Rangeland Landscapes Research Articles

Variation in CSR plant strategies along soil and climate gradients: A comparison between rocky outcrops and nearby rangelands

AbstractQuestionRocky outcrops in mountains represent unique ecosystems characterized by a series of stress‐inducing features on living organisms. Despite numerous studies focusing on plant diversity and species community composition in these ecosystems, less attention has been given to understanding plant strategies in response to their challenging environment. This is essential, especially considering the existence of numerous endemic species facing climate change and human disturbances.LocationThe study was conducted in six sites located in rocky outcrops and their nearby rangelands across a rainfall gradient (160–910 mm) and under different soil fertility levels in northern Iran.MethodsWe used competitor, stress tolerator and ruderal (CSR) strategies as functional groups to examine the responses of plant communities to environmental variation. The composition of plant species and functional traits were evaluated in ninety 1‐m2 plots. The influence of 10 soil and 5 bioclimatic factors on CSR plant strategies was examined along the rainfall gradient.ResultsOur results showed changes in CSR strategies from stress‐tolerant species (S) in rocky outcrops toward intermediate strategies (S/CSR) in rangelands. Soil organic carbon, electrical conductivity and sand were consistently correlated with shifts from S towards C and R strategies in rangelands. Silt and sodium (Na) affected the presence of S strategies in outcrops. The stressful conditions induced by a fine soil texture and Na in outcrops were particularly effective in establishing the dominance of the S strategy.ConclusionsWe identified patterns of shifts in CSR plant strategies that align with changes in environmental gradients. Although stress‐tolerant species (S) were the dominant strategy in most cases, this shifted towards intermediate strategies (SR and CSR) under more benign environmental conditions. In outcrops, these changes were primarily aligned with soil parameters, whereas in rangelands, both soil and climate variables were correlative. However, these correlations varied between soil and climate factors, as well as between outcrop and rangeland landscapes.

Indigenous Strategies for Managing Bush Encroachment in Rural Areas of South Africa

The integration of indigenous knowledge systems into the discussion of bush encroachment management is of paramount importance. Indigenous knowledge and formal monitoring may be mutually beneficial, and using both approaches can improve natural resource management. Savannah rangeland landscapes hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for indigenous communities, and their perceptions can provide valuable insights into creating more effective, community-driven conservation initiatives. This study was aimed at filling the existing knowledge and research gap on bush encroachment control by focusing on the integration of indigenous knowledge systems. To achieve this, the current research included three distinct non-probability sampling strategies: (1) Purposive, (2) Snowball, (3) Convenience sampling methods. The results showed that 90.3% of the participants indicated that the main encroaching species of concern was sickle bush (Dichrostachys cinerea) and it is therefore perceived as a problem in the rangeland. The majority of farmer respondents indicated that they cut the encroacher plant down, uproot all root systems, then burn the remaining roots. This is reported to be a more effective way of managing sickle bush as an encroacher plant. Both genders generally believe in the efficacy of these systems, with variations in levels of agreement. However, a gender disparity emerges in opinions on incorporating communal-based approaches, emphasizing the need to consider gender perspectives in environmental management initiatives. Therefore, considering this, the study concludes that a holistic approach, integrating both formal and informal knowledge systems, may be crucial for sustainable and effective management strategies. Given that, recognizing the diversity of perspectives within the community, particularly regarding gender differences, is essential for developing inclusive and community-driven environmental management initiatives.

Diversified vegetation types on rangelands promote multiple soil‐based ecosystem services

AbstractRangelands have the potential to be provisioners of ecosystem services, including livestock products, carbon storage and greenhouse gas regulation, water and nutrient cycling, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. Due to their vast extent and landscape heterogeneity, the degree to which different ecological components of rangelands contribute to ecosystem services can be varied. Soils are the foundation of rangeland health and associated ecosystem services. While many studies have examined the effect of grazing intensity on rangeland ecosystem services, few studies have looked at the broader rangeland landscape and how managing varying vegetation types can influence soil‐based ecosystem services. In this study, a suite of physical, chemical, and biological soil health indicators were measured in various vegetation types found within a working cattle ranch, including coastal live oak woodlands, coastal scrublands, annual grassland, and restored native perennial grassland. Based on the measured soil health indicators, results from this study show scrubland significantly diverges from other vegetation types, having higher water infiltration and plant available water, carbon stocks, and a more diverse microbial community that drives more dynamic cycling of carbon and nitrogen. Strategically maintaining scrubland on unproductive, highly erosive slopes downgradient of highly productive grassland areas could maintain forage production while protecting water quality and increasing carbon storage. These results highlight the relevance of holistically evaluating rangeland operations to assess soil function and ecosystem services and the potential risks and co‐benefits of varying vegetation types. Ultimately, process‐based linkages described here may provide a working example of how to manage ranches as functional mosaics of strategically maintained vegetation types.

