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  Rangeland Ecology & Management Table of Contents Volume 73, Number 1 (2020)

  Society for Range Management (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)
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  Rangeland Ecology & Management Editorial Board Volume 73, Number 1 (2020)

  Society for Range Management (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)
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  Can Mowing Substitute for Fire in Semiarid Grassland?

  Vermeire, L.T.; Strong, D.J.; Gates, E.A.; Marlow, C.B.; Waterman, R.C. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Accumulating data indicate the importance of fire in rangeland systems. Mowing is a common management technique sometimes considered a surrogate for fire. However, direct comparisons of fire and mowing effects are limited. Our objective was to determine whether mowing can substitute for fire in rangeland by comparing effects on plant biomass, composition, cover, soil nutrients, and forage quality. Three disturbance treatments (nontreated control, spring mowing with clipping removal, and spring fire) were randomly assigned to 21 plots (5 × 5 m) each on silty and claypan ecological sites in a completely randomized design, with seven replications per site. Current-yr biomass was similar among control, mowed, and burned treatments (1 003, 974, 1 022 ± 64 kg ● ha− 1). Mowing shifted functional group composition by reducing C<inf>3</inf> perennial grass 12% and increasing forbs 8%. Non-native species were a larger component of mowed (12%) than control (6%) or burned plots (4%). Fire increased bare ground 35%, reduced litter 32%, and eliminated previous yrs’ growth the first growing season. Plant-available soil N and S more than doubled with fire, and there was a trend for more P in burned plots. Mowing effects were limited to a trend for less soil Fe. Mowing affected 42% of the forage quality variables with a 2% average improvement across all variables. Fire affected 84% of the variables, with a 12% average improvement. Mowing increased forage P and K, whereas fire increased forage concentrations of N, K, P, S, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Cu. Total digestible nutrients increased 1.1% with mowing and 2.1% with fire. In vitro dry matter disappearance increased 2.2% with mowing and 6.7% with fire. Burned plots had greater in vitro fermentation than controls or mowed plots. Although mowing can be a useful management tool, it is not a substitute for the ecological effects of rangeland fire. © 2019
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  Native Vegetation Composition in Crested Wheatgrass in Northwestern Great Basin

  Nafus, A.M.; Svejcar, T.J.; Davies, K.W. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Crested wheatgrass, an introduced perennial bunchgrass, has been seeded extensively on the rangelands of western North America. There is a perception that this species is very competitive and that it forms monoculture or low diversity stands where successfully seeded. However, there is limited information on species composition in sites previously seeded to crested wheatgrass. We measured native vegetation and environmental characteristics in areas seeded with crested wheatgrass across the northwestern Great Basin. Plant community composition within these crested wheatgrass stands was variable, from seedings that were near monocultures of crested wheatgrass to those that contained more diverse assemblages of native vegetation, especially shrubs. Environmental factors explained a range of functional group variability from 0% of annual grass density to 56% of large native bunchgrass density. Soil texture appeared to be an important environmental characteristic in explaining vegetation cover and density. Native vegetation was, for all functional groups, positively correlated with soils lower in sand content. Our results suggest environmental differences explain some of the variability of native vegetation in crested wheatgrass stands, and this information will be useful in assessing the potential for native vegetation to co-occupy sites seeded with crested wheatgrass. This research also suggests that crested wheatgrass seedings do not always remain in near monoculture vegetation states as seedings substantially varied in native vegetation composition and abundance with some seeded areas having a more diverse assemblage of native vegetation. In half the sites, there were five or more perennial herbaceous species and 63% of sites contained Wyoming big sagebrush. Although not exclusively true, species most commonly encountered in crested wheatgrass seedings are those that are able to minimize competition with crested wheatgrass via temporal (i.e., Sandberg bluegrass, annual forbs, annual grasses) or spatial (i.e., shrubs) differentiation in resource use. © 2019
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  Grazing-Induced Changes to Biological Soil Crust Cover Mediate Hillslope Erosion in Long-Term Exclosure Experiment

