Use Of Rangelands Research Articles

Autecology, synecology, climate and livestock as agents of rangeland dynamics.

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Plant-animal interactions in larkspur poisoning in cattle.

Larkspur (Delphinium spp.) toxicity in cattle seriously impedes the efficient use of productive mountain rangelands. Larkspurs contain complex diterpenoid alkaloids that cause acute intoxication and death from respiratory paralysis. Alkaloids and their concentrations vary among larkspur species, plant parts and phenological growth stages, thus causing great variability in toxicity. Ingestion rate of larkspur by the cow, alkaloid toxicity and concentration in the plant and the kinetics of absorption and excretion interact to determine whether a cow is poisoned. Plant and animal factors influencing consumption and subsequent intoxication must be further elucidated to devise management strategies to reduce liverstock losses.

Guild Structure of a Riparian Avifauna Relative to Seasonal Cattle Grazing

The avifauna within the willow (Salix spp.) community on the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was dominated (96% of all observations each year) by 11 species of passerine birds during the summers of 1980-81. Using 28 vegetation variables measured or calculated for randomly selected points and points where birds were sighted, we assigned the species to 3 distinct response guilds relative to historical patterns of seasonal grazing. A eurytopic response guild (habitat generalists) included yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia) (YEWA), savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) (SASP), and song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) (SOSP). A stenotopic response guild (habitat specialists) included willow flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) (WIFL). Lincoln's sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii) (LISP), and white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) (WCSP). The intermediate, mesotopic response guild included American robins (Turdus migratorius) (AMRO), red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) (RWBL), and brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) (BHCO). Population densities of the eurytopic response guild differed little between healthy (historically winter-grazed) and decadent (historically summer-grazed) willow communities within a year. Densities of species in the mesotopic response guild differed more dramatically, and stenotopic responseguild species were absent or accidental in decadent willows. Information on habitat use patterns of the individual species between years supported the definition of response guilds; vegetation structure was most variable in habitats of eurytopic species and least variable in habitats of stenotopic species. Comparisons between used and available vegetation features indicated that species in the stenotopic response guild used locations that differed from random on the basis of bush spacing. We hypothesize that the response-guild structure primarily reflects the impact of cattle upon the horizontal patterning of the vegetative community. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 52(2):280-290 Grazing by domestic cattle is the most common historical use of native rangelands in the western United States (Busby 1979). Ecologists have described the impacts of grazing upon breeding bird communities by comparing avian populations on adjacent sites that have been subjected to different levels of grazing (Kantrud 1981, Mosconi and Hutto 1982), on the same site before and after exclusion of grazing (Duff 1979), or both (Bock et al. 1984). Those studies generally have described patterns of species presence or abundance relative to grazing impacts upon vegetation. Birds generally respond to changes in vegetation structure as a consequence of grazing rather than to the presence of cattle per se (Bock and Webb 1984). However, avian responses to vegetative changes are neither easily defined nor consistent among sites (Wiens and Dyer 1975). Ryder (1980) reviewed studies of grazing impacts upon avian communities and categorized species as either increasers or decreasers (in abundance) with the introduction of cattle into their habitats. Studies of grazing impacts, however, generally have not elaborated on the nature of avian behavior or population responses, especially relative to all bird species within a community. Previous studies in northern Colorado have shown that seasonal grazing practices over a 75100-year period may alter the horizontal and vertical structure of a shrub-willow community as potential habitats for birds (Knopf and Cannon 1982). Our objectives were to define avian guilds within the shrub-willow community which respond similarly to structural vegetation parameters, statistically test the validity of the response-guild structure with information on species densities and habitat use, and identify vegetation parameters that cattle alter that appear important to sensitive bird species. We thank E. C. Patten for his interest and local support. Field assistance was provided by B. Bergstrom, K. Bergstrom, J. F. Ellis, E. A.

Range Survey Cost Sharing and the Efficiency of Rangeland Use

To meet the requirements of federal legislation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Soil Conservation Service (SCS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) complete periodic assessments of the biologic and economic productive potentials of the nation's public and private natural resources.' Public land management agencies (BLM and USFS) are mandated by Congress to manage so that goods and services are produced at levels sustainable in perpetuity. The agencies' management plans, devised to accommodate their legislative directives, have been the subjects of several legal challenges.2 Insufficient accuracy of planning process information has been cited as one of the reasons for ruling against the management plans. Surveys conducted by BLM and USFS were found to be inadequate with respect to both sampling intensity and sample distribution across space and through time. Agencies must now base their resource management decisions on information which is significantly more accurate than that previously used. At the same time, because laws and regulations require selling nondeclining (even) flows of forage to avoid damaging public grazing lands, federal land managers tend to be conservative in the stocking levels they allow. If an error is made it will be on the safe