Exploring Effective Detection and Spatial Pattern of Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia Genus) from Airborne Imagery before and after Prescribed Fires in the Edwards Plateau

Over the past century, prickly pear (PP) cactus (e.g., genus Opuntia; subgenus Platyopuntia) has increased on semi-arid rangelands. Effective detection of cacti abundance and spatial pattern is challenging due to the inherent heterogeneity of rangeland landscapes. In this study, high-resolution multispectral imageries (0.21 m) were used to test object-based (OB) feature extraction, random forest (RF) machine learning, and spectral endmember (n-D) classification methods to map PP and evaluate its spatial pattern. We trained and tested classification methods using field-collected GPS location, plant cover, and spectrometry from 288 2 m radius polygons before a prescribed burn and 480 samples after the burn within a 69.2-ha burn unit. The most accurate classification method was then used to map PP distribution and quantify abundance before and after fire. As a case study, we assessed the spatial pattern of mapped PP cover, considering topoedaphic setting and burn conditions. The results showed that the endmember classification method, spectral angle mapper (SAM), outperformed the RF and OB classifications with higher kappa coefficients (KC) (0.93 vs. 0.82 and 0.23, respectively) and overall accuracies (OA) (0.96 vs. 0.91 and 0.49) from pre-fire imagery. KC and OA metrics of post-fire imagery were lower, but rankings among classification methods were similar. SAM classifications revealed that fire reduced PP abundance by 46.5%, but reductions varied by soil type, with deeper soils having greater decreases (61%). Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests indicated significant changes before and after fire in the frequency distribution of PP cover within deeper soils (D = 0.64, p = 0.02). A two-way ANOVA revealed that the interaction of season (pre- vs. post-fire) and soils significantly (p < 0.00001) influenced the spatial pattern of PP patches. Fire also reduced the size and shape of PP patches depending on the topoedaphic settings. This study provides an innovative and effective approach for integrating field data collection, remote sensing, and endmember classification methods to map prickly pear and assess the effects of prescribed fire on prickly pear spatial patterns. Accurate mapping of PP can aid in the design and implementation of spatially explicit rangeland management strategies, such as fire, that can help reduce and mitigate the ecological and economic impacts of prickly pear expansion.

Livestock Ponds as Long-Term Habitat for Southwestern Pond Turtles (Actinemys pallida) in Rangeland Landscapes

The southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida), a chelonian species declining in California, depends on aquatic habitats for its survival. This study examined the extent to which the southwestern pond turtle used livestock ponds in rangeland habitat in eastern Santa Clara County, California, and the importance of key habitat features as factors in the presence of turtles in livestock ponds. We found that 12 of the 16 ponds (75%) previously documented to have southwestern pond turtles within the last 15 yrs still supported individuals, while only 1 of 62 ponds (2%) not previously documented as occupied, had turtles, indicating that livestock ponds, especially those known to be occupied, provide important, long-term habitat for this species.

Bull selection and management in extensive rangeland production systems of California: a producer survey.