  Fick, S.E.; Belnap, J.; Duniway, M.C. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Dryland ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to erosion generated by livestock grazing. Quantifying this risk across a variety of landscape settings is essential for successful adaptive management, particularly in light of a changing climate. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, there are nearly 25 000 km2 of rangelands with underlying soils derived from Mancos Shale, an erodible and saline geologic parent material. Salinity is a major concern within the Colorado River watershed, much of which is attributed to runoff and leaching from Mancos Shale deposits. In a 60-yr paired-watershed experiment in western Colorado, we used silt fences to measure differences in saline hillslope erosion, including both total sediment yield and concentrations of primary saline constituents (Na and Se), in watersheds that were either exposed to grazing or where livestock was excluded. After accounting for the strong effects of soil type, slope, and antecedent precipitation, we found that grazing increased sediment loss by ≈50% across our 8-yr time series (0.1–1.5 tn ha−1), consistent with levels reported at the watershed scale in early published work from studies at the same location. Eroded sediment Se levels were low and unaffected by grazing history, but Na concentrations were significantly reduced on grazed hillslopes, likely due to depletion of surface Na in soils exposed to chronic soil disturbance by livestock. Variable selection and path analysis identified that biological soil crust (BSC) cover, more than any other variable, explained the differences in sediment yields between grazed and ungrazed watersheds, partially through the enhancement of soil aggregate stability. Our results suggest that BSC cover should be granted heightened consideration in rangeland decision support tools (e.g., state-and-transition models) and that measures to reduce surface disturbance from livestock such as altering the timing or intensity of grazing may be effective for reducing downstream impacts. © 2019
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  Restoration of Sagebrush in Crested Wheatgrass Communities: Longer-Term Evaluation in Northern Great Basin

  Davies, K.W.; Boyd, C.S.; Bates, J.D.; Hamerlynck, E.P.; Copeland, S.M. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L] Gaertm. and Agropyron desertorum [Fisch.] Schult.), an introduced bunchgrass, has been seeded on millions of hectares of sagebrush steppe. It can establish near-monocultures; therefore, reestablishing native vegetation in these communities is often a restoration goal. Efforts to restore native vegetation assemblages by controlling crested wheatgrass and seeding diverse species mixes have largely failed. Restoring sagebrush, largely through planting seedlings, has shown promise in short-term studies but has not been evaluated over longer timeframes. We investigated the reestablishment of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) in crested wheatgrass communities, where it had been broadcast seeded (seeded) or planted as seedlings (planted) across varying levels of crested wheatgrass control with a herbicide (glyphosate) for up to 9 yr post seeding/planting. Planting sagebrush seedlings in crested wheatgrass stands resulted in full recovery of sagebrush density and increasing sagebrush cover over time. Broadcast seeding failed to establish any sagebrush, except at the highest levels of crested wheatgrass control. Reducing crested wheatgrass did not influence density, cover, or size of sagebrush in the planted treatment, and therefore, crested wheatgrass control is probably unnecessary when using sagebrush seedlings. Herbaceous cover and density were generally less in the planted treatment, probably as a result of increased competition from sagebrush. This trade-off between sagebrush and herbaceous vegetation should be considered when developing plans for restoring sagebrush steppe. Our results suggest that planting sagebrush seedlings can increase the compositional and structural diversity in near-monocultures of crested wheatgrass and thereby improve habitat for sagebrush-associated wildlife. Planting native shrub seedlings may be a method to increase diversity in other monotypic stands of introduced grasses. © 2019
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  Managing Grazing Intensity Linked to Forage Quantity and Quality Trade-off in Semiarid Rangelands

