@article {JRN55325, title = {Quadrat-based monitoring of desert grassland vegetation at the Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, 1915-2016}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The data set covers a 101-year period (1915{\textendash}2016) of quadrat-based plant sampling at the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. At each sampling event, a pantograph was used to record the location and perimeter of living plants within permanent quadrats. Basal area was recorded for perennial grass species, canopy cover area was recorded for shrub species, and all other perennial species were recorded as point data. The data set includes 122 1 m by 1 m permanent quadrats, although not all quadrats were sampled in each year of the study and there is a gap in monitoring from 1980{\textendash}1995. These data provide a unique opportunity to investigate changes in the plant community over 100 years of variation in precipitation and other environmental conditions. We provide the following data and data formats: (1) the digitized maps in shapefile format; (2) data table containing coordinates (x,y) of perennial species within quadrats, including cover area for grasses and shrubs; (3) data table of counts of annual plant individuals per quadrat; (4) species list indicating growth form and habit of recorded species; (5) table of dates when each quadrat was sampled; (6) table of the pasture each quadrat was located within (note that pasture boundaries have changed over time); (7) table of depth to petrocalcic layer measurements taken at quadrat locations; (8) table of particle size analysis of soil samples taken at quadrat locations; (9) table of topographic characteristics of quadrat locations (e.g. concave or convex topography). Pantograph sampling is currently conducted at 5 year intervals by USDA-ARS staff, and new data will be added periodically to the EDI Data Portal Repository (see section V.E.2). This information is released under the Creative Commons license - Attribution - CC BY and the consumer of these data is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use.}, keywords = {arid grasslands, Chihuahuan Desert, long-term research, New Mexico, particle size analysis, plant community, plant populations, quadrat, rangeland, soil texture}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.3530}, url = {files/bibliography/21-041.pdf}, author = {Erica M. Christensen and D. K. James and A. L. Slaughter and Connie J. Maxwell and Peter B. Adler and Kris Havstad and Brandon T Bestelmeyer} } @article {JRN55137, title = {Climate change impacts on wind and water erosion on US rangelands}, journal = {Journal of Soil and Water Conservation}, volume = {74}, year = {2019}, month = {07/2019}, pages = {405-418}, chapter = {405}, abstract = {

Soil erosion by water and wind in US rangelands has serious implications for rangeland health, food security, and poses significant hazards to human health and communities. Accordingly, understanding how future climate change may impact soil erosion is critical for developing appropriate management strategies that mitigate negative impacts to the extent practical and potentially build resilience. Here, we review potential impacts of climate change on controls of erosion in US rangelands and discuss potential erosion responses. Projected climate changes are expected to have regionally variable effects on important controls of erosion, especially vegetation cover; community composition; frequency, magnitude, and geographical range of fire disturbance; and high intensity, erosive weather events, all of which have the potential to increase rangeland vulnerability to erosion. We identify knowledge gaps relevant to these controls and discuss management considerations to address climate change impacts to soil erosion concerns for US rangelands. We recommend using existing monitoring data to create assessments of vulnerability, that soil erosion should be explicitly included in management benchmarks and decision support tools, and that no-regrets management options be implemented in anticipation of future impacts, which can improve resilience and the efficacy of climate change adaptation.

}, keywords = {climate change, rangeland, soil erosion, water erosion, wind erosion}, doi = {doi.org/10.2489/jswc.74.4.405}, url = {files/bibliography/19-017.pdf}, author = {Brandon Edwards and Nicholas Webb and David A. Brown and Emile H. Elias and Dannele E. Peck and Frederick B. Pierson and Jason C. Williams and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @article {JRN54890, title = {Integrating space and time: A case for phenological context in grazing studies and management}, journal = {Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2018}, month = {03/2018}, pages = {44-56}, chapter = {44}, abstract = {

In water-limited landscapes, patterns in primary production are highly variable across space and time. Livestock grazing is a common agricultural practice worldwide and a concern is localized overuse of specific pasture resources that can exacerbate grass losses and soil erosion. On a research ranch in New Mexico (MAP = 217 mm), we demonstrate with a quantitative approach that annual seasons vary greatly and examine foraging patterns in Angus-Hereford (Bos taurus) cows. We define five seasonal stages based on MODIS NDVI: Pre-Greenup, Greenup, Peak Green, Drydown, and Dormant and examine livestock movements in 2008. Daily distance traveled by cows was greater and foraging area expanded during periods with higher precipitation. A regression model including minimum NDVI, rainfall, and NDVI*rainfall explained 81\% of the seasonal variation in distance traveled by cows (P \< 0.01). Cows explored a daily average 81.1 ha while foraging but tended to explore smaller areas as the pasture became greener (Greenup, Peak Green). Cows foraged an average 9.7 hours daily and spent more time foraging as pastures became greener. Our findings suggest that phenological context can expand the capacity to compare and integrate findings and facilitate meta-analyses of grazing studies conducted at different locations and times of year.

}, keywords = {GPS collars, Jornada Experimental Range, land-surface phnology, livestock movement, LTAR, MODIS NDVI, rangeland}, doi = {10.15302/j-FASE-2017193}, url = {files/bibliography/18-006.pdf}, author = {Dawn M. Browning and S. Spiegal and Richard E. Estell and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and H. Raul Peinetti} } @article {JRN54949, title = {Innovation in rangeland monitoring: annual, 30 m, plant functional type percent cover maps for U.S. rangelands, 1984{\textendash}2017}, journal = {Ecosphere}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {09/2018}, pages = {1-19}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Innovations in machine learning and cloud-based computing were merged with historical
remote sensing and field data to provide the first moderate resolution, annual, percent cover maps of plant
functional types across rangeland ecosystems to effectively and efficiently respond to pressing challenges
facing conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. We utilized the historical Landsat satellite
record, gridded meteorology, abiotic land surface data, and over 30,000 field plots within a Random
Forests model to predict per-pixel percent cover of annual forbs and grasses, perennial forbs and grasses,
shrubs, and bare ground over the western United States from 1984 to 2017. Results were validated using
three independent collections of plot-level measurements, and resulting maps display land cover variation
in response to changes in climate, disturbance, and management. The maps, which will be updated annually
at the end of each year, provide exciting opportunities to expand and improve rangeland conservation,
monitoring, and management. The data open new doors for scientific investigation at an unprecedented
blend of temporal fidelity, spatial resolution, and geographic scale.

}, keywords = {cloud computing, conservation, Google Earth Engine, grazing, land cover, landsat, machine learning, rangeland, remote sensing, Time series, wildfire}, doi = {doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2430}, url = {files/bibliography/18-021.pdf}, author = {Matthew O. Jones and Brady W. Allred and David E. Naugle and J. Maestas and Donnelly, Patrick and Loretta Metz and Jason W. Karl and Smith, Rob and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Chad S. Boyd and Kerby, Jay D. and McIver, James D.} } @article {JRN54475, title = {Incorporating hydrologic data and ecohydrologic relationships into ecological site descriptions}, journal = {Rangeland Ecology and Management}, volume = {69}, year = {2016}, month = {01/2016}, pages = {4-19}, chapter = {4}, abstract = {

The purpose of this paper is to recommend a framework and methodology for incorporating hydrologic data and ecohydrologic relationships in Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) and thereby enhance the utility of ESDs for assessing rangelands and guiding resilience-based management strategies. Resilience-based strategies assess and manage ecological state dynamics that affect state vulnerability and, therefore, provide opportunities to adapt management. Many rangelands are spatially heterogeneous or sparsely vegetated where the vegetation structure strongly influences infiltration and soil retention. Infiltration and soil retention further influence soil water recharge, nutrient availability, and overall plant productivity. These key ecohydrologic relationships govern the ecologic resilience of the various states and community phases on many rangeland ecological sites (ESs) and are strongly affected by management practices, land use, and disturbances. However, ecohydrologic data and relationships are often missing in ESDs and state-and-transition models (STMs). To address this void, we used literature to determine the data required for inclusion of key ecohydrologic feedbacks into ESDs, developed a framework and methodology for data integration within the current ESD structure, and applied the framework to a select ES for demonstrative purposes. We also evaluated the utility of the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) for assessment and enhancement of ESDs based in part on hydrologic function. We present the framework as a broadly applicable methodology for integrating ecohydrologic relationships and feedbacks into ESDs and resilience-based management strategies. Our proposed framework increases the utility of ESDs to assess rangelands, target conservation and restoration practices, and predict ecosystem responses management. The integration of RHEM technology and our suggested framework on ecohydrologic relations expands the ecological foundation of the overall ESD concept for rangeland management and is well aligned with resilience-based, adaptive management of US rangelands. The proposed enhancement of ESDs will improve communication between private land owners and resource managers and researchers across multiple disciplines in the field of rangeland management.

}, keywords = {adaptive management, ecological site, erosion, infiltration, monitoring, multiple stable states, rangeland, rangeland health, Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model, resilience, runoff state-and-transition models}, doi = {10.1016/j.rama.2015.10.001}, url = {/files/bibliography/16-001.pdf}, author = {Jason C. Williams and Frederick B. Pierson and K. Spaeth and Joel R. Brown and Al-Hamdan, Osama Z. and M.A. Weltz and Mark A. Nearing and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Boll, Jan and Robichaud, Peter R. and David C. Goodrich and Phil Heilman and Guertin, D. Phillip and Mariano Hernandez and Wei, Haiyan and Stuart P. Hardegree and Strand, Eva K. and Bates, Jonathan D. and Loretta Metz and M. H. Nichols} } @inbook {JRN52666, title = {Cross-site comparisons of precipitation and surface water chemistry}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {46-50}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {6}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

Measurements of pools and fluxes of transport or cycling of elements and compounds through the biotic and abiotic components provide critical information about the function of ecosystems. Because the time for a molecule to be completely transported through an ecosystem may be decades to millennia, long-term data provide one of the few means to estimate how ecosystems use and respond to changes in inputs of nutrients and toxic substances. This chapter tests two hypotheses related to patterns in biogeochemistry across sites: (1) patterns in atmospheric deposition over the past 20 years are different for the eastern and western parts of the U.S., and (2) changes in atmospheric deposition are related to changes in human population density for some sites. Long-term data, collected at multiple sites across the US, in chemical measurements in wet deposition, e.g., sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and ammonia emission data, and in human population size support both hypotheses.\  The results illustrate that the effects of human activities on biogeochemistry vary regionally and across the continent, and demonstrate that cross-site comparisons of long-term data can provide new insights into the spatial patterns of transport and cycling of elements and compounds.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-6.pdf}, author = {Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and John M Blair and Ariel E. Lugo and C. Laney and Debra C. Peters} } @inbook {JRN52673, title = {Management and policy implications of cross-and within-site, long-term studies}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {206-215}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {15}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter explains the implications long-term data bring to natural resource management and policy-making.\  It first explains the two perspectives of long-term data, then explains the values brought by the two perspectives to natural resource management.\  The two perspectives are retrospective and predictive:\  long-term data enable us to examine data retrospectively to identify temporal and spatial sensitivities, and to build these historical perspectives into predictive models where we can objectively evaluate potential future scenarios. The values are as follows.\  First, with the understandings gained by retrospectively examining the long-term data, the managers can develop data-based guidelines to direct the appropriate timing and application of management practices.\  Second, long term data provide the opportunity to evaluate policies and programs that have been implemented for resource conservation.\  The ability to evaluate environmental responses following policy implementation provides the data necessary to validate policies or may lead to their subsequent revision.\  Third, long term data collection provides the opportunity for clients, partners, and stakeholders to be engaged in scientific processes. These interactions create opportunities, not only for technology and information transfers, but for users to inform the science and its research directions.\  Fourth, the predictive models built based on long-term data can be used to estimate the effects of a variety of climatic and management scenarios and are critical to informed decision-making and effective communication between natural resource managers and policy makers.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-15.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad and Joel R. Brown} } @inbook {JRN52665, title = {Patterns of net primary production across sites}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {42-45}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {5}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

