@article {JRN55427, title = {Adapting to climate change on desert rangelands: A multi-site comparison of grazing behavior plasticity of heritage and improved beef cattle}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {209}, year = {2022}, month = {11/02/2022}, pages = {104886}, abstract = {Climate change is amplifying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of desert rangeland forages through its impact on precipitation variability. Foraging behavior plasticity (an animal{\textquoteright}s ability to alter its behavior to cope with environmental variation) could be a key trait for climate adaptation of beef cattle in arid environments. We analyzed GPS-derived movement and activity data of Criollo and commercial beef cattle from eight studies conducted at sites in North and South America to determine whether seasonal and year-to-year behavior plasticity varied significantly between breeds. We calculated dormant/brown season or driest year percent change in foraging behavior relative to growing/green season or wettest year. Compared to commercial beef breeds, Criollo cattle exhibited significantly greater seasonal adjustment in daily distance traveled (20\% increase vs. 2\% decrease, P <= 0.02) and daily grazing effort (25\% vs. 1.5\% increase, P = 0.01) during the dormant/brown vs. growing/green season. Increase in daily area explored during the dormant/brown season was almost three times greater in Criollo vs. commercial beef cattle (P = 0.09). Seasonal adjustment in daily time spent grazing was similar for Criollo and commercial beef breeds. Increase in daily area explored during the dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years was three times greater for Criollo vs. commercial beef breeds (P = 0.03). Criollo cattle tended (P = 0.09) to exhibit greater behavior adjustment than commercial beef counterparts in daily distance traveled during the dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years (22\% vs. 4\% increase, respectively). No breed differences in adjustment of time spent grazing (P = 0.36) or grazing effort (P = 0.20) during dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years were observed. Dry vs. wet year grazing behavior adjustments during the growing/green season were similar for both breeds. Grazing behavior plasticity observed in Criollo cows could be a critical trait for desert beef herds in the face of increasingly variable rainfall patterns occurring as a result of climate change.}, keywords = {Animal agriculture, British beef cattle, Cow-calf, criollo cattle, GPS tracking, ranching}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104886}, url = {files/bibliography/22-024.pdf}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and S. Spiegal and Shelemia Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Matthew M. McIntosh and Danielle Duni and Oscar A. Herrera Conegliano and Felipe A. Rodr{\'\i}g Almeida and Octavio Roacho Estrada and Lisandro J. Blanco and Danielle Duni and S. A. Utsumi and Alfredo L. Gonzalez} } @conference {JRN55175, title = {El rol del bovino Criollo Rar{\'a}muri como herramienta de adaptaci{\'o}n al cambio clim{\'a}tico en los desiertos del SO de los EE.UU.}, year = {2019}, month = {11/5/2019 }, publisher = {XII Simposio Internacional de recursos Geneticos Para Las Americas Y el Caribe}, organization = {XII Simposio Internacional de recursos Geneticos Para Las Americas Y el Caribe}, address = {Rocha, Uruguay}, abstract = {

M{\'u}ltiples modelos clim{\'a}ticos estiman que para mediados del siglo XXI el clima en el sudoeste de los EE.UU. se volver{\'a} m{\'a}s c{\'a}lido (+ 2 a 5 oC), con un r{\'e}gimen de precipitaci{\'o}n m{\'a}s variable (-10 a + 8\%) ocasionando sequias m{\'a}s frecuentes. Se espera que dichos cambios promuevan una ca{\'\i}da en la producci{\'o}n forrajera del pastizal natural, situaciones m{\'a}s frecuentes de estr{\'e}s t{\'e}rmico, y aumento en la incidencia de ectopar{\'a}sitos generando nuevos desaf{\'\i}os para el sector ganadero de la regi{\'o}n. El estado de New Mexico ha visto una ca{\'\i}da significativa en las existencias ganaderas a partir de mediados de la d{\'e}cada del \’70, momento en el que se comenz{\'o} a registrar un incremento significativo en las temperaturas medias anuales. Un an{\'a}lisis reciente de la producci{\'o}n forrajera en un sitio del Desierto de Chihuahua demostr{\'o} una reducci{\'o}n de aproximadamente un 40\% en con respecto a valores de la d{\'e}cada del \’70. Se piensa, por lo tanto, que la sustentabilidad de los sistemas de cr{\'\i}a bovina de la regi{\'o}n depender{\'a} en parte del uso de recursos gen{\'e}ticos ganaderos que exhiban alto grado de adaptaci{\'o}n a las condiciones ambientales emergentes. Desde hace aproximadamente 10 a{\~n}os se estudia la factibilidad de utilizar el bovino Criollo Rar{\'a}muri, uno de 33 biotipos de ganado Criollo de las Am{\'e}ricas, criado a lo largo de 4 siglos en condiciones aisladas en las Sierras de Tarahumara por pueblos originarios del mismo nombre. En condiciones de pastoreo extensivo, vacas de este biotipo han demostrado patrones del uso del h{\'a}bitat y de tolerancia al calor superiores a los del ganado europeo o {\'\i}ndico com{\'u}nmente utilizado en la regi{\'o}n. An{\'a}lisis preliminares de ganancia de peso y calidad de carne sugieren que el bovino Criollo Rar{\'a}muri o sus cruzamientos podr{\'\i}an ser una herramienta para la producci{\'o}n sustentable de carne en la regi{\'o}n.

