deep‐rooted species, Rhigozum obovatum Burch. and Eriocephalus ericoides (L.f.) Druce, showed greater net CO2 assimilation rates on the mound. Net CO2 assimilation rates for the third species, Pentzia incana (Thunb.) Kuntze were similar both on and off the mound. In an attempt to find a mechanistic basis for the elevated CO2 assimilation rates, the relationships between soil factors, foliar nutrients and CO2 assimilation capacity were also examined. Our results suggest that the elevated net CO2 assimilation was not mediated via improved soil or plant water relations on the actively greening mound, nor through a difference in nitrogen levels in the soil or plant material, but possibly by way of the higher sub‐soil phosphorus levels measured from the geochemical mound. Genotype and cover cannot alone be used for rangeland condition assessment since localized elevated soil nutrient status (patchiness) contributes to greater photosynthetic carbon gain which may confer superior browsing responses to plants occurring on these mounds.

Distribution and Floristics of Bryophytes in Soil Crusts in Semi-Arid and Arid Eastern Australia

A total of 56 bryophyte taxa associated with biological soil crusts was collected from 282 sites in semi-arid and arid eastern Australia. The 41 moss taxa and 15 liverwort taxa found were dominated by the families Pottiaceae and Ricciaceae respectively. Bryophytes were present at 224 of the 282 sites, and their distribution varied widely according to different landscapes. The mean number of taxa per site ranged from 8.9 on plains with red earths to 2.1 on active floodplains. The most common bryophytes found in the survey area were Bryum pachytheca, Didymodon torquatus, Gigaspermum repens, Goniomitrium enerve, Desmatodon convolutus, Stonea oleaginosa, Crossidium davidai, Riccia limbata and Riccia lamellosa. In this paper, the distribution of bryophytes in relation to landscape types, and some strategies for surviving in arid environments and their roles in biodiversity and rangeland condition assessment are discussed. Their distribution is compared with other published and unpublished studies from similar areas of Australia.

New Concepts for Assessment of Rangeland Condition

Range condition score or classification does not tell us, in a general sense, much of what managers and the public want to know about rangelands. Range condition is not a reliable indicator, across all rangelands, of biodiversity, erosion potential, nutrient cycling, value for wildlife species, or productivity. Succession, the basis for the current concept of range condition is not an adequate yardstick for evaluation of rangelands. The Society for Range Management (SRM) established the Task Group on Unity in Concepts and Terminology which has developed new concepts tor evaluation of the status of rangelands. These concepts are based on the premise that the most important and basic physical resource on each ecological site is the soil. If sufficient soil is lost from an ecological site, the potential of the site is changed. The Task Group made three recommendations, which were adopted by the SRM: 1) evaluations of rangelands should be made from the basis of the same land unit classification, ecological site; 2) plant communities likely to occur on a site should be evaluated for protection of that site against accelerated erosion (Site Conservation Rating, [SCR]); and 3) selection of a Desired Plant Community (DPC) for an ecological site should be made considering both SCR and management objectives for that site.

The Rangeland Condition Concept and Range Science's Search for Identity: A Systems Viewpoint

This paper analyzes the rangeland condition concept, and discusses how the search for a general concept has been part of the larger search for the identity of range science. It distinguishes between the concept and the assessment of rangeland condition, and distinguishes between the concept and ecological theories used in condition assessment. It proposes a general condition concept of modular character in which different ecological theories and field data are interchangeable components applied locally on appropriate, specific areas. It discusses past distinctions between range management and range science, implores the development of range management science, and discusses efforts needed in research, education, and administration to pursue its development. It interprets past and current events related to range science, including the advent of rangeland health, and discusses their relationships to range science's unfulfilled development as a management science. The paper encourages systematic design of concepts needed to allow range science to fulfill its philosophical potential as a management science.