Net primary production (NPP) is a fundamentally important and commonly measured ecosystem process that provides an integrative estimate of energy capture and flow into systems, and consequently the energy available for use by other trophic levels. A wide range of productivity levels occurs globally with high temporal dynamics among sites. This chapter discusses approaches to estimating NPP, highlights site-specific trends in productivity, and provides examples of past synthetic analyses across space and time. In terrestrial ecosystems, aboveground NPP are commonly measured or estimated. In many sites, spatial variation in NPP among locations within a site can overwhelm temporal variation.\  In terms temporal patterns, at some sites clear temporal trends exist: NPP either increases or decreases with time; at other sites, strong interannual variations exist.\  Past synthetic analyses have provided key insights into the relative roles of biotic versus abiotic drivers of dynamics as well as elucidating where and when biogeochemical versus climatic factors underlie patterns of NPP across biomes.\  The chapter proposes four questions that can be addressed as long-term data sets at more sites become available.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-5.pdf}, author = {A. K. Knapp and M. D. Smith and Debra C. Peters and S.L. Collins} } @inbook {JRN52663, title = {History and organization of the EcoTrends project}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {21-27}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {2}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter describes the internal organization and timeline of the EcoTrends Project, from which the data and recommendations in the subsequent chapters are generated.\  The project began in 2004, and its organizational structure expanded over the next six years to include many activities and dozens of individuals from six major groups.\  The six major groups are the EcoTrends Project Office, the EcoTrends Editorial Committee, the EcoTrends Technical Committee, participating site scientists, information managers, and technical staff, the Long Term Ecological Research Network Office, and the EcoTrends Socioeconomic Working Group.\  The major activities occurred from 2004 to 2010, when this book is completed, are listed in the chapter.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-2.pdf}, author = {C. Laney and Debra C. Peters and Baker, K. S.} } @inbook {JRN52674, title = {Recommendations for data accessibility}, year = {2013}, pages = {216-225}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {16}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

The EcoTrends project has generated hundreds of standardized, documented datasets from many sites and scientific fields.\  During the process of generating data comparable between many sites and across several organizational networks, novel solutions to technical, organizational, and communication challenges have been created.\  This chapter presents ten recommendations for site-level information management and for future synthesis projects.\  The recommendations are related to three broad categories: (1) data management and products, (2) project design, and (3) information environments to support synthesis projects. For each recommendation, the chapter provides specific examples of the challenges that EcoTrends faced, the lessons learned, and then explains the recommendation that may help address the challenge in future projects.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-16.pdf}, author = {C. Laney and Baker, K. S. and Debra C. Peters and Ken Ramsey} } @inbook {JRN52664, title = {Cross-site comparisons of state-change dynamics}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {36-41}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {4}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

Changes in the state of a system, for example from grasslands to shrublands or from dominance by one fish species to another species, with associated changes in other parts of the system, are often irreversible. Most of these state changes bring forth negative impacts on ecosystem, resulting in altered levels of biodiversity, rates of nutrient cycling, changes in air and water quality, and increased losses of soil and nutrients by wind and water erosion.\  This chapter illustrated six examples of state changes in various types of ecosystems: vegetation state changes in deserts, penguin dynamics in Antarctica, fish dynamics in Wisconsin lakes, plankton dynamics in the Pacific Ocean, subtidal dynamics off Pacific Coast, and shifts in coastal fish assemblages in the Pacific Ocean.\  These examples clearly show the impact of global environmental change (warming, invasive species, altered trophic structure) on the abundance and distribution of dominant and subordinate species in aquatic, marine, and terrestrial systems. Because this era of rapid environmental change is only beginning to be manifest in species responses, long-term data will continue to be needed to quantify and predict the non-linear system responses that are likely to occur in the future.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-4.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and William R. Fraser and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman and Andrew Rassweiler and Sally J. Holbrook and Russell J. Schmitt} } @inbook {JRN52667, title = {Disturbance regimes and ecological responses across sites}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {58-71}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {9}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

Disturbances affect ecosystems in almost limitless ways. The effects of disturbances extend beyond the initial impacts that are usually visible to the human eye. Therefore, for many disturbances long-term data are needed to unravel their effects.\  This chapter first presents characteristics of disturbances for each of four major classes of disturbance: climatic, physical, biotic, and anthropogenic.\  It then discusses ecosystem responses by disturbance class.\  For climatic disturbances, ecosystem responses to hurricanes, drought, and global warming are discussed; for physical disturbances, wildfire on land and wave height in ocean; for biotic disturbance, herbivores feeding on lower tropic levels, invasive species, and a plant disease; for anthropogenic disturbance, changes in land use patterns.\  These long-term records of ecosystem responses to disturbance illustrate the complexity of disturbance effects. Ecosystem responses are influenced by multiple disturbances and interactions with other factors, which make it very difficult to attribute cause and effect. Clearly large-scale, multiple-site experiments are needed to further unravel the relationships between particular disturbance events and ecosystem responses.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-9.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and Ariel E. Lugo and F.S. Chapin III and Tepley, A. J. and F. J. Swanson} } @inbook {JRN52675, title = {Long-term research across sites, ecosystems, and disciplines: synthesis and research needs}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {226-233}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {17}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

The EcoTrends Project is one of the first attempts to standardize, simplify, integrate, and visualize data from diverse terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems to promote understanding and synthesis by a broad audience. This chapter discusses key scientific results from this project, describes developing conceptual and operational frameworks for cross-site synthesis, and provides recommendations for future research. Key results are: mean air temperature has increased at 24 sites, and annual precipitation has increased at 9 sites with no obvious spatial distribution in either climate variable. Trends in atmospheric chemistry show clear patterns across the continent with reduced deposition of nitrate and sulfate in precipitation through time in the eastern U.S. compared with the West. Patterns in stream water chemistry across sites do not reflect broad-scale patterns in atmospheric chemistry; thus local conditions have strong influences on chemical inputs to and losses from streams. Human population density has increased at all sites, although at different rates. Biotic data are often idiosyncratic in that they reflect high spatial and temporal variability inherent in biological phenomenon.\  It is proposed that cross-site synthesis studies should integrate three aspects of ecological research: depth (individual sites being studied in great detail), length (data being collected over long periods), and breadth (phenomena being studied across broad spatial extents).\  The strongest recommendation for future research is to make data and associated metadata easily accessible to and usable by others.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-17.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters} } @inbook {JRN52669, title = {Long-term trends in climate and climate-related drivers}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {81-114}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {11}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter shows long-term data and trends in climate and climate-related drivers for each site.\  It contains a brief introduction to the topic, and methods of measurements, selection of variables, and their data source. It consists primarily of a large number of figures showing long-term data for different variables.\  On land, air temperature (mean, minimum, and maximum), precipitation, Palmer Drought Severity Index, and Walter-Lieth climate diagrams are selected.\  In water, streamflow, sea level, ice duration, water clarity, and water temperature are selected.\  Two types of graphs are included to show trends in the variables and to provide a sense of change across a range of spatial scales (continent, site) for each variable: maps at continental scale showing either the mean across years or the slope of the regression line (if significant) across time, and site-scale data through time.\  Air temperatures are increasing in at least one variable (minimum, mean, maximum) for 27 of the 50 sites.\  Sea level is increasing at all 11 coastal sites.\  Observing these trends in climate across multiple ecosystems across continents is only possible with spatially extensive, long-term data collection and analysis, such as provided by the EcoTrends Project.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-11.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman} } @book {JRN52662, title = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {378}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

The Eco Trends Editorial Committee sorted through vast amounts of historical and ongoing data from 50 ecological sites in the continental United States including Alaska, several islands, and Antarctica to present in a logical format the variables commonly collected.\  This report presents a subset of data and variables from these sites and illustrates through detailed examples the value of comparing long-term data from different ecosystem types. This work provides cross-site comparisons of ecological responses to global change drivers, as well as long-term trends in global change drivers and responses at site and continetal scales.\  Site descriptions and detailed data also are provided in the appendix sections.

\⇒ This book is available for download (PDF format) below

\⇒ Available from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/indexpubs.html

\⇒ Copies may be purchased in various formats (microfiche, photocopy, CD, print on demand) from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, 800-553-6847, www.ntis.gov

Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change\  (download PDF - 313 MB)

Download the book in PDF in it\&$\#$39;s entirety (above) or by section (below)

Contents

Introduction to Cross-Site Comparisons and History and Organization of the EcoTrends Project\  (8.29 MB)

Cross-Site Comparisons of Ecological Responses to Global Change Drivers\  (21.8 MB)


Long-Term Trends in Global Change Drivers and Responses at Site and Continental Scales\  (197 MB)


Appendices \& Index\  (79 MB)

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029 Bk.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman and R. B. Waide and Jin Yao} } @inbook {JRN52676, title = {Long-term trends in ecological systems: An introduction to cross-site comparisons and relevance to global change studies}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {1-20}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {1}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter explains the importance of long-term data to ecological studies and the needs of creating a way to provide accessible and comparable multi-site long-term data. The Earth{\textquoteright}s environment is changing in many ways at local, regional, and global scales. Dramatic changes have occurred in climate, land cover, and habitat availability over the past several centuries. Long-term data (\> 10 years) are needed to assess the rate and direction of change, to distinguish directional trends in these changes (e.g., persistent increases or decreases) from short-term variability (e.g., multi-year cycles), and to forecast environmental conditions in the future.\  It also sets up the stage for the rest of the chapters in the book, presenting the purposes, audience and practical applications of the book, explaining how the study sites, variables, and data sets are selected, and how the data are presented and analyzed, and laying out the organization of the book.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-1.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman and R. B. Waide and Jin Yao} } @inbook {JRN52671, title = {Long-term trends in human demography and economy across sites}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {162-190}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {13}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter shows long-term data and trends in human demography and economy for each site.\  It contains a brief introduction to the topic, and methods of measurements, selection of variables, and their data source. It consists primarily of a large number of figures showing long-term data for different variables.\  Total population, the percentage of the population living in urban areas, and the density of people in the counties associated with each site are selected.\  Four economic variables fore each focal county of a site are also selected: the percentage of the population employed by one of four economic sectors: commercial industries, farming, manufacturing, and service industries.\  Two types of graphs are included to show change through time across a range of spatial scale for each variable: maps of continental scale showing either the \% change in total population for four time periods (1800 to 1850; 1850 to 1900, 1900 to 1950, 1950 to 2000) or the \% of the population that was urban in each of four time periods (1850, 1900, 1950, 2000); and maps and graphs showing site-scale data through time. The settlement of the country occurred from the east coast and then to the west coast by 1900, and then to the interior between 1900 and 1950. Losses of population in the Midwest occurred between 1950 and 2000. Most areas of the country had a high percentage of urban population by 1950. Urbanization continued for most of the country until 2000 with the Northeast, Appalachian Mountains, and northern Wisconsin providing notable exceptions.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-13.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman} } @inbook {JRN52670, title = {Long-term trends in precipitation and surface water chemistry}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {115-161}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {12}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter shows long-term data and trends in precipitation and surface water chemistry for each site.\  It contains a brief introduction to the topic, and methods of measurements, selection of variables, and their data source. It consists primarily of a large number of figures showing long-term data for different variables.\  Volume-weighted concentration (mg/L) and area-based wet deposition (kg/ha) from precipitation, and concentration in surface water (mg/L) of nitrogen (as nitrate and ammonium), sulfur (as sulfate), chloride, and calcium are selected.\  Two types of graphs are included to show trends in the variables and to provide a sense of change across a range of spatial scales (continent, site) for each variable: maps at continental scale showing either the mean across years or the slope of the regression line (if significant) across time, and site-scale data through time.\  Nitrate and sulfate deposition are decreasing in many Eastern sites, consistent with efforts to control emissions of acid-causing nitrogen and sulfur from power plants in this part of the country.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-12.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman} } @inbook {JRN52672, title = {Long-term trends in production, abundance, and richness of plants and animals}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {191-205}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {14}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