English translation:

Multiple climate models estimate that by the middle of the 21st century the climate in the south-west of the U.S. will become warmer (+ 2 to 5 oC), with a more variable precipitation regime (-10 to +8\%) causing more frequent droughts. These changes are expected to promote a drop in natural grassland forage production, more frequent situations of thermal stress, and increased incidence of ectoparasites creating new challenges for the region\&$\#$39;s livestock sector. The state of New Mexico has seen a significant drop in livestock stocks since the mid-1970s, at which point there began to be a significant increase in average annual temperatures. A recent analysis of forage production at a site in the Chihuahua Desert showed a reduction of approximately 40\% compared to values of the 1970s. It is therefore thought that the sustainability of bovine breeding systems in the region will depend in part on the use of livestock genetic resources that exhibit a high degree of adaptation to emerging environmental conditions. For approximately 10 years it has been studied the feasibility of using the cattle Criollo Rar{\'a}muri, one of 33 biotypes of Criollo cattle of the Americas, bred over 4 centuries under isolated conditions in the Sierras de Tarahumara by native peoples of the same name. Under extensive grazing conditions, cows of this biotype have demonstrated patterns of habitat use and heat tolerance higher than those of European or Indian livestock commonly used in the region. Preliminary analysis of weight gain and meat quality suggests that Criollo Rar{\'a}muri cattle or their crossings could be a tool for sustainable meat production in the region.

}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and S. Spiegal and S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Matthew M. McIntosh} } @proceedings {JRN54117, title = {Using goats and sheep to control juniper saplings: what we{\textquoteright}ve learned}, year = {2014}, month = {07/2014}, pages = {11-12}, publisher = {New Mexico State University}, address = {Corona, NM}, abstract = {

The primary findings and conclusions were synthesized from a series of papers published between 2006-2014 from studies conducted at CRLRC and the NMSU Campus Farm seeking to determine the feasibility of using sheep and goats to suppress oneseed juniper sapling encroachment. We found that protein supplements and polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be used to boost juniper intake of goats and sheep (especially goats) in all seasons except fall. Co-grazing of sheep and goats (approximately 50\% of each) at high stocking density was the grazing prescription that achieved highest juniper sapling utilization. Browsing of small saplings was most frequent in summer, whereas debarking of branches on taller saplings was the most common impact in spring. Browsing-induced sapling mortality was approximately 5\%; however, branch mortality due to debarking ranged from 13-22\%. We observed no adverse effects of this grazing treatment on understory herbaceous vegetation.

}, url = {/files/bibliography/14-031.pdf}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and S. A. Utsumi and Richard E. Estell} } @proceedings {49843, title = {Sustainable livestock production on rangelands: Emerging trends in the USA}, year = {2013}, month = {04/2013}, pages = {37-43}, address = {Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina}, abstract = {

