@article {JRN55427,
	title = {Adapting to climate change on desert rangelands: A multi-site comparison of grazing behavior plasticity of heritage and improved beef cattle},
	journal = {Journal of Arid Environments},
	volume = {209},
	year = {2022},
	month = {11/02/2022},
	pages = {104886},
	abstract = {Climate change is amplifying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of desert rangeland forages through its impact on precipitation variability. Foraging behavior plasticity (an animal{\textquoteright}s ability to alter its behavior to cope with environmental variation) could be a key trait for climate adaptation of beef cattle in arid environments. We analyzed GPS-derived movement and activity data of Criollo and commercial beef cattle from eight studies conducted at sites in North and South America to determine whether seasonal and year-to-year behavior plasticity varied significantly between breeds. We calculated dormant/brown season or driest year percent change in foraging behavior relative to growing/green season or wettest year. Compared to commercial beef breeds, Criollo cattle exhibited significantly greater seasonal adjustment in daily distance traveled (20\% increase vs. 2\% decrease, P <= 0.02) and daily grazing effort (25\% vs. 1.5\% increase, P = 0.01) during the dormant/brown vs. growing/green season. Increase in daily area explored during the dormant/brown season was almost three times greater in Criollo vs. commercial beef cattle (P = 0.09). Seasonal adjustment in daily time spent grazing was similar for Criollo and commercial beef breeds. Increase in daily area explored during the dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years was three times greater for Criollo vs. commercial beef breeds (P = 0.03). Criollo cattle tended (P = 0.09) to exhibit greater behavior adjustment than commercial beef counterparts in daily distance traveled during the dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years (22\% vs. 4\% increase, respectively). No breed differences in adjustment of time spent grazing (P = 0.36) or grazing effort (P = 0.20) during dormant/brown season of dry vs. wet years were observed. Dry vs. wet year grazing behavior adjustments during the growing/green season were similar for both breeds. Grazing behavior plasticity observed in Criollo cows could be a critical trait for desert beef herds in the face of increasingly variable rainfall patterns occurring as a result of climate change.},
	keywords = {Animal agriculture, British beef cattle, Cow-calf, criollo cattle, GPS tracking, ranching},
	doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104886},
	url = {files/bibliography/22-024.pdf},
	author = {Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and S. Spiegal and Shelemia Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Matthew M. McIntosh and Danielle Duni and Oscar A. Herrera Conegliano and Felipe A. Rodr{\'\i}g Almeida and Octavio Roacho Estrada and Lisandro J. Blanco and Danielle Duni and S. A. Utsumi and Alfredo L. Gonzalez}
}
@article {JRN55335,
	title = {The genesis of the Jornada criollo cattle program},
	journal = {Journal of Arid Environments},
	volume = {193},
	year = {2021},
	month = {6/11/2021},
	abstract = {Many rangelands in the southwestern United States have experienced increased shrub cover and lower and more variable forage resources during the past 100 years. Criollo cattle are descendants of cattle brought to the Americas by European explorers that spread throughout North and South America. These cattle were displaced in many areas as British breeds became popular, but isolated populations remained that had undergone natural selection for nearly 500 years. Scientists at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico introduced Raramuri criollo genetics from the Tarahumara region of Chihuahua, Mexico to the research herd about 15 years ago in an effort to capitalize on their ability to thrive in harsh landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert. They hypothesized that this smaller framed animal might be more suited to extensive shrubby landscapes and exert a lower environmental footprint than cattle of European descent. Preliminary observations during the early years of this project suggested that behavioral characteristics of this biotype could potentially be used to improve utilization of extensive rangelands with restricted water distribution. Raramuri criollo generally traveled farther per day and farther from water than Angus x Hereford crossbreds typically raised on these rangelands. Approximately five years ago, the Jornada expanded this program by joining forces with scientists from New Mexico State University, Mexico, and South America. Several studies were initiated that encompassed aspects of behavior, distribution, habitat and ecological site use, maternal behavior, diet selection, heat tolerance, and performance of Raramuri criollo cattle. Many of the results from these collaborations are reported in this special issue.},
	keywords = {beef cattle, criollo cattle, Heritage beef cattle},
	doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104563},
	url = {files/bibliography/21-047.pdf},
	author = {Richard E. Estell}
}
@article {49969,
	title = {Foraging behavior of heritage versus recently introduced herbivores on desert landscapes of the American Southwest},
	journal = {Ecosphere},
	volume = {2},
	year = {2011},
	month = {05/2011},
	pages = {1-14},
	chapter = {Article 57},
	abstract = {
	Since the 1800s managed grasslands and shrublands of the arid American Southwest have been grazed predominantly by cattle originally bred for temperate climates in northern Europe. A heritage breed, the criollo cattle, has survived in northern Mexico for more than 400 years under desert-like conditions of low and variable rainfall, hot temperatures in the growing season, and both spatially and temporally scarce levels of primary production. We tested the hypothesis that the heritage breed has a broader spatial foraging distribution under harsh environmental conditions, and that its distribution is driven by environmental variables which differ from those that control the distribution of the introduced European breed. Movements of individual criollo and Angus breed animals were monitored autonomously in the northern Chihuahuan desert of southern New Mexico, USA. Georeferenced foraging locations acquired at 5-minute intervals for each animal were fit to a logistic regression using environmental factors as predictors. In the spring, when forage availability was high and more uniformly distributed across the landscape, animal foraging patterns were similar for both breeds. In the fall when forage availability was low and non-uniformly distributed, the two breeds exhibited very different foraging patterns: heritage animals foraged across a much larger spatial extent whereas their domestic counterparts remained in close proximity to the permanent source of water. These differences in foraging behavior driven by environmental variables have important implications for sustainability of rangelands in spatially and temporally variable environments. Heritage breeds of animals that are generalist foragers during unfavorable conditions can reduce environmental impacts compared to more recently introduced breeds.},
	keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, criollo cattle, GPS monitoring, herbivory, landscape foraging patterns, resource selection functions},
	doi = {doi:10.1890/ES11-00021.1},
	url = {/files/bibliography/11-009.pdf},
	author = {H. Raul Peinetti and E.L. Fredrickson and Debra C. Peters and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Roacho-Estrada, J.O. and Andrea S. Laliberte}
}