Total Alkaloid, Crude Protein, and Fiber Concentrations in Velvet Lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus) Following Herbicide Application

Total alkaloid concentration, percentage water, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber in velvet lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus Dougl. # LUPLE) were monitored for 3 weeks following application of herbicides registered or soon to be registered for rangeland use. Picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid), dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid), and clopyralid (3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) caused some signs of epinasty but did not kill velvet lupine. Total alkaloid concentration and nutrient quality of velvet lupine leaves treated with these herbicides was not significantly different from untreated plants. Esters of 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] and 2,4,5-T [(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] and triclopyr {[(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl)oxy]acetic acid} killed most velvet lupine plants and caused a subsequent decrease in total alkaloid concentration, crude protein, and water content as the plants desiccated. Herbicides that effectively killed velvet lupine decreased alkaloid levels, thus lowering the potential for increased livestock poisoning.

Book Reviews

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Citations - Bill Bolton-Smith

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Cattle Distribution on Mountain Rangeland in Northeastern Oregon

Cattle grazing distribution patterns were studied directly through observation and indirectly through plant utilization during 3 summer grazing seasons under continuous and deferred-rotation grazing systems. Small riparian meadows were the most preferred plant communities. Meadows covered 3-S% of the total observation area but 24-47% of all cattle were observed in those plant communities. Logged forest communities ranked second in animal preference when availabR. Relatively open-m menziesii plant communities were the most preferred forested habitats. Deferred grazing equalized cattle use between logged areas and P. ponderosa-P. menziesii forests and increased cattle use of riparian meadows. Heavily forested sites were least preferred by cattle. Slope gradient was the only physical factor consistently associated with cattle grazing distribution. Water distribution was not correlated with grazing patterns in uplant plant communities. Multiple regression models could not predict grazing distribution patterns with useful precision. Proper distribution of livestock grazing is an integral part of effective range management. The goal of livestock distribution management is to gain maximum safe use over as wide an area as possible without causing serious damage to any portion within it. Mountain rangelands often exhibit complex combinations of topography, plant communities and successional stages, water distribution, and other habitat factors which create especially difficult grazing distribution problems. For instance, utilization may reach 75 to 80% on gently sloping drainages while steep slopes 150 m away receive 5% use or less (Phillips 1965). On a relatively small range unit of 690 ha in northern Utah, as much as 62% of the area received no use by cattle (Gonzalez 1964). A better understanding of the interactions between livestock behavior, natural habitat factors, and management factors should aid in developing more effective methods of livestock distribution. This paper reports on a 3-year study of cattle distribution behavior. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of several physical, biological, and managerial factors on the patterns of cattle use of mountain rangelands. Direct observation and forage utilization sampling were used to quantify grazing patterns of cattle under both continuous and deferred-rotation grazing schemes.

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Property build-up in South-West Queensland - Prospects and Impediments.

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

The use of three breeds of dog to protect rangeland sheep from predators

A total of 24 dogs (11 Komondorok, 9 Great Pyrenees and 4 Akbash Dogs) were placed with rangeland sheep to test their effectiveness in reducing losses of sheep to predators. All but 1 of the dogs (Komondor) had been reared from puppyhood with lambs. Seven of the dogs (4 Komondorok, 1 Great Pyrenees and 2 Akbash Dogs) were determined to be unsuitable for rangeland use after a relatively short period (1–6 weeks), primarily because of their rambunctious behavior and their lack of attentiveness to the sheep. Three of the 24 dogs (2 Komondorok and 1 Akbash Dog) died before their performance could be adequately evaluated. Two of the dogs (Komondorok) were relatively unsuccessful, but details of their performance were not available. The paper focuses on 12 trials with the remaining 12 dogs (3 Komondorok, 8 Great Pyrenees and 1 Akbash Dog). In 7 of the 12 trials, a pair of dogs or a single dog appeared to be influential in reducing the loss of sheep to predators. The effectiveness of the dogs in 2 trials was questionable, and in 3 of the trials, the dogs had little apparent influence on the number of sheep killed by predators. The dogs that appeared most effective barked at night, patrolled the area around the flock, and were aggressive to animals that came near the sheep. A variety of problems occurred when using the dogs, and benefits other than a reduction in predation, such as facilitating trailing and keeping the flock together, were noted in several of the trials. The use of dogs to protect rangeland sheep appears to be a practical technique, however, as with other forms of control, dogs will probably not eliminate predation. Not all dogs will be successful, and their use may be impractical in some situations.

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Book Review - 'Livestock Management in the Arid Zone' by Victor Squires (Publishers: Inkata Press, Melbourne) 1981.