A recent review of statistics published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization showed that global livestock numbers have increased steadily over the past 30 years.\  By 2030, livestock numbers in the developing world are expected to reach record highs that will surpass livestock population levels of the entire planet recorded at the turn of the 20th century while by native grassland areas worldwide are expected to shrink by more than 12 million hectares over the same time period.\  This predicted trend is likely to trigger a substantial increase in forage demand, placing unprecedented pressures on rangelands of developing nations.\  The review of FAO data also revealed that counter to global trends, livestock inventories of developed countries have tended to decrease over the same period.\  This phenomenon has been particularly evident on rangelands of the western US where management emphasis has shifted from heavy investments in land improvements (common until the 1970s) to systems characterized by low capital investment focused on optimizing efficiency of per-capita livestock production.\  Knowledge-intensive management approaches involving selection of livestock biotypes better adapted to arid environments, and development of geospatial technology that allow more precise manipulation of the ruminant/plant interface have emerged as a result of this trend.\  Nonetheless, expected increases in the price of oil and costs of agricultural crop production used as animal feed could dramatically change this scenario, augmenting the role fo rangelands as a source of forage for US livestock in the near future.\  Thus, development of strategies to increase sustainable herbivory of a broader array of native arid land forages (including woody plants) will most probably become a top priority shred by pastoral livestock systems of the developed and developing work alike.

}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-016.pdf}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Jerry L. Holechek and D.M. Anderson} } @proceedings {JRN52657, title = {Sustainable rangeland-based livestock production: A perspective on USA and global emerging trends}, year = {2013}, month = {10/2013}, pages = {79-85}, address = {Mexicali, Baja California}, abstract = {

A recent review of statistics published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization showed that global livestock numbers have increased steadily over the past 30 years. By 2030, livestock numbers in the developing world are expected to reach record highs that will surpass livestock population levels of the entire planet recorded at the turn of the 20th century while native grassland areas worldwide are expected to shrink by more than 12 million hectares over the same time period. This predicted trend is likely to trigger a substantial increase in forage demand, placing unprecedented pressures on rangelands of developing nations. The review of FAO data also revealed that counter to global trends, livestock inventories of developed countries have tended to decrease over the same period. This phenomenon has been particularly evident on rangelands of the western US where management emphasis has shifted from heavy investments in land improvements (common until the 1970s) to systems characterized by low capital investment focused on optimizing efficiency of per-capita livestock production. Knowledge-intensive management approaches involving selection of livestock biotypes better adapted to arid environments, and development of geospatial technology that allow more precise manipulation of the ruminant/plant interface have emerged as a result of this trend. Nonetheless, expected increases in the price of oil and costs of agricultural crop production used as animal feed could dramatically change this scenario, augmenting the role of rangelands as a source of forage for US livestock in the near future. Thus, development of strategies to increase sustainable herbivory of a broader array of native arid land forages (including woody plants) will most probably become a top priority shared by pastoral livestock systems of the developed and developing world alike.

}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-028.pdf}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Jerry L. Holechek and D.M. Anderson} } @conference {50086, title = {Influence of weather and animal related factors on grazing distribution of livestock}, booktitle = {62nd Society for Range Mangement Annual Meeting}, year = {2009}, month = {02/2009}, pages = {03-12}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Albuquerque, NM}, abstract = {

Automated monitoring of animal locations at relatively short time intervals has allowed new insights into how biotic and abiotic factors influence spatial distribution patterns of livestock. We will discuss recently completed and on-going grazing behavior studies using GPS/GIS approaches at sites in New Mexico (USA) and Argentina. These studies seek to determine the influence of weather and animal-related factors (reproductive state and stress coping style) on spatial distribution patterns of cattle and sheep at the scale of days and plant communities. Data from our New Mexico site showed that: a) ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, and short term thermal stress, were significant predictors of day-to-day plant community preference patterns of young cows; b) foraging decisions appeared to be influenced by ambient temperatures that were well within an cow\&$\#$39;s thermoneutral zone; c) animal physiological state (nursing vs. open non-nursing) had small and transient effects on day-to-day changes in plant community preference of cows; d) young calves appeared to impose very few constraints on their dams\&$\#$39; movement patterns; and e) groups of cows classified on the basis of stress coping styles (nervous vs. calm) exhibited different spatial use patterns. On-going research at three sites situated along a latitudinal environmental gradient in Argentina (from hot sub-humid to cold semi-desert) using similar GPS/GIS approaches to those currently being used in NM will also be discussed. NM-Argentina cross-site comparisons are expected to advance current understanding of the foraging decision process of rangeland-raised livestock.

}, keywords = {abstract, animal, GIS, GPS, grazing, monitoring, SRM}, author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Rubio, C.M. and Wesley, R.L. and M.K. Petersen and E.L. Fredrickson and M. A. Brizuela and Cid, M.S.} }