California's approximately 660,000 head of beef cattle are highly dependent on range bulls used to produce offspring that can perform across the state's diverse ecological regions. Bulls need to be functional on rugged coastal landscapes, rolling foothills, deserts, and in high-elevation terrain. Few data exist that indicate factors related to selection, maintenance, and longevity of bulls used in rangeland landscapes. Objectives herein, were to assess factors influencing bull purchasing, management, and culling decisions of California beef producers. Surveys were mailed to the California Cattlemen's Association membership (N = 1,410) with ~ 16% response rate (N = 227). Mean age and years of bull selection experience of respondents was 61 ± 1 yr and 27 ± 1 yr, respectively. Respondents managed cattle on a total of 694,949 hectare of owned, private leased, and leased public rangelands in California and surrounding states. Cow-calf herd size was 333 ± 92 head and bull battery averaged 18 ± 2 head with average bull longevity of 5 ± 1.3 yr. The average price paid for bulls in the last 2 yr was $5007 ± 163.33, while the highest price paid in the last 5 yr was $7291 ± 335.40. Survey responses were used to define current factors driving management after purchase and for subsequent breeding seasons. After bull purchase, 48% of producers turned bulls out directly with females, while 52% held bulls until the following breeding season. Additionally, most producers (70%) did not manage bulls to reduce condition after purchase. Semen quality analysis, a major component of a breeding soundness exam, was evaluated annually by 45% of respondents, while 20% of respondents never evaluated semen quality. Respondents indicated bull age (35%) and structural soundness (29%) as the most common factors for culling bulls. This research shows that despite the variability in operation demographics, there were similarities in beef bull selection and management across the state. Additionally, these data suggest the need for additional research focused on bull selection and management to maximize producer investment in reproduction.

Can formalisation of pastoral land tenure overcome its paradoxes? Reflections from East Africa

Legal frameworks for communal land rights in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania are now gaining momentum. Questions can be raised as to whether, how, and to what extent these frameworks take into account the disadvantages of formalising tenure and the complexities of pastoral resources. In this paper, we consider the impact of these challenges on the formalisation of communal ownership, beginning with an overview of how commons theory has influenced land governance policies and how it is applied to pastoral systems. We identify the main challenges that land policy interventions in East Africa face and ways in which the conceptual models of shared property rights embodied in current land tenure regimes are not well adapted to the socio-ecological characteristics of some rangeland landscapes. We argue that policy interventions capable of overcoming the paradox of pastoral tenure and strengthening tenure security while addressing herders’ needs for mobility and flexibility will often involve the progressive recognition of layers of sometimes overlapping rights, rather than attempts to subdivide landscapes into simple mosaics of discrete communal territories. This paper is based on an analysis of the legal frameworks for land tenure in the three countries and a review of the literature on pastoralism and land governance in the region.

Modeling landscape wind erosion processes on rangelands using the APEX model

Rangelands provide vital ecosystem services and comprise 36% of U.S. and 25% of world lands. Approximately 20 to 73% of these rangelands are already degraded. Soil erosion driven by winds is a significant cause of this degradation. Minimal work has been done to evaluate the influence of wind erosion on rangeland dominated landscapes or to assess the effect of landscape-scale soil and water conservation and management practices on reducing wind erosion due to its inherent complexity and nonpoint source nature. Our approach is to use an integrated and holistic eco-hydrologic model. The main objective of this study is to integrate process-based landscape wind erosion modeling schemes into the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model (version 1905; APEX1905) for simulating horizontal aeolian sediment transport and vertical particles transport on rangelands. We demonstrate the performance and capability of the model using field data collected at the USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range in New Mexico, U.S. A benchmark APEX1905 model that runs on high-resolution sub-daily wind speed data and daily average vegetation gap distribution derived from monthly field measurements. The benchmark APEX1905 model captured the variability in observed aeolian sediment transport during 2015–2017 reasonably well with an R2 = 0.58 and a RMSE = 2.60. When the highly variable sub-daily measured wind speed and vegetation gap distribution data were substituted with the daily average wind speed and APEX1905 estimated daily vegetation gap, the APEX1905 reproduced well the benchmark model estimates with the performance statistic of R2 = 0.77 and RMSE=0.54 for the horizontal aeolian sediment transport; and R2 = 0.82 and RMSE = 0.85 for vertical particle transport. Overall, provided limited aeolian watershed data sets, the APEX1905 is demonstrated to be reliable in estimating wind erosion in arid, desert rangeland landscapes using daily average wind speed and simulated vegetation characteristics. Benefiting from the long-established algorithms of simulating plant growth dynamics and topsoil moisture content in APEX, APEX1905 offers a robust and process-based estimation of wind erosion in areas where wind and vegetation data are scarce.