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Effects of Two Years of Irrigation on Revegetation of Coal Surface-Mined Land in Southeastern Montana

Responses of reseeded vegetation in the first two growing seasons (1978 and 1979) to irrigation on topsoiled sodic mine spoils are presented. In terms of above-ground productMy and stand composition, irrigation significantly promoted growth of seeded perennial grasses and legumes in total. This stimulation was most pronounced in 1979 for the cool-season grasses, slender wheatgrass, smooth bromegrass and western wheatgrass and the invading cool-season legume yellow sweetclover. Other cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses were stimuiated by inifini irrigation, but were either unaffected or retarded (due to competitive relationships) by continued irrigation. Productivity of invading annual weeds was significantly curtailed by irrigation by 1979. Although differences in composition occurred, total stand productivity was similar for irrigated and nonirrigated plots in 1978, a year of above-average precipitation. In 1979, a drier year, total stand productivity was nearly three times higher under irrigation than nonirrigation. In the first year of study (1978), a higher measured index of stand structural diversity occurred under irrigation. This relationship became reversed in 1979, with higher structural diversity in nonirrigated plots. Root biomass was significantly higher in nonirrigated than in irrigated plots. This difference between irrigation and nonirrigation was most pronounced in the applied topsoil zone. Root distribution was skewed towards shallowest soil depths under irrigation to a far greater extent than under nonirrigation. Impacts of coal surface mining in the western United States will increase during the coming decades, and much mined land will be reclaimed for rangeland use. Moisture availability is often a major factor affecting revegetation of mined land in this region (May 1975). In arid areas irrigation may be the only means to establish vegetation rapidly (Aldon 1978). Success with both sprinkler and drip irrigation systems on mined land has been reported in the Southwest (Bengson 1977; Aldon et al. 1976; DeRemer and Bach Authors are associate research plant ecologist and research assistants in reclamation, respectively, Reclamation Research Unit, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Montana State University, Bozeman 59717. This report involves a study through the Montana Agricultural Experimeat S ation cooperatively funded by the Science and Education Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Decker Coal Company, Decker. Montana. Manuscript received March 3, 1980. 1977; Gould et al. 1978). Although the semiarid Northern Great Plains coal province receives more precipitation than the Southwest, large seasonal and yearly fluctuations suggest a great utility of irrigation there as well. Mined land research in North Dakota (Ries et al. 1977, Ries et al. 1978) has indicated positive effects of temporary irrigation in terms of initial vegetation establishment, productivity, and species composition. Ries and Day (1978) and Ries et al. (1976)distinguished between sustained irrigation and irrigation for establishment only, the latter being recommended for establishment of nonirrigated pasture. The objective of temporary irrigation is initially to establish vegetation which will survive when irrigation terminated. Sustained irrigation of mined lands was recommended only for sustained production of a given agricultural crop, or if necessary for leaching of excess soil salts. Irrigation may also be beneficial in extending the seeding season and in promoting growth of warm-season species which in the past have proven difficult to establish. One major concern in using temporary irrigation is vegetation response after irrigation cessation. This study was conducted to evaluate vegetation responses of seeded coal mined lands to 2 years of summer irrigation. Sustained irrigation was employed rather than initial irrigation due to necessary requisites for concurrent evaluation of four sodic subsoil amendments (DePuit et al. 1979). This report will summarize vegetation data relative to irrigation only. Objectives of this phase of the project included: I) Evaluation of effects of supplemental irrigation on vegetation establishment, structure, composition, diversity and productivity during the first two irrigated growing seasons. 2) Definition of effects of irrigation on root biomass and

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

Application Abstracts

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.

ALTERNATE SPECIES FOR NORTHERN ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Domestic animals, with the exception of the reindeer, are poorly adapted to foraging conditions in the Far North. Plant productivity is low at high latitudes, but native ungulates free to range over the irregularities of the terrain are able to obtain forage of high quality during the short summer growing season. Adaptations of native ungulates to survive the long winters when forage quality and availability are limited include growth plateaus during winter, accumulation of large fat reserves, reduced activity during winter, increased capability to digest plants not normally consumed by herbivores, and capability to forage through the snow cover. Attempts to domesticate the moose and muskox have to date been unsuccessful largely because these species appear poorly adapted to free-ranging conditions as are reindeer, and they therefore require closer handling, fencing, and provision of supplemental feed, with associated high costs of operation. No long-term practice of selective breeding of these species has accompanied the domestication efforts. Reindeer husbandry enjoys a renewed vigor in North America as a result of the recently developed raw antler market and changing motivations of native herders. The continued harvest of native wild ungulates for the sustenance needs of local people appears to be the most realistic use of most northern rangelands in the immediate future.

Symposium on Poplar Box (Eucalyptus populnea) lands in retrospect.

The Rangeland Journal publishes papers of scientific merit for a readership of scientists, educators, managers and users. Contributions may be on any aspect of the ecology, use, management or conservation of rangelands, either within Australia or internationally.