  Tahmasebi Kohyani, P.; Manafian, N.; Ebrahimi, A.; Omidipour, R.; Faal, M. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Knowledge of herbivory tolerance of dominant plant species and their responses to varying grazing intensity is required for sustainable grazing management in semiarid rangeland ecosystems. In a field experiment, we studied the effects of simulated grazing 0%, 30%, 50%, and 80% leaf removal (control, partial, intermediate, and heavy leaf removal) of three dominant perennial legumes: Astragalus cyclophyllon, Astragalus effuses, and Hedysarum criniferum in semiarid rangelands of southwestern Iran for 2 yr and tested 1) differential herbivory tolerance in terms of regrowth ability of belowground and aboveground biomass (AGB), fecundity, and nonstructural carbohydrate reserves; and 2) trade-off between forage quantity and quality—less defoliated plants produce larger amount of biomass with less forage quality and vice versa. The results showed a reduction in AGB and reproduction in each of the three plants. However, three forbs exhibited some sort of variations in shoot and root growth, reproduction and forage quality under intermediate and heavy leaf removal. Leaf removal in individuals of A. effusus and H. criniferum are more likely to compensate for tissue loss by allocating the available resources to the expansion of root biomass, at the cost of AGB and reproductive effort. Leaf removal also led to an increase in forage quality in each of the three forb species, depending on the level of height removal. The control plant had a higher amount of biomass production and lower amount of crude protein compared with heavy leaf removal treatments (i.e., 80%), by contrasting responses of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, indicating a trade-off between forage quality and forage quantity. The results indicate that there is a balance among forage quantity, quality, and regrowth ability of belowground and aboveground tissues in intermediate leaf removal treatments of these forb species. This balance is used to develop principles for grazing management of steppe rangelands because such a regime meets different criteria including forage quantity, quality, and nonstructural carbohydrate reserves. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Effects of Fire Exclusion on Previously Fire-Managed Semiarid Savanna Ecosystem

  Starns, H.D.; Taylor, C.A.; Garza, N.E.; Tolleson, D.R. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Long-term (> 100 yr) fire exclusion is associated with numerous ecological consequences in grasslands and savannas, including transitions into shrub- or tree-dominated systems. Several studies have reported differences in woody vegetation after multiple fires among burned and unburned rangelands, but none have reported the impacts of fire exclusion after a period of fire management. We evaluated effects of fire exclusion on herbaceous and woody canopy cover and herbaceous biomass in semiarid savanna of southwest Texas in pastures with known burn histories. Pastures were burned in summer and winter in 1994, 2000, and 2006, followed by 11 yr of fire exclusion. Between 2006 and 2017, woody subcanopy increased (5–21%) in all treatments while overstory canopy remained unchanged. Herbaceous cover decreased (5–18%) in all treatments but remained higher in burned treatments. From 2006 to 2017, herbaceous biomass declined in all treatments by > 650 kg·ha−1 and was not statistically different among treatments. These trends support other research demonstrating the importance of historical mean fire return interval in maintaining grasslands and savannas. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Effects of a Companion Plant on the Formation of Mycorrhizal Propagules in Artemisia tridentata Seedlings

  Serpe, M.D.; Thompson, A.; Petzinger, E. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Inoculation of seedlings with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase their establishment after outplanting. The success of this practice depends partly on the extent of root colonization and abundance of AMF propagules in the outplanted seedlings. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of a companion plant, the native grass Poa secunda J Presl (Sandberg bluegrass), on the formation of spores and vesicles, AMF colonization, and AMF taxa present in the roots of the shrub Artemisia tridentata Nutt (big sagebrush). These effects were tested at two phosphorus (P) fertilization levels, 5 μM and 250 μM. Neither coplanting nor differences in P had an effect on spore density in the potting mix. In contrast, coplanting increased vesicular colonization of A. tridentata from 5% to 18%, but only at low P. Differences in P also affected vesicular colonization of P. secunda, which was 10% and 30% at high and low P, respectively. Arbuscular colonization of A. tridentata was not affected by the treatments and ranged between 12% and 20%. In P. secunda, arbuscular colonization was lower but increased from high to low P. Coplanted seedlings exposed to low P also had the highest levels of total AMF colonization, 70% for A. tridentata and 63% for P. secunda. On the basis of partial sequences of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene, coplanting did not affect the AMF taxa, which were within the Glomeraceae. In some taxa within this family, root fragments containing vesicles are the main propagules. Particularly in this situation, increases in vesicle density caused by coplanting and low P are likely to facilitate mycorrhization of A. tridentata after outplanting, resulting in higher levels of colonization than those naturally occurring in the soil. Such outcomes are critical for assessing the extent to which A. tridentata establishment is limited by insufficient AMF colonization. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Do Young Calves Influence Movement Patterns of Nursing Raramuri Criollo Cows on Rangeland?