Managing an Invasive Species While Simultaneously Conserving Native Plant Diversity

Management for invasive species is usually done with the intent of maintaining or enhancing one or several ecosystem services. On rangeland landscapes, management is often focused on provisioning services (e.g., livestock) but can also include maintaining biodiversity. Rangeland landscapes are often large and complex, suggesting understanding the invasion and management efforts is best done at multiple scales. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata [Dum.-Cours] G. Don) management practices on two study areas that were focused on managing livestock and promoting biodiversity simultaneously. At one study area, an experiment containing 134 different prescribed fires was evaluated for 19 yrs comparing pyric herbivory with traditional rangeland management with fire and grazing on sericea lespedeza invasion. The second area had a 21-yr observational study across 16 000 ha with 541 different prescribed burns and on the effects of pyric herbivory and herbicide applications on sericea lespedeza. We found support that pyric herbivory with cattle (Bos spp.) or bison (Bos bison) contributed to long-term invasion mitigation for sericea lespedeza, whereas we found no support that other management practices added to the mitigation provided by pyric herbivory. We found no support for a season of fire effect and/or herbicide control. These practices only provided short-term sericea management (1 yr). Pyric herbivory remains the only viable management action that can reduce the rate of invasion and use this invasive forage legume for livestock production at actual management scales. This study demonstrates the importance of developing large-scale studies of realistic treatments that integrate practices such as fire, grazing, and herbicides to understand the effects of invasion and control efforts on rangelands with multiple objectives.

183 Designing Research for Beef Cattle Production in Extensive Environments

Abstract Designing research for beef cattle production in rangeland environments is an ongoing challenge for researchers worldwide. Specifically, creating study designs that mirror actual production environments yet have enough observations for statistical inference is a challenge that often hinders researchers in efforts to publish their observations. Numerous journals will accept “case study” or observational results that lack valid statistical inference. However, these journals are limited in number and often lack impact. Approaches are available to gain statistical inference by creating multiple observations within a common group of animals. Approaches to increasing statistical observations will be discussed in this presentation. Modeling animal behavior and performance on extensive rangeland landscapes is commonly practiced in wildlife ecology and, more recently, has been published in Animal Science journals. Additionally, new technology has made it possible to apply treatments (e.g., supplementation studies) to individual animals on extensive environments where large, diverse herds/flocks of cattle/sheep are managed as a single group. Use of individual animal identification (EID) and feed intake technology has opened a wide range of research possibilities for beef cattle production systems research in rangeland environments. Likewise, global positioning system (GPS) collars and activity monitors have created the opportunity to evaluate animal grazing behavior in remote and extensive landscapes. The use of multiple regression models to evaluate resource use in extensive environments will, in turn, help managers optimize beef cattle production and the sustainable use of forage/rangeland resources. Embracing new technologies such as GPS, activity monitors, EID tags, and feed intake monitors combined with multiple regression modeling tools will aid in designing and publishing beef cattle production research in extensive rangeland environments.

The Challenges of Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Pastoral Rangelands

Recognizing that community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) approaches have had mixed success in pastoral rangelands, this paper compares five case studies—two from Kenya, two from Ethiopia and one from Tunisia—to identify aspects of social-ecological context that affect the implementation and success of CBNRM in pastoral settings. Data for each case was collected following a common protocol. Among the characteristics that emerged from our study as important were socio-political and biophysical characteristics of the wider landscape within which the community’s rangeland territory is located and the extent to which that territory is circumscribed by some combination of other land uses and land tenure types, major political boundaries, and physical landscape features. The analysis of these cases suggests that where pastoralist communities coexist in large, open rangeland landscapes, rather than a narrowly community-based approach, natural resource management interventions need to be explicitly multi-level and horizontally flexible.

Nutrient export from largely pristine catchments (Serranía de Cuenca, Central Spain)