This chapter shows long-term data and trends in production, abundance, and richness of plants and animals for each site.\  It contains a brief introduction to the topic, and methods of measurements, selection of variables, and their data source. It consists primarily of a large number of figures showing long-term data for different variables.\  Net primary production, plant biomass and species richness, animal abundance and species richness are selected.\  Figure of site-scale data through time of each variable is shown, and a regression line is shown if the relationship is significant and the trend appears linear.\  The site graphs are shown on a continental map with similar sites to allow comparison among sites.\  At many sites, multiple locations are sampled for plant and animal dynamics. The large within-site variability in responses often overwhelms trends through time.\  Although plant response variables of ANPP, richness, and biomass are sampled for most sites to allow cross-site comparisons, animal response variables are more variable among sites with fewer comparable groups. These results indicate that each site selects representative trophic groups from the local ecosystems, instead of attempting to standardize across sites.\  The length of the time series also varies across sites which further complicates cross-site comparisons.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-14.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and C. Laney and Ariel E. Lugo and S.L. Collins and Charles T. Driscoll and Peter M. Groffman and Grove, J. Morgan and A. K. Knapp and T. K. Kratz and Mark D. Ohman} } @inbook {JRN52668, title = {Cross-site studies "by design:" Experiments and observations that provide new insights}, booktitle = {Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change}, year = {2013}, pages = {72-80}, publisher = {National Technical Information Services}, organization = {National Technical Information Services}, chapter = {10}, address = {Springfield, Virginia}, abstract = {

The cross-site comparisons presented in the previous chapters are all conducted after the individual studies are completed.\  The differences in experimental design in individual studies in a posteriori cross-site studies limit the scope of questions that can be addressed, and the powerfulness and confidence in the conclusions.\  This chapter describes cross-site studies that are {\textquotedblleft}by design{\textquotedblright} where the questions, experimental layout, methods, and measurements included multiple sites from the beginning. These a priori cross-site studies provide powerful tools to understand the phenomenon of global change and to predict its impacts on ecosystems and society. Two types of a priori cross-site studies are described: (1) experimental manipulations of drivers or system properties, and (2) observations or monitoring of natural or managed ecosystems located along environmental gradients. Within each type, examples of both on-going or completed experiments and new or developing experiments are presented.\  For each example, insights that would not have been obtained with other approaches are also presented. The limitations and difficulties of this type of studies are listed.

}, keywords = {atmospheric chemistry, climate change, cross-site comparisons, disturbance, ecological response, ecology, ecosystem, EcoTrends, experimental forests, global change, human demography, human population growth, Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), long-term datasets, precipitation, rangeland, rangeland research stations, surface water chemistry}, url = {/files/bibliography/13-029-10.pdf}, author = {Jin Yao and O. E. Sala and Debra C. Peters} } @article {JRN54552, title = {Effect of supplementing activated charcoal on the intake of honey mesquite leaves by lambs}, journal = {Journal of Animal Science}, volume = {90 (Suppl. 3) }, year = {2012}, month = {07/2012}, chapter = {p. 148}, abstract = {A study was conducted to determine if intake of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.) leaves by sheep could be increased by supplementing activated charcoal at 0.0, 0.33, 0.67 or 1.00 g / kg of body weight. Twenty wether lambs (36.6 {\textpm} 0.6 kg) were randomly assigned to the 4 treatment levels. Lambs were fed low-quality Sudan-grass hay at 2\% of BW plus 80 g/d of molasses for 7 d, and Sudan-grass hay at 1.9\% of BW plus 80 g/d of molasses mixed with the assigned level of activated charcoal for 16 d (d 8 to 23). On d 8 to 23, lambs were also given ad libitum access to honey mesquite leaves that had been previously harvested, frozen, and thawed immediately before feeding. Repeated measures analyses were used to determine if level of activated charcoal fed to lambs affected daily intake of mesquite leaves. No differences (P = 0.52) in intake of mesquite leaves were detected. Mean intake of mesquite leaves was 20.7 {\textpm} 3.7, 23.8 {\textpm} 3.8, 20.2 {\textpm} 3.7, and 27.3 {\textpm} 3.7 g/d for 0.0, 0.33, 0.67 and 1.0 treatment levels, respectively. Consumption of mesquite leaves varied greatly among lambs, ranging from 1.4 to 7.4\% of their diet during the last 8 d of the study. No differences in hay intake (P = 0.23) or lamb weight gain (P = 0.58) were detected among supplemental charcoal treatments. Future studies examining the consumption of honey mesquite leaves by sheep should consider the potential variability in intake among individual animals.}, keywords = {rangeland, secondary compounds, sheep}, url = {files/bibliography/12-JAS-Mayagoitia-Gonzalez.pdf}, author = {P. E. Mayagoitia-Gonzalez and C. Donovan Bailey and Richard E. Estell} } @inbook {49929, title = {Landscape approaches to rangeland conservation practices}, booktitle = {Conservation Benefits of Rangeland Practices: Assessment, Recommendations, and Knowledge Gaps}, year = {2011}, pages = {337-370}, publisher = {Allen Press}, organization = {Allen Press}, chapter = {8}, address = {Lawrence, KS}, abstract = {Our review indicates that landscape perspectives are needed to ensure the long-term success conservation practices in rangelands. We recommend that conservation practitioners consider several scales of spatial pattern and related spatial processes, including cumulative effects, each time a practice is applied. A large body of literature supports the utility of a landscape perspective. The core concepts include spatial heterogeneity, spatial pattern, and spatial scaling. Spatial heterogeneity is used to understand why a practice succeeds or fails in different areas. Spatial heterogeneity can also be a primary goal of practices. Spatial patterns are used to indicate critical processes that are not reflected in other measures, such as connectivity for wildlife movement or runoff and erosion potential. Patterns too can be a conservation objective. Spatial scaling is used to understand the dimensions of the land area over which spatial interactions link practices in one place to effects in other places, and conversely, how characteristics of the landscape affect the local success of a practice. The concepts are increasingly being connected to practical tools that can be used by planners. The tools can be used both to help design practices and to design the monitoring programs that evaluate their effects.\  A spatial hierarchy focuses attention on the data needed at each spatial scale governing ecological processes of interest. In order of decreasing scale, major land resource areas, soil geomorphic systems, watersheds, ecological sites, states or plant communities, and patches each relate to processes governing the management of rangelands. Furthermore, consideration of societal information such as land ownership is usually needed at broad scales. Each of these data sources can be consulted in a systematic way, which we described in nine steps, to design and evaluate practices in a landscape. While some of the tools are already used by conservation planners, the development of others will require a scientific and institutional investment by the federal government and support by universities and other science providers. Spatial data information systems should be developed that link maps, models, and pattern-based metrics to support planning and monitoring design. Databases are needed to house the resulting data alongside information on their landscape context. The interpretations of these data should be linked to ESDs. Foremost, we must invest in training and research to instill an understanding of the concepts and a capacity for reasoning about landscape processes. We suspect that such investments would pay for themselves, and then some, by improving conservation effectiveness in the millions of acres of rangelands that will be treated in years to come.}, keywords = {book, chapter, conservation practices, landscape approaches, rangeland, report}, isbn = {978-0-9849499-0-8}, url = {/files/bibliography/11-035.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Wu, X.B. and Joel R. Brown and S. Fuhlendorf and G. Fults}, editor = {D.D. Briske} } @proceedings {49947, title = {Are we ready for the (range)land revolution?}, year = {2011}, month = {04/2011}, address = {Rosario, Argentina}, abstract = {

Rangeland scientists have a tremendous amount of knowledge that could ensure that the transition from livestock production to other land uses is as sustainable as possible, while maintaining livestock production systems where they are the most biophysically, socially, culturally and economically sustainable option. The rate and extent of these land use changes, however, will require a new approach to our science and how we communicate it. We can increase our ability to contribute to the future management of these lands through (1) increased awareness of global social, economic, and technological trends, (2) research and modeling that anticipate the potential effects of large-scale changes in land cover and land use on ecosystem services across a wide variety of soils, landforms and climate conditions, and (3) dramatically increased communication and collaboration with the disciplines and sectors of society responsible for managing the new land uses.

}, keywords = {rangeland}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and S. Andrews and Baldi, G. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown and J. Davis and Danielle Duni and Kris Havstad and Debra C. Peters and Quinton, J. N. and C. Riginos and P. L. Shaver and Diego Steinaker and Twomlow, S.} } @inbook {50101, title = {The western United States rangelands, a major resource}, booktitle = {Grassland, Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture}, year = {2009}, month = {June 2009}, chapter = {Chapter 5}, abstract = {Rangeland is a type of land found predominantly in arid and semiarid regions, and managed as a natural ecosystem supporting vegetation of grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs. There are approximately 761 m ac of rangeland in the United States, about 31\% of the total land area. This land type is characterized by 4 features: 1) limited by water and nutrients, primarily nitrogen (N), 2) annual production is characterized by tremendous temporal and spatial variability, 3) a nested landscape of public and private ownership, and 4) throughout their history of use these lands have been uniquely coupled systems of both people and nature. In the U.S. Department of Agriculture{\textquoteright}s 1948 Yearbook of Agriculture, the chapter on rangelands focused on a description of these lands occurring by region across the western United States, and the principles, developed mostly in the early 20th century, to manage these lands to provide the provisioning services of food and fiber through livestock grazing. In the last 60 years, these western rangelands have undergone a transformation as the U.S. population has grown to over 300 million and relocated to urban areas within the western and southwestern states. This population dynamic, along with tremendous changes in agricultural production and a reduction in the population involved in agriculture have resulted in significant changes in the uses and emphases placed upon these western lands. This land type is now often looked to provide a multitude of goods and services not only to rural populations, but also to tens of millions of people in large urban areas located within these rangelands. In this chapter it is our intent to reflect on the extent and nature of this transformation over the last 60 years. We start with a description of this human dynamic, and its sociological implications. We describe the major regions of the western continental U.S., the focal point of U.S. rangelands.}, keywords = {natural, rangeland, resource, western U.S.}, url = {/files/bibliography/09-011.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad and Debra C. Peters and Allen-Diaz, B. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and D.D. Briske and Joel R. Brown and M. Brunson and Jeffrey E. Herrick and P. Johnson and L. A. Joyce and Pieper, Rex D. and Svejcar, A.J. and Jin Yao and James Bartolome and Lynn Huntsinger} } @conference {50105, title = {Prioritizing rangeland research and restoration based on societal outcomes}, booktitle = {62nd Society for Range Management Annual Meeting}, year = {2009}, month = {02/2009}, pages = {05-2}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Alb., NM}, abstract = {

Rangeland ecological research is generally driven by interest in a particular pattern, process or organism, by a desire to maximize a particular ecosystem service (such as livestock production) at a specific location, or by an interest in the effects of a particular management system on soils, vegetation or wildlife. Government managers and policymakers responsible for making the most effective use of funding to improve rangeland management are often required to base their decisions on science, but existing science is often inaccessible or irrelevant. It is also often presented in a form that makes it difficult to determine its relevance to management of a particular location. We propose a framework for increasing the relevance of science to policy and management, and the role of scientists in providing feedback to policymakers on how to increase the effectiveness of government programs that are designed to improve rangeland management. The framework consists of two components. The first is an ecological site-based system for prioritizing rangeland research, and for increasing the ability of managers to access and interpret relevant research results. This component includes a proposal for the adoption of a minimum set of required metadata for journal publications. The second component is designed to increase the quality and quantity of monitoring data collected in association with the implementation of conservation programs, and to increase the involvement of scientists in the interpretation of these data. We will conclude with a discussion of the benefits, costs and potential risks associated with adopting this framework.