  Nyamuryekung'e, S.; Cibils, A.F.; Estell, R.E.; VanLeeuwen, D.; Steele, C.; Estrada, O.R.; Rodríguez-Almeida, F.A.R.; González, A.L.; Spiegal, S. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  We compared movement patterns of nursing versus non-nursing cows and characterized cow-calf proximity patterns over 2 years in two herds of Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle that grazed either desert rangeland of southern New Mexico, United States, or woodlands of west-central Chihuahua, Mexico. At each site, 9−14 randomly selected mature cows were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars configured to record animal position at 5-min intervals. Four to five GPS-collared nursing cows and their calves were also fitted with proximity loggers that recorded initiation time and duration of dam-calf contact events (< 1 m logger-to-logger distance). All calves were < 2 wk old at the onset of the study. Collared animals grazed with a herd of 30 and 35 cows at the NM site and with 68 and 87 cows at the Chihuahua site in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Non-nursing RC cows exhibited straighter travel paths and explored larger daily areas than their nursing counterparts. However, nursing and non-nursing RC cows in this study traveled similar distances each day, moved at comparable velocities, spent similar amounts of time close to drinkers, and did not differ in daily time spent grazing, resting, or traveling. A higher number of cow-calf contact events occurred during day versus nighttime hours, but total day versus night contact time was similar. As calves became older, the number of both day and nighttime contact events, as well as dam-offspring contact time, decreased significantly. Relative to their calves, dams explored larger areas of the pasture each day; however, cow-calf contact events occurred throughout the entire area grazed by the dams including areas surrounding the drinkers. Cow-calf interactions of RC cows resembled those of a strong follower regardless of the grazing environment and differed from previously reported mother-offspring relations in mainstream British beef cattle breeds. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Effects of Rangeland Management on the Nesting Ecology of Sharp-Tailed Grouse

  Milligan, M.C.; Berkeley, L.I.; McNew, L.B. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Many grassland species coevolved with large herbivores and require habitats along the entire structural gradient created by grazing. Widespread declines of grassland birds, however, have prompted concerns about rangeland management. Conceptually, rest-rotation grazing functions as a conservation strategy to mimic historic disturbance regimes and create pasture-level heterogeneity in the absence of fire, but its utility for improving wildlife habitat has not been directly tested, particularly in the mesic mixed-grass prairie. We evaluated rest-rotation grazing as a conservation management technique compared with more traditional grazing systems, including summer rotation and season-long grazing, and assessed effects of different grazing systems and stocking rates on nest site selection and nest survival of sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), an indicator species for grassland ecosystems. Both nest site selection and nest survival were directly related to vertical nesting cover, which was only weakly related to grazing management variables, including grazing system and stocking rate, at moderate stocking rates (≤ 2 animal unit month [AUM] ha− 1). Cattle presence during the nesting period had a positive effect on daily nest survival, potentially through an effect by either the cows or rancher presence on predator behavior. Overall, our results suggest that rest-rotation grazing did not contribute to pasture-level vegetation heterogeneity and that both the selective foraging of cattle and inherent topographic and edaphic variability in our study area may be stronger drivers of heterogeneity at the small spatial scale required by female grouse. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Using Areal Composition of Riparian Vegetation Communities to Identify Thresholds in Prairie Streams

  Meehan, M.A.; O'Brien, P.L. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Riparian areas often have multiple plant communities that may change rapidly due to seasonal hydrological shifts, and variation of those plant communities may not necessarily indicate transitioning ecological status. Thus, while plant communities are often used to assess land ecological status in upland systems, applying that principle to riparian systems may not be appropriate. Geomorphic parameters may be better indicators of a transition in ecological status, but they cannot be understood separately from plant community dynamics. This research assessed stream geomorphology and riparian plant communities along 34 reaches of 8 streams in North Dakota. The area of three plant community components (PCCs) associated within riparian complexes were mapped, and stream cross-section and longitudinal profile data were collected to classify Rosgen stream channels into stable (E and C channels), stabilizing (B channels), and unstable (F and G channels) states. The area of PCC1, the community nearest the stream bank consisting of wetland obligate species, was similar among stable and unstable streams, but PCC2 and PCC3, transitional plant communities, had greater area along stable reaches than along unstable reaches. Thus, the proportion of PCC1 in stable reaches was much lower (≈25%) than in unstable reaches (≈75%). Entrenchment ratio was the only stream parameter that was a good predictor of PCC areas, likely due to its relationship with floodplain connectivity. These findings may be valuable in developing riparian complex ecological site descriptions, specifically identifying potential thresholds between the unstable and stable states. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Effects of Litter Leachate on Plant Community Characteristics of Alpine Grassland in Qinghai Tibetan Plateau

