@article {JRN55379, title = {An inductive approach to developing ecological site concepts with existing monitoring data}, journal = {Rangeland Ecology \& Management}, volume = {83}, year = {2022}, month = {7/2022}, pages = {133-148}, abstract = {Ecological sites comprise a land classification system that represents potential vegetation states and their management needs for different soils and climates. In the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (RGdNNM) in northern New Mexico, uncertainty about the patterns and drivers of vegetation states impedes sustainable land management. Similar challenges are ubiquitous across terrestrial ecosystems and in particular landscapes with high spatial variability in soils and climate. Lack of suitable data has been a barrier to large-scale ecological site development based on quantitative observations. We used data from existing federal monitoring programs alongside spatial, environmental, and land use data to test for the role of climate, geomorphology, soils, and land use history on vegetation communities in RGdNNM. The monitoring dataset was collected with standardized monitoring methods implemented by the Bureau of Land Management{\textquoteright}s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service{\textquoteright}s Landscape Monitoring Framework program. Eleven ecological site concepts and paired vegetation communities were identified using multivariate fuzzy clustering and classification tree analysis to determine the influence of abiotic variables on vegetation communities. The ecological site and vegetation community concepts developed for RGdNNM demonstrate how existing monitoring data can be used to interpret the structural and functional characteristics of landscapes. A workflow for applying monitoring data to landscape classification is presented to support the broader framework for ecological site development.}, keywords = {climates, ecological site concepts, inductive approach, management, monitoring data, soils, vegetation states}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2022.03.009}, url = {files/bibliography/22-010.pdf}, author = {A. Heller and Nicholas Webb and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Colby Brungard and Zoe Davidson} } @article {JRN55339, title = {Data to explore circular manureshed management in beef supply chains of the United States and western Canada}, year = {2021}, publisher = {EDI Data Portal}, abstract = {Circular management of beef supply chains holds great promise for improving sustainability from grazing agroecosystem to dinner plate. In the United States and Canada, one approach to circularity entails transporting manure nutrients from cattle produced in feedlots back to the grazing agroecosystems where they originated to enrich haylands for further grazing cattle production. We provide data to assess this strategy centered around three grazing agroecosystems: Florida, New Mexico, and the provincial assemblage of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia. We describe four datasets that can be used to estimate the potential nutrient utilization of hay fed to grazing cattle in the three grazing agroecosystems and the magnitudes of feedlot manure nutrients available for transport back to them. We found that although biogeography and management differ among the three grazing agroecosystems, the hay allocated for grazing cattle represented approximately 65\% of the total harvested hay produced per agroecosystem after accounting for harvest losses, and that on average all three areas exported about 450,000 cattle annually for feedlot, pasture, and slaughter to states across the US. Although we highlight only three grazingland settings, our approach relies on methods that could ultimately be scaled nationally and internationally, with applicability to other animal industries for which circular management is an aspiration for sustainability outcomes. }, keywords = {beef supply chains, circular, data, explore, management, manureshed, United States, western Canada}, doi = {10.6073/pasta/8b73fec5b84eb0313a1891e4ee77cba2}, author = {S. Spiegal and Jo{\~a}o M.B. Vendramini and S. Bittman and Maria Silveira and Craig Gifford and C. A. Rotz and John P Ragosta and Peter J. A. Kleinman} } @article {JRN55264, title = {Manureshed delineation via analysis of county-level data from IPNI-NuGIS and USDA-NASS(2012)}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Nutrient recycling is fundamental to sustainable agricultural systems, but few mechanisms exist to ensure that surplus manure nutrients from animal feeding operations are transported for use on nutrient-deficient croplands. As a result, manure nutrients concentrate in locations where they can threaten environmental health and devalue manure as a fertilizer resource. This data set is from a study advances the concept of the {\textquotedblleft}manureshed{\textquotedblright} {\textendash} the lands surrounding animal feeding operations onto which manure nutrients can be redistributed to meet environmental, production, and economic goals. Manuresheds can be managed at multiple scales, for example, on farms with both animals and crops, among animal farms and crop farms within a county, or even among animal farms and crop farms in distant counties. With a focus on redistribution among counties, we classified the 3109 counties of the contiguous United States by their capacity to either supply manure phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from confined livestock production ({\textquotedblleft}sources{\textquotedblright}) or to assimilate and remove excess P and N via crops ({\textquotedblleft}sinks{\textquotedblright}) [see data for N tonnes, P tonnes, N kg/ha, P kg/ha]. Manure nutrient source counties were identified in 40 of the 48 states, with a substantial concentration in the southern US. Source counties for manure P greatly outnumbered source counties for manure N (390 vs. 100), and 99 of the 100 manure N source counties were also source counties for manure P. Conversely, sink counties for manure N outnumbered sink counties for manure P (2766 vs. 2317). We used the P balances of the source and sink counties to delineate four manuresheds dominated by various combinations of confined hog, poultry, dairy, and beef industries [see data for Manuresheds (tonnes)]. The four manuresheds differed in the transport distances needed to assimilate excess manure P from their respective source areas (from 147 {\textpm} 51 km for a beef dominated manureshed to 368 {\textpm} 140 km for a poultry dominated manureshed), highlighting the need for systems-level strategies to promote manure nutrient recycling that operate across local, county, regional, and national scales.