}, keywords = {abstract, ecosystem, rangeland, SRM}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and Thompson, D. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown and Kris Havstad} } @article {50185, title = {Does drought control emergence and survival of grass seedlings in semi-arid rangelands? An example with a Patagonian species}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {72}, year = {2008}, note = {//OTHER//OTHER//entered 06/02/2008 per DEP}, month = {2008}, pages = {161-174}, keywords = {article, drought, grass seedling, grass seedling, emergence, grass seedling, survival, journal, rangeland}, author = {Cipriotti, P. A. and P. Flombaum and O. E. Sala and M. Aguiar} } @article {50222, title = {Mongolia{\textquoteright} s rangelands: Is livestock production the key to the future?}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment}, volume = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {September 2008}, pages = {386-391}, abstract = {Approximately half of the world{\textquoteright}s land areas is rangeland. Over 1.5 billion people live on or immediately adjacent to this land type. Common to these rangelands are over 1 billion domesticated animals, primarily cattle, sheep and goats that are managed by pastoralists. The ruminant digestive system common to these livestock species evolved over 20 million years ago and is a mutualistic digestive system that break cellulose bonds to free masses of metabolizable energy present it the nature and introduced forages of these rangelands. Approximately 10\% of eh world{\textquoteright}s population are pastoralists, and many of these people live at poverty levels. However, these landscapes can also provide additional goods and services other than food and fiber. This manuscript is a viewpoint article that debates the capacity of pastoralists, specifically those in Mongolia, to develop other goods and services in order to increase their standard of living while maintaining a sustained capacity to produce food and fiber A key need for managing a diverse set of goods and services form any landscape, including grasslands, of Mongolia, is knowledge of the values of alternative ecosystem services and their resulting economic opportunities. This knowledge is unavailable at this time except for a few services with market opportunities.}, keywords = {future, journal, livestock, Mongolia, rangeland}, url = {/files/bibliography/08-035.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Tseelei, E.A.} } @article {50282, title = {Ecosystem services and western U.S. rangelands}, volume = {23}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, note = {//OTHER//LTER V//entered 06/29/2009; pdf available}, month = {2008}, pages = {37-41}, publisher = {American Agricultural Economics Association}, abstract = {

Rangelands are expansive, unimproved lands located in arid or semi{\textendash}arid regions, spanning a variety of landscapes including savannahs, high and low altitude deserts, mountain meadows, and tundra. Rangelands are generally unsuitable for crop production due to aridity, topography, and extreme temperatures. Rangelands support varying mixtures of native and nonnative grasses, grass{\textendash}like plants, forbs, or shrubs which provide forage for free{\textendash}ranging native and domestic animals (Stoddart, Smith and Box, 1975). There are more than 760 million acres of rangelands in the United States, including Alaska, comprising 33\% of the nation{\textquoteright}s total land base (USDA{\textendash}USFS, 1989a). While exact determinations are unavailable, it is estimated that more than 50\% of U.S. rangelands are privately owned, 43\% are owned by the federal government, with the remainder owned by state and local governments (National Research Council, 1994). Approximately 262 million acres of U.S. rangelands are controlled by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and leased to private individuals for the purpose of land{\textendash}extensive livestock grazing (CAST, 1996). Many more acres of rangelands in the 11 western states are controlled by state or local government agencies and leased for livestock grazing,\  with all these states having a high degree of intermingled public and private ownership of rangelands.

}, keywords = {article, carbon credits, carbon sequestration, ecosystem services, magagine, rangeland}, url = {files/bibliography/JRN00497.pdf}, author = {R. K. Skaggs} } @conference {50335, title = {Ecosystem Services from U.S. Rangelands: A Synthesis}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts}, year = {2007}, abstract = {The over 300 million ha of public and private rangelands in the United States are characterized by low and variable precipitation, nutrient-poor soils, and high spatial and temporal variability in plant production. This land type has provided a variety of goods and services, with the provisioning of food and fiber dominating through much of the 20th century. More recently, food production from a rangeland-based livestock industry is often pressured for a variety of reasons, including poor economic returns, increased regulations, an aging rural population, residential development, and increasingly diverse interests of land owners. A shift to other provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services is occurring with important implications for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and conservation incentives. There are numerous goods and services possible from rangelands that can supply societal demands such as clean water and a safe food supply. The use of ecologically-based principles of land management remains at the core of the ability of private land owners and public land managers to provide these existing and emerging services. We suggest that expectations need to be based on a thorough understanding of the diverse potentials of these lands and their inherent limits. A critical provisioning service to rangelands will be management practices that either maintain ecological functions or that restores functions to systems that have been substantially degraded over past decades. With proper incentives and economic benefits, rangelands, in the U.S. or globally, can be expected to provide both historical provisioning and more unique goods and services in a sustainable fashion, albeit in different proportions than in the past.}, keywords = {ecosystem, rangeland}, author = {Kris Havstad} } @conference {50341, title = {New frontiers for ecosystem services}, booktitle = {60th Annual Meetings and Trade Show, Society for Range Management}, year = {2007}, month = {February 9, 2007}, pages = {Paper No. 188}, address = {Reno/Sparks, NV}, abstract = {The over 300 million ha of public and private rangelands in the United States are characterized by low and variable precipitation, nutrient-poor soils, and high spatial and temporal variability in plant production. This land type has provided a variety of goods and services, with the provisioning of food and fiber dominating through much of the 20th Century. More recently, food production from a rangeland-based livestock industry is often pressured for a variety of reasons, including poor economic returns, increased regulations, an aging rural population, residential development, and increasingly diverse interests of land owners. A shift to other provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services is occurring with important implications for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and conservation incentives. There are numerous goods and services possible from rangelands that can supply societal demands such as clean water and a safe food supply. The use of ecologically-based principles of land management remains at the core of the ability of private land owners and public land managers to provide these existing and emerging services. We suggest that expectations need to be based on a thorough understanding of the diverse potentials of these lands and their inherent limits. With proper incentives and economic benefits, rangelands, in the U.S. or globally, can be expected to provide both historical provisioning and more unique goods and services in a sustainable fashion, albeit in different proportions than in the past.}, keywords = {precipitation, private, public, rangeland}, author = {Kris Havstad} } @conference {50348, title = {Science-based integrated assessment and monitoring of OHV effects on soils and vegetation}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management, 60th Annual Meeting and Trade Show}, year = {2007}, month = {02/09/2007}, pages = {Paper. No. 195}, address = {Reno/Sparks, NV}, abstract = {Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) negatively affect multiple rangeland ecosystem services by modifying soil structure and plant community composition, structure, and productivity. They can introduce invasive species, and increase runoff, soil erosion and plant mortiality. The extent to which long-term degradation occurs depends on the type, timing and intensity of distrubances, and on degradation resistance and recovery potential. As OHV activity increases, limited management must be focused on those areas where OHVs are having the greatest impacts, and where these impacts can be cost-effectively prevented or mitigated. Systematic protocols are required to identify and prioritize OHV impacted areas. We are developing a science-based integrated strategy for identifying, assessing, and monitoring OHV effects on fundamental soil and vegetation attributes on which nearly all ecosystem services depend. This strategy includes four elements. (1) Landscape stratification based on ecological potential. (2) Identification of appropriate assessment and monitoring scales based on the scale of the impacts relative to the scale of soil and vegetation variability. (3) Assessment of current status relative to ecological potential and possible thresholds. (4) Selection of appropriate monitoring indicators based on quantitative relationships between these indicators and critical ecosystem services for different types of soil and vegetation. The forth element shows that OHV tracks dramatically reduce infiltration on some soils and plant species but have virtually no effect on others. For thsoe soils and plant communities where infiltration is affected, recovery rates also vary significantly.}, keywords = {ecosystem, off-highway vehicles, OHV, rangeland, soils, vegetation}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and D.A. Pyke and Danielle Duni} } @conference {50372, title = {Genetic diversity studies of Bouteloua eriopoda (Black grama grass) in southern New Mexico: Spatial and temporal variations}, booktitle = {American Society of Plant Biologists}, year = {2007}, month = {July 7-11, 2007}, address = {Chicago, IL}, abstract = {Bouteloua eriopoda (black grama grass) is a drought-tolerant, C4, warm-season grass, native to the southwestern region of the United States and Mexico. Its nutritive properties and late dormancy (it maintains green stems well into winter) make it very good forage for livestock in the region. However, black grama appears to be very susceptible to rangeland disturbances, including overgrazing, severe drought, and human activity, and its overall abundance has decreased sharply in the last 50-100 years. This decline, along with its predicted lifespan (30-40 years), anecdotally low seedling establishment rate, and ability to reproduce clonally by stolons, may have lead to low genetic variability, causing a decreased ability to adapt to disturbances and potential climate change. In the work presented, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was performed on two populations of B. eriopoda in south central New Mexico, collected from the Jornada Experimental Range (Dona Ana County) and the Otero Mesa Grasslands (Otero County) to help measure the extent of genetic diversity within and across these populations. Ten additional black grama herbarium samples dating from the 1920s to the 1990s were also tested in an attempt to measure loss of genetic diversity. Our results show that black grama grass appears to have the genetic variability of an outcrossing grass. Data will also be presented that measure the genetic distances, differences, and similarities between the spatial and temporal populations.}, keywords = {black grama grass, Bouteloua eriopoda, grass, overgrazing, rangeland, southwestern}, author = {Potenza, C.L. and A. L. Slaughter and Yeater, K.M. and J.R. Barrow} } @article {50417, title = {Soil-Geomorphic Heterogeneity Governs Patchy Vegetation Dynamics at an Arid Ecotone}, journal = {Ecology}, volume = {87}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {April 2006}, pages = {963-973}, abstract = {

Soil properties are well known to affect vegetation, but the role of soil heterogeneity in the patterning of vegetation dynamics is poorly documented. We asked whether the location of an ecotone separating grass-dominated and sparsely-vegetated areas reflected only historical variation in degradation or was related to variation in inherent soil properties. We then asked whether changes in the cover and spatial organization of vegetated and bare patches assessed using repeat aerial photography reflected self-organizing dynamics unrelated to soil variation or the stable patterning of soil variation. We found that the present-day ecotone was related to a shift from more weakly to more strongly developed soils. Parts of the ecotone were stable for over 60 year, but shifts between bare and vegetated states, as well as persistently vegetated and bare states, occurred largely in small (\<40 m2) patches throughout the study area. The probability that patches were presently vegetated or bare, as well as the probability that vegetation persisted and/or established over the 60 year period, was negatively related to surface calcium caronate and positively related to subsurface clay content. Thus, only a fraction of the landscape was susceptible to vegetation change and the sparesely-vegetated area likely featured a higher frequency of susceptible soil patches. Patch dynamics and self-organizing processes can be constrained by subtle (and often unrecognized) soil heterogeneity.

}, keywords = {autocorrelation, Chihuahuan Desert, patch dynamics, rangeland, self-organization, state-and-transition model, threshold}, doi = {10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[963:SHGPVD]2.0.CO;2}, url = {/files/bibliography/06-015.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and J.P. Ward and Kris Havstad} } @conference {50425, title = {Knowledge Gaps in Assess and Predicting Grazing System Performance: Art or Science?}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management 59th Annual Meeting}, year = {2006}, month = {February 12-17, }, pages = {50}, address = {Vancouver, British Columbia}, abstract = {The adoption of research techniques associated with tame pastures has improved the community scale understanding of rangeland grazing systems. While our undertanding of grazing behavior, diet selection and intake has benefited by a more intensive approach, there is little evidence that livestock performance is improved by any rest/rotation scheme compared with continuous moderate stocking. Likewise, individual and community-based investigations of plant response to defoliation have increased our understanding of the physiological and morphological basis for changes in species composition. The result is we have a solid understanding of soil, plant, and animal responses to grazing systems at the community scale, and have developed from that understanding a predictive capacity as the basis for management decisions. That understanding has not translated into a widespread improvement in management outcomes attributable to the grazing system per se. However, many advisors and practitioners continue to insist that grazing systems have achieved miraculous economic, ecological, and social results. Perhaps this incongruity stems from lack of quantification of how management changes with adoption and how a more intensive grazing system might directly enhance (or improve perception of) productivity or the environment. In spite of our science, beauty remains in the eye of the beholder. We suggest that a more meaningful approach to compare grazing schemes might be in terms of competing technologies, such as adoption rate, success/failure rate, implementation cost, and change in management effort and lifestyle. From a physical science perspective, what is their impact on variables such as water and soil quality and biological diversity at landscape and watershed scales where quantifiable public, rather than private, benefits accrue? While each practitioner may be an artist, the value of grazing systems can best be assessed and predicted by our profession using improved science at large scales with attributes more in the public interest.}, keywords = {grazing, rangeland, tame pastures}, author = {Joel R. Brown and A.J. Ash} } @article {50460, title = {Arid and Semiarid Rangeland Monitoring in North America}, journal = {Secheresse}, volume = {17}, number = {1-2}, year = {2006}, month = {September 2006}, pages = {235-241}, abstract = {Canada, the United States and Mexico all have a long history of rangeland monitoring. However none have developed a nationwide database or even standardized set of protocols. The lack of standardization, inadequately developed relationships between management objectives and monitoring protocols, and an emphasis on data collection rather than analysis and interpretation have limited the value of past monitoring efforts. The future of monitoring is bright in all three countries. New policies reward ranchers who can document positive changes on their land. Non-equilibrium theory developed in Europe, Africa, Australia and North America increase the value of monitoring data. New protocols increasingly focus monitoring on ecological processes.}, keywords = {arid, arid zone, data base, monitoring, rangeland, rangelands, semi-arid}, url = {/files/bibliography/06-033.pdf}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and Moya, E.G. and Walter Willms and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Sundt, P. and Barnes, W.} } @article {50493, title = {Islands of hydrologically enhanced biotic productivity in natural and managed arid ecosystems}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {65}, year = {2006}, month = {April 1, 2006}, pages = {235-252}, abstract = {