  Ma, Z.; Wang, Y.; Gu, Y.; Bowatte, S.; Zhou, Q.; Hou, F. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Plant litter dynamics are sensitive to grassland productivity and the spatial heterogeneity of plant community. In this study, we investigated the effects of litter leachates on plant community characteristics using three plant species that represent different successional stages of alpine grasslands located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We tested four concentrations of leachates (0, 50, 100, and 200 g L−1) from Kobresia setchwanensis, Elymus nutans, and Ligularia virgaurea. The leachates from the three plant species generally responded similarly, but the responses to the varying concentrations were significantly different. Addition of litter leachates negatively impacted the aboveground biomass and species richness. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was positively correlated with the litter leachate addition. The effects of the litter leachate's addition on plant functional groups varied—grasses were inhibited, forbs and legumes were promoted, and sedges were not significantly affected. This study demonstrates that litter leachates are a critical determinant of species diversity, grassland productivity, and community structure in QTP alpine grasslands. © 2019 The Authors
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  Long-Term Increasing Productivity of High-Elevation Grassland Caused by Elevated Precipitation and Temperature

  Li, K.; Liu, X.; Hu, Y.; Mohammat, A.; Geng, F.; Han, W. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  It is important to understand how climate change and increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition over the past decades have affected the productivity of different grassland types. High-elevation grasslands are sensitive to human activities and climate change, however little is reported about the effect of temperature, precipitation, and N deposition on productivity. For monitoring long-term changes in productivity, four ungrazed sites were established in 1984 in a high-elevation grassland of the Tianshan mountains in central Asia and grassland productivity was measured over ≈2−3 decades. In addition, a site with four N addition treatments was established in 2009. We conducted an 8-yr experiment in which nitrogen was added in the high-elevation grassland. These results show an aboveground net primary production (ANPP) increase in both spring and the peak growing season at ungrazed sites with increasing temperature and precipitation in the past 30 yr. ANPP of grasses and total grasses and forbs were strengthened by increased N deposition, especially when heavy snowfall was accompanied by higher spring and growing season temperatures. ANPP of total grasses and forbs was significantly correlated with snowfall. High-elevation grasslands are clearly susceptible to climate change and N deposition. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Resiliency of Native Mixed-Grass Rangelands and Crested Wheatgrass Pasture Lands to Spring Wildfire

  Kral-O'Brien, K.C.; Sedivec, K.; Geaumont, B.; Gearhart, A.L. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Previous research has suggested that prescribed fire will become more necessary in the northern Great Plains of the United States as woody encroachment and invasive plant species cover increase. Prescribed fire will likely become a more frequent management strategy to mimic natural processes in grasslands—a combination of fire and grazing. However, the amount of research on fire is somewhat lacking since the 1980s, with few land managers and producers willing or able to use fire in the western half of the northern Great Plains. We evaluated the impact of a wildfire in northwest South Dakota on two ecological sites (sandy and shallow sandy) and two vegetation types (native rangelands and crested wheatgrass pasture lands) to gain more insights into potential fire effects by comparing burned with adjacent nonburned sites, as well as comparing sites 5 yr prefire and 4 and 16 mo post fire. We collected data on plant species composition, bare ground, and biomass production. We did not detect any negative effects to the overall plant community, but crested wheatgrass did increase on some burned sites 16 mo post fire. The most prominent difference between burned and nonburned sites was the increase in bare ground and reduced basal litter on burned sites, but these changes were undetectable 16 mo after fire. Our results suggest mixed-grass prairies in the northern Great Plains are resilient to fire, and prescribed fire could be an appropriate management strategy when applied at the correct spatial-temporal scale and fire prescription. When specific management strategies, like fire, are perceived as negative, research has the potential to overcome perception and provide more context for land managers and producers on the conditions that affect management strategies. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Responses of Native Plants and Downy Brome to a Water-Conserving Soil Amendment