We report here the summer nutrient (organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) export from pristine catchments of the Serranía de Cuenca (Central Spain). These mountains are mostly encompassed by forested and rangeland landscapes and appear to have important groundwater outputs. On the basis of instantaneous sampling for nutrient chemistry, including in situ records of discharge in these largely non-gauged areas, nutrient fluxes downstream were estimated. Long-term (1982-2010) annual yields of total nitrogen and phosphorus downstream were also estimated from official data using discharge and concentrations at three larger sub-catchments, with the aim of relating them to the effects of global warming. Average nutrient concentrations in these streams were rather low. The fraction of organic nitrogen content was relatively high, as in other forested catchments. Variability of concentrations changed from one catchment to another, but was wide. Organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus export downstream ranged from one- for organic carbon and nitrogen to three orders of magnitude for phosphorus, but these values lie within the lower quartile of reported export worldwide. There were no statistically significant relationships between discharge and nutrient concentrations. Water retention by lakes and reservoirs upstream decreased the variability of nutrients, particulate organic carbon and total nitrogen, but total phosphorus retention was unaffected. The catchment surface area and land use were unrelated with the phosphorus export. In-stream biological processes appeared to be negligible for nutrient export. Contrary to the N export the annual P flux export was partly explained by discharge (and hence rainfall) in the long-term, which seemingly suggests a global warming effect for P. Our results suggest that pristine catchments experience a complex behaviour of nutrient export that deserves further research, and should be more detailed to see if groundwater input plays a significant role.

PSI-35 Foot and hair shedding scores of crossbred cattle grazing native rangeland differ by age group

Abstract Structural soundness is crucial to improve productivity and longevity of beef cattle in rangeland landscapes. In addition, hair shedding scores are utilized to select for heat tolerant cattle. Thus, the objective of this study was to collect data indicative of cattle adaptability to extensive rangeland landscapes in the Cal Poly beef cattle herd. Three trained technicians assigned claw set, foot angle and hair shedding scores. All data were collected over a 2-day period (n = 3 ranch locations) and foot scores were only collected from females (n = 211) that were at least 1 year of age. Each female was assigned a score for foot angle and claw set (1–9, 5 being ideal). A hair shedding score was also allocated (1–5, 1 = 0% winter coat, 5 = 100% winter coat) to both cows and calves of dams assigned to different age groups. Cattle were retrospectively assigned to a group based on age (Young = 2–3 years of age, Moderate = 4–7 years of age, Old = 8+ years of age) and data were analyzed with the main effects of ranch location and cow age group. Ranch location had no impact (P > 0.05) on foot score or hair shedding score. Cow age group had a significant impact (P < 0.01) on claw set, with young cows exhibiting a lower and more ideal foot score. However, cow age had no effect on hoof angle (P = 0.23). Young cows had a greater (P < 0.001) hair shedding score than their counterparts. Calf hair shedding score was not different (P ≥ 0.23) among dam age groups or ranch locations. Thus, these data indicate that feet and leg structure is compromised as cows age, and younger cows with higher hair shedding scores may lack adaptability to heat stress.

PSI-34 Factors influencing bull selection and management in extensive rangeland production systems of California

Abstract California’s 660,000 head of beef cattle are highly dependent on bulls used to produce offspring that can perform across the state’s diverse ecological regions. Bulls need to be functional on rugged coastal landscapes, rolling foothills, deserts and in high-elevation terrain. Few data exist that indicate factors related to selection, maintenance and longevity of bulls used in rangeland landscapes. Objectives herein, were to assess factors influencing bull purchasing, management, and culling decisions of California beef producers. Surveys were mailed to the California Cattlemen’s Association membership (n = 1,410) with ~ 12% response rate (n = 171). Data were analyzed for 56% of respondents (n = 95). Mean age and years of bull selection experience of respondents was 61 ± 1 years and 27 ± 2 years, respectively. Respondents managed cattle on a total of 694,949 ha of owned, private leased, and leased public rangelands in California and surrounding states. Cow-calf herd size was 378 ± 92 head and bull battery averaged 18 ± 3 head with average bull longevity of 5 ± 0.8 years. The average price paid for bulls in the last 2 years was $5166 ± 298, while the highest price paid in the last 5 years was $6958 ± 445. Survey responses were used to define current factors driving management after purchase and for subsequent breeding seasons. Methodology for bull turnout management (i.e. high-energy diet, pasture, supplemental hay) had no impact (P = 0.13) on average age of bulls when culled. After bull purchase, 46% of producers turned bulls out directly with females, while 49% held bulls until the following breeding season. Additionally, most producers (75%) did not manage bulls to reduce condition after purchase. Average bull longevity was moderately correlated (P = 0.01; r2 = 0.30) with average bull price a producer was willing to pay. The average age of bulls when culled was not influenced (P = 0.42) by the frequency of semen quality evaluation. Semen quality was evaluated annually by 45% of respondents, while 20% of respondents never evaluated semen quality. Respondents indicated bull age (35%) and structural soundness (29%) as the most common factors for culling bulls. This research suggests the need for additional research focused on bull selection and management to maximize producer investment in reproduction.