The objective of this paper is to examine the spatial variability of islands of enhanced hydrologic
activity and its application to remediation of degraded arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Factors
causing high spatial variability of water in arid regions include precipitation, soil, physiography, and
vegetation. Inherent heterogeneity of arid lands causes areas of runoff and run-on which lead to
development of islands of hydrologically enhanced biotic productivity. These hydrologic islands are
observed at the individual plant scale as well as in large area patterns of banded vegetation, playettes and playas, and beaded drainage networks where run-on and infiltration stimulate vegetation
growth. To remediate degraded rangeland, it may be prudent to mimic nature by diverting water to
target areas to create patterns similar to natural islands of hydrologically enhanced biotic
productivity. Installation of structures such as water ponding dikes can promote changes to natural
vegetation patterns at a landscape scale.

}, keywords = {enhanced biotic productivity, heterogeneity, rangeland, remediation, run-on, runoff, water ponding dikes}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.09.002}, url = {/files/bibliography/06-009.pdf}, author = {A. Rango and S. Tartowski and Andrea S. Laliberte and John Wainwright and A.J. Parsons} } @conference {50549, title = {Collaborative animal science research: impacts of agriculture and trade policies on cross-border rangeland research and management}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management, 58th Annual Meeting and Trade Show}, year = {2005}, month = {February 5, 2005}, pages = {Paper No. 115}, address = {Fort Worth, TX}, abstract = {In sharing a common boundary, Mexico and the United States also shares common landscapes and an agricultural economy that is inextricably linked. Due to the high degree of connectedness between these countries, factors that affect one country also affect the other, either directly or indirectly. Current problems in the border region include extended drought, land degradation, and depletion of essential resources such as water. These problems are exacerbated by ensconced political and social systems resistant to change. The implications of these events are profound, and often referred to as being near catastrophic. Collaborative research between Mexican and US researchers offers numerous benefits by combining human and material resources to solve common problems. Despite these benefits, language, social customs, and political policies can create barriers to collaborative efforts that reduce the effectiveness and the overall number of collaborative efforts. When anticipated and appropriately planned for, these barriers can effectively be dealt with. We discuss these potential barriers and how to address them by relating our experiences with collaborative Mexican-US projects on the conservation and use of northern Mexican criollo beef cattle breeds in semiarid and arid environments.}, keywords = {agriculture and trade policies, animal science research, cross-border, management, rangeland, research}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and G. Bezanilla} } @conference {50550, title = {Drought as a Dynamic Process: Recovering from Long Term Rangeland Impacts of Drought}, booktitle = {2005 3rd Annual Drought Summit: "The Drought: It Ain{\textquoteright}t OVer {\textquoteright}Til It{\textquoteright}s Over, and It Ain{\textquoteright}t Over!", USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service}, year = {2005}, month = {October 6, 2005}, pages = {pp. 20}, publisher = {University of New Mexico Continuing Education Center}, organization = {University of New Mexico Continuing Education Center}, address = {Albuquerque, NM}, abstract = {Central tenets of living with drought rangelands are complex, often unpredictable lanscapes, in which drought is a constant feature. The effects of drought are dependent on prior conditions that are largely the result of the continual interplay of humans and their environment. By investing in human capital, and the large social context, we can better manage this interplay to meet a diversity of needs. It is knowledge, and the creation of knowledge, through monitoring and scientific investigation, that allows land management professionals to better adapt and innovate to ever chaning conditions. Likewise, the greater society provides the ethic and the needed flexibility for the land manager to operate within. Without first adressing this often ignored framework, use of other management tools are likely to be costly, have short-lived benefits, and uninteded consequences.}, keywords = {drought management, long term, rangeland}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson} } @proceedings {50605, title = {Current and future options for the use of remote sensing for rangeland management and monitoring}, year = {2005}, month = {April 20-21, 200}, pages = {84}, address = {Zacatecas, Mexico}, abstract = {Many of the existing rangeland health, remotely sensed products are derived from medium spatial resolution imagery and, while these products may provide useful ancillary information for rangeland management, they do not provide information at spatial resolution that is fine enough to correspond with the field assessments conducted by rangeland management specialists. In this paper we present an overview of ongoing remote-sensing research at the ARS-USDA Jornada Experimental Range (the Remotely Sensed Indicators and Stratification (RSIS) Project) that aims to provide (1) relevant contextual information for optimizing ground sampling for field assessments and (2) accurate, fine-resolution vegetation maps and associated analyses for deriving remotely sensed indicators of rangeland health. Further, we provide a synopsis of other remote sensing activities at the Jornada Experimental Range.}, keywords = {management, monitoring, rangeland, remote sensing}, author = {Caitriana Steele and Andrea S. Laliberte and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Jeffrey E. Herrick and A. Rango} } @article {50637, title = {Land management in the American Southwest: A state-and-transition approach to ecosystem complexity}, journal = {Environmental Management}, volume = {34}, number = {1}, year = {2004}, month = {July 1, 2004}, pages = {38-51}, abstract = {

State-and-transition models are increasingly being used to guide rangeland management. These models provide a relatively simple, management-oriented way to classify land condition (state) and to describe the factors that might cause a shift to another state (a transition). There are many formulations of state-and-transition models in the literature. The version we endorse does not adhere to any particular generalities about ecosystem dynamics, but it includes consideration of several kinds of dynamics and management response to them. In contrast to previous uses of state-and-transition models, we propose that models can, at present, be most effectively used to specify and qualitatively compare the relative benefits and potential risks of different management actions (e.g., fire and grazing) and other factors (e.g., invasive species and climate change) on specified areas of land. High spatial and temporal variability and complex interactions preclude the meaningful use of general quantitative models. Forecasts can be made on a case-by-case basis by interpreting qualitative and quantitative indicators, historical data, and spatially structured monitoring data based on conceptual models. We illustrate how science- based conceptual models are created using several rangeland examples that vary in complexity. In doing so, we illustrate the implications of designating plant communities and states in models, accounting for varying scales of pattern in vegetation and soils, interpreting the presence of plant communities on different soils and dealing with our uncertainty about how those communities were assembled and how they will change in the future. We conclude with observations about how models have helped to improve management decision-making.

}, keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, community dynamics, desert grassland, grazing management, rangeland, resilience, simulation models, soil maps, thresholds}, doi = {10.1007/s00267-004-0047-4 }, url = {/files/bibliography/04-015.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown and Jeffrey E. Herrick and D. Trujillo and Kris Havstad} } @conference {50632, title = {Soil-geomorphic basis of divergent landscape trajectories in the Chihuahuan Desert}, booktitle = {89th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America}, year = {2004}, month = {August 1, 2004}, pages = {p. 45}, address = {Portland, OR}, abstract = {A major emphasis of rangeland ecology and management is to understand the factors that regulate rates of vegetation and soil change. Explanations of change have traditionally ignored subtle soil heterogeneity and emphasized single processes. We sought to employ a multiscale, multifactor framework to interpret variability in rates of vegetation change occurring within a Chihuahuan Desert grassland under similar management. We used a combination of ground-based measures and remote-sensed data from 1936 and 1996 to construct a scenario explaining different rates of grass loss in two adjacent grassland areas on a piedmont slope. The two areas now merge at sharp ecotone separating a high-grass, low-shrub cover state and a state with lowgrass, high-shrub, and high-bare ground cover. The basis for these divergent trajectories is related to differences in the spatial pattern of soil calcium carbonate content and argillic horizon development. Where high carbonate soils with weak argillic horizons are relatively continuous, single-crown and stoloniferous grasses dominate at the expense of a rhizomatous grass. Grazing appears to have contributed to higher connectivity of bare ground where single-crown grasses predominated, leading to increased susceptibility to erosion, lower soil aggregate stability, lower rainfall infiltration, and soil truncation leading to accelerated rates of grass and shrub mortality. Under these conditions, grass and shrub cover are positively correlated at fine scales even when they are negatively correlated at a broad scale. Eroded soil accumulates on the highgrass side of the ecotone, contributing to ecotone contrast. This example illustrates the need for multiscale perspectives in explaining ecosystem resistance and resilience.}, keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, ecology, management, rangeland, vegetation and soil change}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and J.P. Ward and Jeffrey E. Herrick and A.J. Tugel} } @article {50708, title = {Transitions in rangeland evaluations: a review of the major transitions in rangeland evaluations during the last 25 years and speculation about future evaluations}, journal = {Rangelands}, volume = {25}, number = {6}, year = {2004}, month = {January 1, 2004}, pages = {22-30}, abstract = {Historically, rangeland evaluations have been concerned with the inventory and monitoring of upland physical and biological characteristics. Vascular plant composition was a critical measure for determining rangeland condition and trend. Managers used key areas and key forage species to determine if livestock and wildlife appropriately used the available land area and its forage. Over the years, the principle reasons for evaluating rangelands have remained the same. They are to determine the current status and trend of the natural resources on rangelands. However, we began to recognize that the traditional rangeland condition classification system and the successional model on which it was based had severe limitations when applied to many semiarid and arid rangelands. We reevaluated our views of succession and the relationship between those views and the status of rangelands. We broadened our areas of concern from uplands only to include wetlands and riparian areas. In addition, we looked beyond the impacts of only our primary use of an individually fenced unit, which was often livestock grazing, to multiple uses and units within a watershed or multiple watersheds within a basin. New assessment techniques are attempting to link abiotic with biotic factors and to integrate them into evaluations of ecosystem status on rangelands. Remote sensing tools now provide a means to evaluate larger areas. Future evaluations will examine the sustainability of rangelands, but they will need to develop acceptable measures of not just biological and physical factors, but also social and economic factors relating to rangelands.}, keywords = {evaluations, rangeland, transitions}, author = {D.A. Pyke and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @proceedings {50745, title = {What does an ecological threshold look like?}, year = {2003}, month = {July 26 - August}, pages = {688-690}, address = {Durban, South Africa}, abstract = {Recent concepts in rangeland health and management emphasize that ecosystem structure may shift abruptly in time once a critical threshold is crossed. Transitions between grasslands and desert shrublands, for example, are thought to be triggered by a combination of high grazing pressure and drought. Once thresholds are crossed, novel constraints prevent reestablishment of historic ecosystem states. Thus, land management policy is being oriented towards identifying and avoiding these thresholds. One problem with implementing such policy is that land managers and ecologists are not sure what critical thresholds are; this stems in part from a lack of conceptual clarity. We argue that thresholds in rangeland structure are not singular phenomena but exist at several levels along a chain of causation. We illustrate this conceptual approach with a study of a grassland-shrubland transition in south-central New Mexico. At the broadest scale (25 km2), the shift from a grass-dominated area to a shrub-dominated area is coincident with a slight change in topographic position, a change in soil texture, and increased channelization. At intermediate scales (100-1000 m2), the maintenance of grass cover is promoted by the presence of patches oriented perpendicularly to the direction of slope, whereas shrubs dominate where patches are elongated in the direction of the slope. At the finest scales (1-10m2), grasses are associated with patches having sandier surface textures, low calcium carbonate at the surface, and higher infiltration rates than shrub-dominated patches. Thus, the causes of the shift from grassland to shrubland are scale-dependent and thresholds in several processes can be identified.}, keywords = {ecological, health, management, rangeland, threshold, transition}, url = {/files/bibliography/03-027Proc.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Kris Havstad} } @proceedings {50767, title = {Rangeland research on the Jornada Experimental Range}, year = {2003}, month = {March 27-28, 200}, pages = {87-91}, address = {Farmington, NM}, abstract = {The mission of the Jornada Experimental Range is to develop new technologies for the management and remediation of desert rangelands. A few studies in progress that relate directly to this mission are summarized below. One major focus is to develop methodologies for controlling livestock distribution on rangelands. A study is in progress to evaluate the potential of virtual fencing as an alternative to conventional fencing for real-time control of animal movement. A small solar-powered unit worn by the animal uses signals from GPS satellites to determine animal location and a GIS database to define a virtual boundary. When an animal penetrates this boundary, a cue is applied to encourage the animal to move away from the virtual boundary. Preliminary data indicate this low-stress technology can be used to control animal movement. Protein supplementation during conditions of low quality forage is another practice that may be used to control animal movement. Preliminary data indicate that protein supplementation affects beef cow distribution patterns with non-supplemented animals exhibiting greater dispersal and supplemented cows remaining near supplementation areas. These studies have implications for improving forage utilization and livestock management, as well as excluding livestock from ecologically sensitive areas. A third study in progress involves quantification of carbon storage in plants and soils on arid rangelands. This research combines direct field measurement of CO2 fluxes, soil carbon analysis, and modeling. The project will examine how carbon storage might change naturally over time or be influenced by management practices. Initial results suggest rangelands may serve as a significant long-term repository for carbon when shrubs store large amounts of carbon belowground in their extensive woody root systems. Also, aerial photography is being examined as a tool to reconstruct the remediation treatment history of rangelands. Many treatments have been implemented during the last 100 years in an effort to slow shrub invasion, but over time, land management agencies have been disbanded or reorganized and paper records have been lost, resulting in poor documentation of type and extent of treatment, methods used, and evaluations of success. Nationwide aerial photography begun by USDA and other agencies as early as 1930 is a valuable source of information for establishing past management histories and vegetation response to treatments on rangelands. Treatments imposed on the Jornada during early research projects (e.g., root plowing during the 1970{\textquoteright}s, ponding dikes constructed in 1975, and manual shrub removal in 1936) are still evident in aerial photographs today. Combining aerial photography and remaining conventional records with present day field measurements greatly increases the total information available regarding the management history and most effective remediation approaches for use today.}, keywords = {cattle growers, course, livestock, rangeland, research, research notes}, url = {/files/bibliography/03-003.pdf}, author = {Richard E. Estell and D.M. Anderson and E.L. Fredrickson and Kris Havstad and K. A. Mitchell and A. Rango} } @article {50789, title = {Desertification and biopedturbation in the northern Chihuahuan Desert}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {53}, number = {1}, year = {2003}, month = {January 1, 2003}, pages = {1-14}, abstract = {