  Johnston, D.B.; Garbowski, M. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Restoring native plants in rangelands threatened by downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) presents a serious challenge to land managers. Higher, more consistent soil moisture, as well as slightly compacted soils, may reduce the competitive abilities of downy brome. We manipulated these factors with three treatments: superabsorbent polymer (SAP), a soil-binding agent, and roller compaction at two restoration sites, Wagon Road Ridge (WRR) and Sagebrush (SGE), in northwestern Colorado. SAPs absorb water when soils are wet and then gradually release it, often reducing plant water stress. The binding agent we used is purported to increase water infiltration while reducing soil movement. In Experiment 1, we crossed an SAP, a binding agent, and rolling and found that SAP benefitted perennial grass establishment at the WRR site only. SAP also decreased downy brome cover and biomass at WRR. The binding agent increased soil moisture at both sites, and the highest level of binding agent reduced downy brome cover in the absence of SAP at the SGE site. In Experiment 2, we examined only SAP, with larger plots and a more complex seed mix. Again, SAP benefitted perennial grass establishment at WRR only. SAP reduced initial perennial forb density at both sites but did not affect forb cover in subsequent years. SAP effects on downy brome were site-specific. There was a trend for reduced downy brome cover with SAP at WRR, but SAP caused a large increase in downy brome cover in yr 3 at SGE. Granulated SAP can be applied easily along with drill seeding, making it potentially applicable for dryland restoration. However, site specific factors may influence whether perennial grasses or downy brome most benefit from SAP application. © 2019 Colorado Parks and Wildlife
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  Predatory Plants and Patchy Cows: Modeling Cattle Interactions with Toxic Larkspur Amid Variable Heterogeneity

  Jablonski, K.E.; Boone, R.B.; Meiman, P.J. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  The most common explanations for the evolution and persistence of herd behavior in large herbivores relate to decreased risk of predation. However, poisonous plants such as larkspur (Delphinium spp.) can present a threat comparable to predation. In the western United States, larkspur diminishes the economic and ecological sustainability of cattle production by killing valuable animals and restricting management options. Recommendations for mitigating losses have long focused on seasonal avoidance of pastures with larkspur, despite little evidence that this is practical or effective. Our ongoing research points to the cattle herd itself as the potential solution to this seemingly intractable challenge and suggests that larkspur and forage patchiness may drive deaths. In this paper, we present an agent-based model that incorporates neutral landscape models to assess the interaction between plant patchiness and herd behavior within the context of poisonous plants as predator and cattle as prey. The simulation results indicate that larkspur patchiness is a potential driver of toxicosis and that highly cohesive herds may greatly reduce the risk of death in even the most dangerous circumstances. By placing the results in context with existing theories about the utility of herds, we demonstrate that grouping in large herbivores can be an adaptive response to patchily distributed poisonous plants. Lastly, our results hold significant management-relevant insight, both for cattle producers managing grazing in larkspur habitat and in general as a call to reconsider the manifold benefits of herd behavior among domestic herbivores. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Modeling Invasive Annual Grass Abundance in the Cold Desert Ecoregions of the Interior Western United States

  Hak, J.C.; Comer, P.J. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Invasive annual grasses, primarily Bromus tectorum, are a severe risk to native vegetation of the intermountain West. Once established, annual grasses alter natural fire regimes and outcompete natives until, in some places, they become the overwhelming dominant. We developed a regional spatial model encompassing eight ecoregions to indicate the relative abundance of invasive annual grass at five levels of canopy cover. We used field sample data representing invasive annual grass abundance to build and calibrate the model. Explanatory variables, represented as map inputs, included image indices, climate, landform, soil, and human-induced surface disturbance. As a novel modeling approach, we built multiple models based on classes of invasive annual grass cover abundance were developed individually and then combined into a final 90-m pixel resolution model that indicates locations relative to invasive annual grass abundance into classes of < 5%, 5−15%, 16−25%, 26−45%, and > 45% cover. Each component model was validated using held-out sample data, and relative accuracy was 86%, 74%, 62%, 62%, and 60%, respectively, with an overall kappa of 0.773. The Columbia Plateau, Northern Basin and Range, and Snake River Plain ecoregions appear to have the greatest overall proportions (48−62%) mapped within at least one of the invasive cover categories. Overlay of the resulting model with major vegetation types indicated > 50 major vegetation types that are affected by current distribution of annual grasses and are at risk of expansion. Among these, Intermountain Basins, Big Sagebrush Steppe, and Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland each consistently scored high for invasive risk where they occur. Spatial models of this type should assist with rangeland restoration and for decisions involving placement of infrastructure, vegetation treatments where further surface disturbance could trigger additional cheatgrass expansion. Options exist for extending this model, using climate projections over upcoming decades, to indicate areas of increasing risk for invasion. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Burning and Climate Interactions Determine Impacts of Grazing on Tallgrass Prairie Systems