PioLaG: a piosphere landscape generator for savanna rangeland modelling

ContextPiospheres describe herbivore utilization gradients around watering points, as commonly found in grass-dominated ecosystems. Spatially explicit, dynamic models are ideal tools to study the ecological and economic problems associated with the resulting land degradation. However, there is a need for appropriate landscape input maps to these models that depict plausible initial vegetation patterns under a range of scenarios. ObjectivesOur goal was to develop a spatially-explicit piosphere landscape generator (PioLaG) for semi-arid savanna rangelands with a focus on realistic vegetation zones and spatial patterns of basic plant functional types around livestock watering points.MethodsWe applied a hybrid modelling approach combining aspects of both process- and pattern-based modelling. Exemplary parameterization of PioLaG was based on literature data and expert interviews in reference to Kalahari savannas. PioLaG outputs were compared with piosphere formations identified on aerial images.ResultsPioLaG allowed to create rangeland landscapes with piospheres that can be positioned within flexible arrangements of grazing units (camps). The livestock utilization gradients showed distinct vegetation patterns around watering points, which varied according to the pre-set initial rangeland condition, grazing regime and management type. The spatial characteristics and zoning of woody and herbaceous vegetation were comparable to real piosphere patterns.ConclusionsPioLaG can provide important input data for spatial rangeland models that simulate site-specific savanna dynamics. The created landscapes can also be used as a direct decision support for land managers in attempts to maintain or restore landscape functionality and key ecosystem services such as forage production.

Vegetation, ground cover, soil, rainfall simulation, and overland-flow experiments before and after tree removal in woodland-encroached sagebrush steppe: the hydrology component of the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP)

Abstract. Rainfall simulation and overland-flow experiments enhance understanding of surface hydrology and erosion processes, quantify runoff and erosion rates, and provide valuable data for developing and testing predictive models. We present a unique dataset (1021 experimental plots) of rainfall simulation (1300 plot runs) and overland-flow (838 plot runs) experimental plot data paired with measures of vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil physical properties spanning point to hillslope scales. The experimental data were collected at three sloping sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) sites in the Great Basin, USA, each subjected to woodland encroachment and with conditions representative of intact wooded shrublands and 1–9 years following wildfire, prescribed fire, and/or tree cutting and shredding tree-removal treatments. The methodologies applied in data collection and the cross-scale experimental design uniquely provide scale-dependent, separate measures of interrill (rain splash and sheet flow processes, 0.5 m2 plots) and concentrated overland-flow runoff and erosion rates (∼9 m2 plots), along with collective rates for these same processes combined over the patch scale (13 m2 plots). The dataset provides a valuable source for developing, assessing, and calibrating/validating runoff and erosion models applicable to diverse plant community dynamics with varying vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil conditions. The experimental data advance understanding and quantification of surface hydrologic and erosion processes for the research domain and potentially for other patchy-vegetated rangeland landscapes elsewhere. Lastly, the unique nature of repeated measures spanning numerous treatments and timescales delivers a valuable dataset for examining long-term landscape vegetation, soil, hydrology, and erosion responses to various management actions, land use, and natural disturbances. The dataset is available from the US Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library at https://data.nal.usda.gov/search/type/dataset (last access: 7 May 2020) (doi: https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1504518; Pierson et al., 2019).

Visual value of rangeland landscapes: A study based on structural equation modeling

Understanding the visual value of landscapes is a key issue for environmental decision makers and planners because it is directly related to people's perceptions. In this study, the relationships of seven aesthetic criteria (vegetation composition, complexity, existential factor, coherence, stewardship, physiographic, and environmental factors) and 19 scenic aesthetic indicators with visual value of different rangeland landscapes were assessed. The visual value of different rangeland landscapes was assessed based on stakeholders and managers perceptions using photos and questionnaires. The results showed that existential factor, vegetation composition, and complexity were the most important factors for visual value assessment respectively. Structural equation modeling revealed that all criteria had significant direct impacts on visual value except for stewardship (p<0.05). Naturalness, presence of trees and plant diversity were the most important scenic indicators which make landscapes visually more valuable through texture harmony, water management, being mountainous and presence of water. The mountainous shrub-tree landscapes were the most important wild landscapes in terms of visual value. There was no significant difference between wild and managed landscapes. The burned rangelands had the least visual value due to mismanagement. Human activities under modern disturbances had diminished the visual value of rangelands more than activities under traditional disturbances and they had the most negative impact on visual value of rangeland landscapes.