We examined the relationship between biopedturbation (animal-caused soil disturbance) and several vegetation and soil-based indicators of rangeland condition to evaluate the effects of desertification on animal soil disturbance. The area, volume, and abundance of various biopedturbation types were assessed at 117 sites in south-central New Mexico where vegetative cover and composition had previously been measured. There were significant relationships between biopedturbation and selected rangeland condition indicators. Increasing percentages of grass cover were positively associated with increasing total area of biopedturbation. Increasing percentages of shrub cover and mean bare patch size were negatively associated with total biopedturbation area. Biopedturbation area and volume were related to indicators of rangeland condition and percent shrub cover best predicts the area of soil disturbed by animals. This relationship, however, cannot reliably predict total biopedturbation area or the area of soil disturbance types.

}, keywords = {Biopedturbation, Chihuahuan Desert, condition indicators, desertification, disturbance, rangeland, soil}, doi = {10.1006/jare.2002.1022}, url = {/files/bibliography/03-009.pdf}, author = {E. Jackson and Krogh, S.N. and Walter G. Whitford} } @article {50812, title = {The utility of historical aerial photographs for detecting and judging the effectiveness of rangeland remediation treatments}, journal = {Environmental Practice}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2003}, month = {June 1, 2003}, pages = {107-118}, abstract = {

Aerial photos are a type of remote sensing data especially valuable for rangeland applications. This type of data has advantages that include relative ease of interpretation and acquisition, inexpensiveness, high resolution (1-2m), and providing a common reference for communication among those involved in rangeland management. Additionally, air photos are especially well suited for analysis of historical rangeland remediation treatments because acquisition of widespread aerial photographic coverage began during the 1930{\textquoteright}s. Several types of treatments are easily identified and monitored over time, including contour terraces, brush water spreaders, rootplow seeding, water ponding dikes, shrub removal by grubbing, and grazing restrictions. The use of aerial photos allows us the opportunity to recreate the management history of rangeland and to serve as a point of departure for involvement in more sophisticated satellite-based remote sensing systems.

}, keywords = {aerial photography, air photo archives, Civilian Conservation Corps, Jornada Basin, rangeland, remediation treatments, remote sensing}, doi = {10.1017/S1466046603031065}, url = {/files/bibliography/03-020.pdf}, author = {A. Rango and Kris Havstad} } @conference {50883, title = {Comprehending complexity together with the public: Practical strategies for improving rangeland conservation, restoration and management}, booktitle = {87th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America}, year = {2002}, month = {August 4-9, 2002}, pages = {25}, address = {Tucson, AZ}, abstract = {Rangeland ecosystems are complex, particularly when soil and climate are considered. Complexity is viewed as a liability when dealing with the public and scientific uncertainty often leads to uncertainties about the usefulness of science. Basic research is needed to reduce scientific uncertainties about the probable consequences of human intervention in arid and semiarid environments. Research is also needed to develop tools that can be used to more effectively communicate our evolving understanding. We will describe four successful approaches that illustrate how indicators and conceptual models based on basic research are being used to increase appreciation of ecological complexity, reduce environmental conflicts, and improve rangeland management: (1) monitoring and assessment workshops for ranchers, environmentalists and government agency personnel in the U.S. and Mexico, (2) development of ecological state and transition models, (3) implementation of integrated soil and vegetation management and monitoring plans, and (4) introduction of school children to ecological and experimental design concepts. All four of these approaches use indicators of basic ecosystem functions to help individuals and organizations with diverse goals and logistical constraints to understand and apply concepts including soil-vegetation feedbacks and ecological thresholds. Conceptual state and transition models are used to help explain how human management of fire, livestock and wildlife grazing and invasive species can have diverse effects on vegetation dynamics.}, keywords = {education, monitoring, rangeland, state-and-transition models}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and McCarthy, P. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Kris Havstad and Melgoza, A. and A.J. Tugel} } @inbook {51045, title = {The Dynamics of Soil Carbon in Rangelands}, booktitle = {Carbon Sequestration Potential of U.S. Grazing Lands}, year = {2001}, note = {ARIS entry by Rangeland Resources Research, Cheyenne, WY}, month = {2001}, pages = {267-290}, publisher = {Ann Arbor Press}, organization = {Ann Arbor Press}, chapter = {11}, address = {Chelsea, MI}, abstract = {Carbon dynamics of rangeland soils are very complex and only limited detailed research has been conducted to assess the role of management and grazing strategies on soil C changes and the potential for enhanced C sequestration. Soil erosion also can impact the soil C pools in rangeland ecosystems, but much of the erosion does not result in loss of C from the landscape but rather a repositioning on the landscape. In an attempt to estimate the effects of management on the C storage potential of the rangeland ecosystems, we have reviewed the literature on the subject and made some assumptions in order to make some qualitative estimates of C sequestration potential and potential avoided losses of C through management. We believe about 19 Tg C yr-1 can be sequestered through management on lands that are in need of improved management and through soil C regeneration in CRP lands. However, we estimate that 44 Tg C yr-1 can be maintained through ensured good management and by preventing CRP lands from being brought back into crop production. The estimated 63 Tg C yr-1 that can be sequestered and/or prevented from being lost from well- managed rangelands and through maintenance of CRP lands may be small in comparison to the estimates of C sequestration by improved production prac- tices on croplands in the U.S.; however, this level of C storage in a natural ecosystem tends to be more stable and less prone to major C losses through erosional losses and shifts in management.}, keywords = {C storage, grazing strategies, management, rangeland, sequestration, soil carbon}, url = {/files/bibliography/01-073.pdf}, author = {G.E. Schuman and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Janzen, H.H.} } @article {51165, title = {Preliminary results from reseeding degraded Dera Ghazi Khan rangeland to improve small ruminant production in Pakistan}, journal = {Small Ruminants Research}, volume = {32}, number = {1}, year = {1999}, month = {March 1, 1999}, pages = {43-49}, abstract = {

Thatta Leghari rangeland in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Pakistan covers an area of 1004\ ha. Its topography is undulating, soil is calcareous and low in organic matter and supports a native standing crop of mainly unpalatable herbaceous vegetation. Due to uncontrolled grazing the range has degraded from its productive potential. Between 1992 and 1993 the native range (1004\ ha) was not grazed. Then in 1992 and 1993, a 600\ ha area was reseeded with two introduced grasses, Gorkha (Lasiurus sindicus) and Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris). Forage production on both the reseeded and native range was measured in 1992 and 1993 at the end of the growing season during October. Weather during these 2 years reflected the long term mean conditions with respect to temperature and distribution of precipitation. The reseeded area produced 10 times (4000\ kg/ha) more forage than the native range (425\ kg/ha) in 1992 and more than twice the forage (1250\ kg/ha vs 534\ kg/ha) in 1993, a year with 37\ mm less total rainfall. Proximate analysis of the forage harvested in 1993 was determined for both treatments. Buffel grass was higher in crude protein (7.8\%) than Gorkha (6.2\%) and chimber (5.9\%; Eleusine flagellifera) a native grass. The native shrub, lana (Salsola foetida) had a higher energy value, 2.7\ Mcal/kg, than all of the other species. Daily goat and sheep diets consisted of 51\% and 32\% shrub, respectively, with grasses comprising the remainder. Forbs composed 35\% of the sheep diet whereas, shrubs (51\%) dominated the goat diets on the reseeded rangeland. Liveweight gain differed (p\<0.05) between goats (34\ g/day) and sheep (14\ g/day). These preliminary results indicate that reseeding may be an important intervention for Pakistan rangeland improvement, for improving nutrition for small ruminants.

}, keywords = {behavior, forage species, Pakistan, rangeland, reseeding, Sheep and goat}, doi = {10.1016/S0921-4488(98)00157-6}, url = {/files/bibliography/668.pdf}, author = {Khan, M.F. and D.M. Anderson and Nutkani, M.I. and Butt, N.M.} } @proceedings {51211, title = {Rangeland research in the Chihuahuan Desert}, year = {1998}, month = {1998}, keywords = {cattle growers{\textquoteright} short course, Chihuahuan Desert, rangeland, research}, author = {Richard E. Estell and D.M. Anderson and J.R. Barrow and A.G. de Soyza and E.L. Fredrickson and Gibbens, Robert P. and Kris Havstad and Jeffrey E. Herrick and M.R. Tellez and Walter G. Whitford} } @proceedings {51225, title = {Soil organisms and rangeland soil hydrological functions}, volume = {PNW-GTR-461}, year = {1998}, month = {March 17-19, 199}, pages = {91-100}, publisher = {USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station}, address = {Corvallis, OR}, abstract = {

Soil organisms control water distribution in rangelands by creating macropores which rapidly conduct water into the soil, by generating stable soil aggregates which prevent crusting and increase water holding capacity, and by controlling litter decomposition. Ants, termites and earthworms have all been shown to increase infiltration capacity; anecdotal evidence suggests that macropore formation by a variety of other macroinvertebrate may have equally dramatic effects. Macroinvertebrates generate aggregates in the form of fecal pellets. Lichens, mycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria and other microorganisms also contribute to aggregate formation and soil surface stabilization. The direct effects of rapid litter decomposition on infiltration and soil water storage in arid and semi-arid rangelands is generally negative: litter removal exposes the surface to raindrop impact, which leads to the formation of physical crusts, and increases evaporation from the soil surface. These negative impacts are balanced by the creation of surface-connected macropores and the incorporation of soil organic matter, resulting in the formation of stable aggregates.