  Flynn, K.C.; Zhou, Y.; Gowda, P.H.; Moffet, C.A.; Wagle, P.; Kakani, V.G. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Tallgrass prairie may respond differently to prescribed burning and subsequent preferential grazing, termed pyric herbivory, under variable climate conditions. This 6-yr study (2011−2016) compared tallgrass prairie pastures that were subjected to burned and unburned conditions while exposed to grazing under differing climate conditions in the Southern Great Plains of the United States. The study area consisted of six pastures, three burned and three unburned. Each burned pasture was further divided into three patches and subjected to a 3-yr rotational burning cycle. The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) derived from Landsat 7/8 (EVI<inf>LS</inf>) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, EVI<inf>MOD</inf>) was used to indicate vegetation production depending on size of pastures. On the basis of EVI<inf>LS</inf>, most burned patches (11 of 18) had lesser production (overall difference of 3%) than unburned patches within the same pasture. The differences were larger (13%) in a drought yr (2011) compared with normal (3% in 2013) and wet (<1% in 2015) yrs. The distribution of precipitation controlled EVI<inf>LS</inf> for periods during and after grazing. The burned patches tended to have lower EVI<inf>LS</inf> during grazing periods than the unburned patches within the same pasture, probably because of selective grazing of newly grown grass in recently burned patches. In contrast, the differences in EVI<inf>LS</inf> between during and after grazing periods were mostly (78%) smaller in burned than unburned patches. However, more variations in EVI<inf>LS</inf> existed among pasture comparisons due to landscape heterogeneity. Similar results were observed with EVI<inf>MOD</inf>. Overall, results demonstrated that pyric herbivory management and climate determine the impacts of grazing on tallgrass prairie systems. The contrasting seasonal forage availabilities in burned and unburned patches, indicated by different seasonality of EVI, also suggests that patch burning might better balance the quantity and quality of the grass available for cattle grazing. © 2019 The Society for Range Management
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  Predicting Spatial Risk of Wolf-Cattle Encounters and Depredation

  Clark, P.E.; Chigbrow, J.; Johnson, D.; Larson, L.; Nielson, R.M.; Louhaichi, M.; Roland, T.; Williams, J. (Elsevier Inc., 2020-01)

  Spatial variability in terrain, vegetation, and other features affect cattle and wildlife distribution on mountainous grazing lands of the western United States. Yet we have a poor understanding of how this spatial variability influences risk of wolf-cattle encounters and associated depredation. This knowledge gap severely limits our capacity to prevent or mitigate wolf-cattle conflict. Research addressing this problem was conducted in 2009−2011 at four study areas in western Idaho to evaluate models and mapping tools for predicting spatial risk of wolf-cattle encounters. Lactating beef cows grazing these study areas were instrumented with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and tracked at 5-min intervals throughout the summer grazing season. Resource selection function (RSF) models, based on negative binomial regression, were developed from these GPS data and used to map the relative probability of cattle use in each study area. A wolf RSF model originally developed by Ausband et al. (2010) was applied to map study-area habitat types in terms of their relative suitability as wolf rendezvous sites. Spatial relationships between cattle and wolf selectivity patterns were used to classify and map wolf-cattle encounter risk to 5 classes (very high to very low) across each study area during the wolf rendezvous period (15 June−15 August). Validation analyses using GPS-based, wolf-cattle encounter observations (n = 200) revealed 84% of observed encounters occurred in areas of high- or very high−encounter risk (class 4 or 5). About 75% of confirmed wolf depredations recorded among three of four study areas were located in areas of high or very high risk. This new predictive understanding of wolf-cattle encounter risk will greatly aid livestock producers, resource managers, and policy makers in more effectively applying husbandry practices, allocating mitigation resources, and developing conflict mitigation plans and policies applicable throughout the mountainous western United States and potentially other regions of the world where wolves and cattle come into conflict. © 2019

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