Analysis of the Potential for Crop-Livestock Integration in Burang County, China

Crop-livestock integration (CLI) is a significant practice for livestock grazing systems in alpine rangelands. It offers the potential to achieve sustainable crop and livestock production. However, the separate crop and livestock systems that exist today have led to issues of intensive agriculture, rangeland degradation and forage shortage in the Tibetan Plateau. Developing crop-livestock integration through sown pastures can be an effective way to lift pasture productivity and improve livestock production. Thus, to explore the potential for integrating crop and livestock production in alpine grazing systems, an assessment of potential forage and livestock production using multiple datasets was carried out in Burang County, China. Results showed the marginal land potentially available for sown pastures was about 560 ha, located mostly in the Burang township of the Karnali basin. Accumulated temperature was the dominant limiting factor for establishing sown pastures, therefore cold tolerance of forage species and growth period should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the number of livestock decreased during the period 2012–2016; yet often, the number of livestock in rangeland landscape was greater than that in agro-pastoral landscape. The average number of livestock was about 110000 standard sheep units (SU) in the study area, but forage from sown pastures and crop residues could potentially feed about 11000 SU, accounting for 50% of the livestock population in the Karnali basin. We found that integrating crop and forage production could fill feed gaps for grazing systems, particularly in the agro-pastoral landscape of the Karnali basin. The results of this study provide scientific support to guide future forage production and to promote further crop and livestock integration in Burang County.

Investigating distribution of ecosystem services in rangeland landscapes: an approach based on weighted key functional traits

Abstract It is important to understand the distribution of multiple ecosystem services and their underlying basic ecological sources. In this study, a novel trait-based approach was developed to address different natural landscapes potential to supply multiple ecosystem services in three rangeland landscapes (highland, hillside and plain rangelands). First, key related functional traits and their weights for measuring each ecosystem service were determined using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Potential of each landscape to supply each ecosystem service was determined through abundance and functional values of species in providing that service. Results showed that highland rangelands had the highest potential for forage production, medical source, fuel, carbon stock, wind erosion control and water regulation. The highest potential for pollination, honey and aesthetic belonged to hillside sites. Arid plain site provided the least ecosystem services in the study region. There were significant relationships between species diversity and ecosystem services forage, medical sources and aesthetic. Richness did not represent potential of arid and semi-arid rangeland landscapes to supply multiple ecosystem services. Climate was the main factor in driving multiple ecosystem services across landscape gradient. Pearson’s correlation revealed a synergy between pollination, honey and aesthetic and they tradeoff with water regulation, carbon stock, medical source, wind erosion control. Soil fertility as a supporting service was correlated with other ecosystem services. Our approach provides useful information to identify ecosystem potential in supplying multiple ecosystem services and to assist ecological interventions for supporting multiple ecosystem services in different rangeland landscapes.

Low-Cost Livestock Global Positioning System Collar from Commercial Off-the-Shelf Parts

Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices are a fundamental technology for quantifying the distribution and movement of livestock across landscapes. Although costs of GPS devices have decreased, it is still cost prohibitive to implement a large number of collars per study. Our objective was to develop and test a low-cost GPS collar using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic components to study livestock distribution and movement. Our COTS GPS tracker was built using the popular Arduino open-source microcontroller and a low-power timer board to cycle a GPS at defined intervals. Location data were saved to a data card in an open format for easy analysis. Total cost per COTS GPS device (including housing and collar) was $54.78. Average displacement from a known location and 95% circular error probability was 4.58 m, commensurate with other GPS collars. We tested durability and field performance of 25 COTS GPS collars against 24 existing GPS collars recording data at 5-min intervals in a southwest Idaho, United States study area. Our COTS GPS design and test showed that it is possible to manufacture low-cost location tracking devices, but the limitations of such devices must be considered relative to study objectives and duration. Low-cost location trackers will encourage collection of a higher density of location information to better understand patterns of livestock use in rangeland landscapes.