}, keywords = {aggregate, ant, available water holding capacity, earthworm, fungi, hydrology, infiltration, invertebrate, rangeland, soil organic mattter, soil structure, soil water, termite}, url = {/files/bibliography/662.pdf}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @proceedings {51247, title = {JORNEX: A remote sensing campaign to study plant community response to hydrologic fluxes in desert grasslands}, year = {1998}, month = {May 27-29, 1998}, pages = {65-74}, address = {Reno, NV}, abstract = {

The Jornada Experimental Range (Jornada) in southern New Mexico provides a unique opportunity to use remote sensing techniques to study the responses of vegetation to changing hydrologic fluxes and atmospheric driving forces. Research and measurements at the Jornada have been continuous since 1912 by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and USDA Agriculture Research Service. The site was chosen as a National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research site in 1981. These long-term investigations at Jornada have yielded a wealth of ground data about the basin vegetation characteristics, ecosystem dynamics, and vegetation response to changing hydrologic and atmospheric inputs. To complement the programs of ground measurements, a campaign called JORNEX (JORNada EXperiment) began in 1995 to collect remotely sensed data from aircraft and satellite platforms to provide spatial and temporal data on the physical and biological state of the Jornada rangeland. In conjunction with these studies, data were measured on the ground along established transects with detailed vegetation surveys (cover, height, composition, species)and with hand-held and yoke mounted spectral and thermal radiometers; from aircraft with spectral and thermal radiometers, multispectral digital video, and laser altimetry; and from space with Landsat Thematic Mapper, NOAA A VHRR, and GOES satellites. Surface energy balance estimates are made from a combination of parameters and state variables estimated from aircraft and ground data. Surface roughness was evaluated with the laser altimetry data and used to estimate aerodynamic roughness. Fractal analyses of the laser data found differences between vegetation types. These different platforms allow the evaluation of the landscape at different scales. These measurements are being used to quantify the hydrologic budgets and plant response to change in components in the water and energy balance at the Jornada.

}, keywords = {desert grasslands, hydrologic fluxes, hydrology, rangeland, remote sensing}, url = {/files/bibliography/634.pdf}, author = {Jerry Ritchie and A. Rango and William P. Kustas and T. J. Schmugge and Kris Havstad and J. Everitt and Lawrence E. Hipps and K. Ramalingam} } @proceedings {51272, title = {Rangeland research in the Chihuahuan Desert}, year = {1997}, month = {1997}, keywords = {cattle growers{\textquoteright} short course, Chihuahuan Desert, rangeland, research}, author = {Richard E. Estell and D.M. Anderson and J.R. Barrow and A.G. de Soyza and E.L. Fredrickson and Gibbens, Robert P. and Kris Havstad and Jeffrey E. Herrick and M.R. Tellez and Walter G. Whitford} } @conference {51347, title = {Application of soil quality assessments to rangeland remediation and sustainable management}, booktitle = {Workshop on Long-Term Research on Soil, Water, and Nutrient Management within the CGIAR System}, year = {1996}, month = {July 26-27, 1996}, address = {Columbus, OH}, keywords = {assessments, rangeland, remediation, soil quality, sustainable management}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @conference {51343, title = {Relationships between rangeland soil quality, soil resilience, and soil erosion}, booktitle = {Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference, Soil Quality and Erosion Interaction}, year = {1996}, month = {July 7-10, 1996}, address = {Keystone, CO}, abstract = {The relationships between rangeland soil quality, soil resilience and soil erosion depend on several interacting factors: (1) landscape and climate characteristics, (2) current disturbance regime, and (3) recent and evolutionary disturbance history. These factors tend to be more variable across rangelands than across agricultural lands. There are at least four specific relationships between soil quality and soil erosion which involve soil resistance or soil resilience. The first is the historical resistance of the soil to past disturbances, which can serve as an indicator of soil quality. Secondly, the current resistance of the soil to disturbance is related to soil erosion potential. The third relationship is the current resilience of the system following soil erosion. Finally, soil erosion is z driver in the system which determines soil quality. This final relationship illustrates the need to view the system dynamically: soil erosion both reflects and affects soil quality. These dynamic relationships depend, in turn, on the characteristics of historic and current disturbance regimes. Both ecosystems and species tend to evolve in response to dominant disturbance regimes, such as fire, drought, and grazing. The resistance and/or resilience of the system will tend to be higher for disturbance regimes which share key characteristics with historic and evolutionary patterns.}, keywords = {rangeland, soil erosion, soil quality, soil resilience}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and M.A. Weltz and G.E. Schuman and Reeder, J.D. and Simanton, J.R.} } @proceedings {51394, title = {Rangeland research in the Chihuahuan Desert}, year = {1995}, month = {1995}, abstract = {

Three major classes of symbiotic fungi were identified in the roots of native grasses and shrubs on arid rangelands of the southwestern U.S. The first class is vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae, common to most higher plants. These fungi enhance nutrient and water uptake in plants. The second major class of symbiotic fungi are common soil or saprobic fungi. Because of their association with the host plant their capacity is enhanced to access nutrients from immobile inorganic and complex organic resources and supply them to the plant. One demonstrated benefit of a saprophytic seed-borne fungus, Alternaria alternata, was that it decomposed the seed capsule at germination and transferred nutrients to the germinating seedling, improving chances for survival and establishment. {\textquoteright}These fungi likely play a role in the management of carbon resources in the ecosystem. Third major class of fungi regularly associated with grass and shrub roots were Chytridiomycetes, a primitive aquatic fungus. These fungi appear to regulate the colonization by the other two fungal classes. These fungi, acting in concert with each other, enhance nutrient and water uptake of native plants. They directly affect survival ability and competitiveness of all plant species in arid rangelands. We are researching these fungi because we think that new technologies for rangeland revegetation of degraded areas will require the presence of these fungal classes for successful reestablishment and survival of native plant species.

}, keywords = {cattle growers{\textquoteright} short course, Chihuahuan Desert, rangeland, research}, url = {/files/bibliography/446.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad and D.M. Anderson and J.R. Barrow and Richard E. Estell and E.L. Fredrickson and Gibbens, Robert P. and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Walter G. Whitford} } @inbook {51449, title = {Rangeland cover types of the Southwestern Region: Creosotebush-Tarbush (SRM 508)}, booktitle = {Rangeland Cover Types of the United States}, year = {1994}, month = {1994}, pages = {67-68}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Denver, CO}, keywords = {cover types, creosotebush, rangeland, southwestern region, tarbush}, author = {C.H. Herbel}, editor = {Shiflet, T.N.} } @inbook {51451, title = {Rangeland cover types of the southwestern region: Introduction (SRM 500)}, booktitle = {Rangeland Cover Types of the United States}, year = {1994}, month = {1994}, pages = {61}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Denver, CO}, keywords = {cover types, introduction, rangeland, southwestern region}, author = {C.H. Herbel}, editor = {Shiflet, T.N.} } @article {51479, title = {Influence of ruminally dispensed monensin and forage maturity on intake and digestion}, journal = {Journal of Range Management}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, year = {1993}, note = {Permission to post articles granted by the Society for Range Management; www.rangelands.org.}, month = {1993}, pages = {214-220}, abstract = {

Eight ruminally cannulated crossbred steers (average weight 336 kg) grazing native blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis\  [H.B.K.]) rangeland were used in a repeated measures design to evaluate effects of monensin ruminal delivery devices (MRDD) and forage phenology on ruminal digestion.\  Three periods were assessed: mid-August (Aug.), early October (Oct.), and mid-November (Nov.).\  One MRDD was placed in the reticulum of 4 steers via the ruminal cannula 21 days before each period.\  Intake was estimated using total fecal collections.\  Diet samples were collected using 3 esophogeally fistulated steers. Ruminal fill was measured by ruminal evacuation; rate and extent of in situ ruminal neutral detergent fiber disappearance were estimated before ruminal evacuations.\  Ruminal passage rates, retention time, and apparent total tract organic matter digestibility were estimated using indigestible neutral detergent fiber.\  In vitro organic matter disappearance of esophageal masticate did not differ (P\>.05) in Aug. and Oct. (average of 53.7\%), but declined (P\<.05) in Nov. (48.7\%), whereas organic matter digestibility was greater (P\<.10) in Aug. (62.3\%) than in either Oct. (55.2\%) or Nov. (53.9\%).\  Release of monensin from the bolus (68 mg day-1) was less than expected (100 mg day-1).\  Intake, organic matter digestibility, ruminal passage rates, retention time, pH, and ammonia were not affected (P\>.10) by MRDD.\  In situ neutral detergent fiber disappearance at 96 hours was decreased (P\<.10) by MRDD (68 vs 65\% for control and MRDD, respectively).\  As the grazing season progressed, intake declined (P\<.10), whereas ruminal fill and retention time increased (P\<.05), and passage rate of indigestible neutral detergent fiber decreased (P\<.05). At 48 hours in situ neutral detergent fiber was greatest (P\<.05) in Aug. and least (P\<.05) in Nov.

}, keywords = {beef, cattle, digestion, forage quality, rangeland}, url = {/files/bibliography/401.pdf}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and Galyean, M.L. and Branine, M.E. and Sowell, B.F.} } @mastersthesis {51507, title = {Influence of excellent and good condition Chihuahuan desert range on vegetation, cattle diets, and wildlife populations}, year = {1993}, note = {//??//NONE//}, month = {1993}, pages = {97}, school = {New Mexico State University}, type = {M.S. Thesispp}, address = {Las Cruces, New Mexico}, keywords = {cattle,diet, dissertation, dissertations, rangeland, theses, thesis, vegetation, wildlife populations}, author = {Gretchen Tanner Smith} } @article {51543, title = {Estimation of vegetative cover in an arid rangeland based on soil-moisture using cokriging}, journal = {Soil Science}, volume = {154}, number = {1}, year = {1992}, note = {//NMSU//LTER II//Listed in LTER3 proposal as citing LTER2 support//}, month = {1992}, pages = {25-36}, abstract = {

Soil moisture and vegetative cover (ephemeral, perennial forb and perennial grass) were measured at 30-m intervals along a 2730-m transect. The spatial correlation of vegetative cover and oil moisture, and their cross-correlations, were examined. A total of 610 estimates of vegetative cover were generated at 3-m intervals along the transect, using both ordinary kriging and cokriging methods. Jackknifed estimates of mean-reduced error and reduced variance were used to validate the cokriging models. The average kriging and cokriging variances and the mean sum of squares (SSQ) were sued to compare the two methods. Based on SSQ comparisons, cokriging is the best method to estimate spring ephemeral cover (for observations form all stations) and perennial spring grass cover (for observations form alternate stations). Cokriging estimations for spring perennial grass cover and for spring ephemeral cover produced 7.14 and 2.13\%, respectively, improvement of kriging. Cokriging gave better estimations when the number of observations for perennial spring grass cover and fall perennial forb and perennial grass covers were decreased.

}, keywords = {article, articles, cokriging, cokriging,vegetative cover, journal, journals, kriging, rangeland, soil moisture,cokriging, technique, cokriging, technique, kriging, transect, vegetative cover}, doi = {10.1097/00010694-199207000-00004}, author = {M. S. Nash and Toorman, Alex and Peter J. Wierenga and Gutjahr, Allan and Gary L. Cunningham} } @article {51565, title = {Some effects of precipitation patterns on mesa dropseed phenology}, journal = {Journal of Range Management}, volume = {44}, number = {1}, year = {1991}, note = {Permission to post articles granted by the Society for Range Management; www.rangelands.org.}, month = {January 1, 1991}, pages = {86-90}, abstract = {

Phenology of mesa dropseed [Sporobolus flexuosus (Thurb.) Rydb.] was studied from 1979 to 1987 on the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. Growing season (March through November) precipitation ranged from 99 to 308 mm during the 8-year period. Foliage height and number of leaves were recorded weekly for individually marked culms on 20 plants. New culms usually appeared during the first week in March and green leaf tissue often persisted until the end of November. Correlation analyses of accumulated weekly height increments and accumulated weekly precipitation showed that growth was highly dependent upon rainfall (r = 0.81 to 0.97). Leaf formation was also correlated with rainfall (r = 0. 79 to 0.98). Even in relatively wet years there were 1 or 2 periods of no growth. In drier years, no growth periods totaled as much as 87 days. Periods of rapid growth occurred only after rainfall events \> 13 mm. The first exsertion of seed heads occurred as early as the last week of July and as late as the second week of October. The temporal plasticity of mesa dropseed phenology indicates that it is well adapted to the arid environment.

}, keywords = {arid zones, Chihuahuan Desert, grass growth, leaf development, rangeland, Sporobolus flexuosus}, doi = {10.2307/4002646 }, url = {/files/bibliography/367.pdf}, author = {Gibbens, Robert P.} } @article {51965, title = {Soil respiration in a Chihuahuan Desert rangeland}, journal = {Soil Biology and Biochemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, year = {1983}, note = {//NMSU//NONE, LTER//}, month = {1983}, pages = {303-309}, abstract = {

Soil respiration of a desert soil was measured at the New Mexico State University Ranch in Southern New Mexico. Respiration rates were highest during late July and August after summer rains. Soil respiration data were used to estimate soil organic matter turnover which was 54 yr using summer data and 20 yr using both summer and winter data. The long turnover estimate for summer measurements resulted from temperatures above optimum in June and July. Diurnal soil respiration was also measured after a simulated 2.54 cm rain event. For both wetted and dry soils, temperature controlled the patterns of soil respiration with an optimum of near 41 C. Activation energy values decreased form 84.91 to 39.5 kJ mol-1 when the soil was wetted. A light-dark container method was tested as a possible means of estimated algal uptake of CO2, however, the method was not feasible for desert soils.

}, keywords = {article, articles, decomposition,organic matter turnover, journal, journals, rangeland, soil respiration, soil, organic matter turnover}, doi = {10.1016/0038-0717(83)90075-5}, url = {files/bibliography/JRN00008.pdf}, author = {L. W. Parker and J.R. Miller and Yosef Steinberger and Walter G. Whitford} } @proceedings {51992, title = {Seasonal grazing of semidesert tobosa rangeland in southern New Mexico}, year = {1982}, month = {November 10-12, }, pages = {137-142}, address = {College Station, TX}, abstract = {Research objectives included: (1) Evaluate tobosa (Hilaria mutica) managed under seasonal-continuous stocking with a low stock density and seasonal rotation stocking with a high stock density in arid southern New Mexico. (2) Characterize the average daily weight change in replacement Bos taurus and Bos taurus,Bos indicus crossbred replacement heifers managed under low stock density and high stock density grazing management.}, keywords = {rangeland, seasonal grazing, semideseret, tobosa}, url = {/files/bibliography/211.pdf}, author = {D.M. Anderson} } @article {52095, title = {Importance of Forbs on Southwestern Ranges}, journal = {Rangelands}, volume = {2}, number = {1}, year = {1980}, month = {1980}, pages = {35-36}, abstract = {Forbs, as a class of range plants, are often looked upon with disfavor when they occur on rangelands. There is good reason for this unfavorable view of forbs. Many forbs are opportunistic and do invade disturbed areas. If vigor of grasses is lowered by heavy grazing, forbs often incresae. Because of this phenomenon many range managers consider ranges with abundant forbs to be deteriorated. Some of thse forbs may be poisonous and can creste additional problems for livestock operators. With this reputation, it is not surprising that forbs have not ben held in high favor among some livestock operators and range workers in the past.}, keywords = {forbs, rangeland, ranges}, url = {/files/bibliography/108.pdf}, author = {Pieper, Rex D. and Reldon F. Beck} } @proceedings {52106, title = {Sewage solids as supplemental feed for ruminants grazing rangeland forage}, volume = {34}, year = {1980}, month = {1980}, pages = {338-339}, abstract = {The solids in raw sewage represent a vast resource of nutrients that are potentially returnable to agriculture where constraints of pathogens and toxic chemicals are not prohibitive. Gamma irradiation from waste radionuclides such as 137Cs appears to be feasible as a means of pathogen reduction in large-scale operations. Since 1975 New Mexico State University has evaluated dried, "radicized" solids from raw sewage (primary sludge) as a prospective supplemental feedstuff for ruminants (cattle, sheep) subsisting on poor-quality roughage feeds. Our published reports and unpublished data support the view that products derived from raw sewage could provide substantial nutritive value to ruminant animals without necessarily incurring intolerable risk to the animals or the human food chain, especially if such products are used only periodically in the maintenance of breeding herds and/or in the early "background" programs of young ruminants destined for slaughter much later. Objectives of experiments reported here were to demonstrate under practical conditions the benefits from an experimental feed supplement (containing 62\% dried, irradiated sewage solids) for gestating-lactating beef cows grazing dormant forage on semidesert rangeland and to assess, under extreme conditions, the accumulation of heavy metals and/or refractory organic compounds (toxicants) in tissues of cattle fed sewage solids for almost 3 months.}, keywords = {forage, rangeland, ruminants, sewage solids, supplemental feed}, url = {/files/bibliography/185.pdf}, author = {Geoffrey Smith and H.E. Kiesling and C.H. Herbel and Ray, E.E. and Trujillo, P.A. and Orcasberro, R. and Sivinski, J. S.} } @proceedings {52168, title = {Infiltration rates on rootplow-treated rangeland}, volume = {59}, year = {1978}, month = {1978}, pages = {1071}, keywords = {infiltration rates, rangeland, rootplow treated}, author = {J.M. Tromble} } @conference {52199, title = {Reclamation of a low-yielding rangeland site}, booktitle = {New Mexico Academy of Science}, volume = {17}, year = {1977}, month = {1977}, pages = {30-31, No. 28}, abstract = {Nonproductive range areas have been created where the erosive forces of water and wind have removed the surface soil, exposing a subsoil which is impermeable to water. Water ponding is being studied as a possible reclamation technique. Site characterization is being accomplished by use of soil surveys, rainfall simulator, soil temperature, and soil water profile measurements. Treatments consisted of constructing and instrumenting a series of crescent- or horseshoe-shaped dikes designed to impound water 3 and 6 inches deep; any excess water flows around either end of the dike to be caught by the next lower dike. The objective is to retain water longer on the soil surface and permit additional infiltration opportunity. Ten of these dikes were constructed on the Jornada Experimental Range in the spring of 1975. They effectively caught and held water, greatly increasing the depth of soil water and lengthening the period of soil water availability when compared to untreated areas. Grasses are being seeded to hasten the recovery process. The technique looks encouraging and research efforts are continuing.}, keywords = {dikes, Jornada Experimental Range, rangeland, reclamation, soil water availability, water ponding, water retention}, url = {/files/bibliography/165.pdf}, author = {J.M. Tromble and Gibbens, Robert P. and C.H. Herbel} } @mastersthesis {52210, title = {The effect of grazing on vine mesquite (Panicum obtusum H.B.K.)}, year = {1976}, note = {//NMSU//NONE//}, month = {1976}, pages = {37}, school = {New Mexico State University}, type = {M.S. Thesispp}, address = {Las Cruces, New Mexico}, abstract = {The effect of grazing on vine mesquite (Panicum obtusum H.B.K.) was studied on a playa lake on the New Mexico State University Research Ranch between June 20, 1975, and October 11, 1975. The playa was about 40 acres, but the total fenced area was about 72 acres, i.e., the playa was encompassed within the total study area.... Stem plant material production was significantly different (P<.05) between the control and the north or south pasture. There was no significant difference between the stem production in the north and south pastures.}, keywords = {cattle grazing,Panicum, dissertation, dissertations, grass,Panicum, management,Panicum, Panicum,grazing, playa, grazing, rangeland, theses, thesis, vine mesquite, SEE }, author = {Musa, Yusufu} } @article {52290, title = {Brush eradicating, basin pitting, and seeding machine for arid to semiarid rangeland}, journal = {Journal of Range Management}, volume = {26}, number = {3}, year = {1973}, note = {Permission to post articles granted by the Society for Range Management; www.rangelands.org.}, month = {May 1, 1973}, pages = {189-192}, abstract = {A range seeding machine that increased the chances of successful seedling establishment on arid to semiarid rangeland has been designed and tested on 23 plots in southern New Mexico. Working behind a standard rootplow, the machine picks up brush, forms basin pits, firms the soil, plants seed and replaces the brush over the planted area as a mulch. Laboratory and field research was used to demonstrate improved soil conditions for seedling emergence under such a brush mulch. Water retention by basin pits was found to be necessary to decrease runoff of the high intensity, short duration storms typical to this area. About 50\% of the plots planted with this equipment were successfully seeded.}, keywords = {arid, basin pitting, brush eradication, rangeland, seeding machine, semiarid}, url = {/files/bibliography/138.pdf}, author = {Abernathy, G.H. and C.H. Herbel} } @inbook {52337, title = {Environmental modification for seedling establishment}, booktitle = {Biology and Utilization of Grasses}, year = {1972}, month = {1972}, pages = {101-114}, publisher = {Academic Press}, organization = {Academic Press}, address = {New York, NY}, abstract = {Under rangeland conditions most grasses should not.be seeded deeper than 2 cm. Harsh environmental conditions in the surface soil often prevent successful seedling establishment. Army and Hudspeth (1960) and Hudspeth and Taylor (1961) reported that under field conditions in the southern Great Plains sufficient moisture for seedling emergence of grasses planted at the customary shallow depths could not be maintained on bare surface soil except under extremely favorable weather conditions. The average annual precipitation in that area ranges from 36 to 58 cm. Environmental modification, particularly of the moisture and temperature, is imperative to insure greater success in grass establishment. Artificial and natural mulches and land-forming procedures offer increased possibilities for obtaining seedling establishment under difficult environmental conditions.}, keywords = {environmental modification, rangeland, seedling establishment}, url = {/files/bibliography/133.pdf}, author = {C.H. Herbel}, editor = {Youngner, V. and McKell, C.} } @article {52465, title = {Activities of hereford and Santa Gertrudis cattle on a southern New Mexico range}, journal = {Journal of Range Management}, volume = {19}, number = {4}, year = {1966}, note = {Permission to post articles granted by the Society for Range Management; www.rangelands.org.}, month = {July 1, 1966}, pages = {173-176}, abstract = {Only a few studies have compared the performance of two breeds of cattle on rangelands of the United States. Although Herefords are the dominant breed in the Southwest, cattle with some Brahman blood may be better adapted to the hot, arid environment. This study was conducted to determine the differences, if any, in performance of Hereford and Santa Gertrudis cattle on rangeland.}, keywords = {cattle, hereford, performance, rangeland, Santa Gertrudis, southern New Mexico}, url = {/files/bibliography/098.pdf}, author = {C.H. Herbel and Nelson, A.B.} } @article {52540, title = {Effect of Rodents, Rabbits, and Cattle on Two Vegetation Types in Semidesert Range Land}, number = {Bulletin 353}, year = {1950}, month = {January 1950}, pages = {24}, institution = {New Mexico Agricultural Experimental Station}, address = {Las Cruces}, keywords = {bulletin, cattle, rabbits, rangeland, rodents, vegetation}, url = {/files/bibliography/103.pdf}, author = {Norris, J. J.} }