}, keywords = {Agrosystems \& Environment, Animals \& Livestock, Biogeeochemistry, GIS Data and Images, Land cover/use, management, Maps \& Multimedia, nutrients, Organic Matt, Plants \& Crops, soil}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1518435}, author = {S. Spiegal and Peter J. A. Kleinman and Dinku Endale and Ray Bryant and Curtis Dell and Sarah Goslee and Meinen, Robert J and Colton K Flynn and J. M. Baker and Dawn M. Browning and Gregory McCarty and S. Bittman and Jennifer Carter and Michael Cavigelli and Emily Duncan and Prasanna Gowda and Xia Li and G.E. Ponce and Raj, Cibin and Maria Silveira and Douglas Smith and Dan Arthur and Yang, Qichun and Nezat, Caryn and Bruce Vandenberg} } @proceedings {JRN54540, title = {The impacts of grazing land management on the wind erodibility of the Mulga Lands of western Queensland, Australia}, volume = {p. 60}, year = {2012}, month = {09/2012}, publisher = {Australian Rangeland Society}, address = {Kununurra, Western Australia}, abstract = {An estimated 100 Mt of dust is eroded by wind from the Australian land surface each year. Wind erosion may be widespread across the arid and semi-arid rangelands, with impacts on soil nutrients, carbon and ecosystem services, human health, and climate. The susceptibility of landscapes to wind erosion (their erodibility) is highly sensitive to changes in vegetation cover and soil properties like crusting and aggregation, which control the area of bare ground exposed to erosive winds, and the availability of fine erodible sediment. Pastoralism, including the production of cattle and sheep, is thought to modify these controls through its impacts on vegetation cover and soil surface properties. However, research is yet to quantify the impact of grazing land management on the erodibility of rangelands, or how these impacts vary between land types. We present a simulation analysis that implements the Australian Land Erodibility Model (AUSLEM) in line with a pasture growth and animal production model (GRASP) to evaluate the impacts of grazing management on the erodibility of 5 land types in western Queensland. The study has tested separately the effects of stocking rates, stocking strategies and land condition on wind erodibility. Our results show that wind erodibility increases with stocking rate, showing a nonlinear response that varies in intensity between land types. Susceptibility of the land types to wind erosion is shown to increase under stocking strategies that lack flexibility or the capacity to rapidly destock in response to drought conditions. However, moving from high stocking rates under a fixed stocking to a more flexible strategy is shown to have a greater effect on erodibility than differences between flexible stocking strategies based around the long term safe stocking rates. The degradation of land condition results in an increase of wind erodibility with an abrupt change of rates representing major shifts in environmental conditions. The analysis indicates that historical stocking rates have had a high impact on wind erodibility; however, under the current stocking rate, impacts on wind erodibility are reduced. Wind erodibility can be reduced by adopting a conservative management with low stocking rates as well as maintaining the land in good condition.}, keywords = {GRASP, land degradation, management, modelling, stocking rate, wind erosion}, author = {Aubault, Helene and Nicholas Webb and Scanlan, Joe C. and Craig Strong and John Leys} } @conference {50061, title = {Indicators of Range Health}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management}, year = {2010}, address = {Denver, CO}, abstract = {Science-based grassland management requires an understanding of the current status of the land relative to its potential. Rangeland health assessments help increase the cost-effectiveness of management by identifying where a change in management may be required, and the types of ecological processes that need to be addressed. We will discuss a suite of 17 indicators that are used throughout the United States to assess three attributes of rangeland health: soil and site stability, hydrologic function and biotic integrity. A unique reference for assessment is developed for each type of soil and climate. These references are based on both scientific knowledge and local knowledge. We will also discuss how this indicator-based assessment system can be used together with other tools, including state and transition models, and monitoring, to improve management.}, keywords = {management, rangeland health}, author = {P. L. Shaver and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @proceedings {50087, title = {The cow-whisperer: Towards autonomous management of free-ranging cows}, year = {2009}, month = {2009}, abstract = {Animal management in the 21st century presents many challenges. Free-ranging livestock are classically controlled by herders. Today, wire fences are used in most developed countries, although they are costly to build and maintain. Furthermore, conventional fences do not foster flexible management of foraging animals. Flexibility is the key to ecological management since both plants and animals are spatially and temporally dynamic resources. Besides logging GPS data, our sensor box allows us to play arbitrary aural cues ranging from irritating sounds to gathering commands. In our first experiment, we investigate how to stimulate a cow to move her in a specific direction by playing various sounds in either the left or right ear, however, none of the audio cues evaluated proved effective. Behavioral theory suggests that a cow will avoid novel cues, in this case sounds, by moving away from them. In earlier experiments using a number of different sounds the loudness and frequency of the sounds used did not have any noticeable detrimental affect on cows. It appears that if we want to control cows without excessive stress, we need to better understand individual as well as herd behavior. In a preliminary experiment to evaluate autonomous gathering, the cows were observed to be in the corral at approximately 7:15 AM drinking water. About mid-morning the cows were returned to the middle of the pasture with an ATV. Past research using these same animals would suggest the cows would not have done what was observed next. They returned to the corral a second time the same day. Forty-five minutes after leaving the cows in the middle of the pasture where they were observed to begin foraging. The preprogrammed instruments started administering audio sounds that the cows would have associated with previous manual gathering. However, instead of immediately walking back to the corral once the audio cues began playing, the cows continued walking south. They reached the southwest corner of the pasture where they stood for approximately 20 minutes. We then returned on the ATV and turned the cows north along the west fence line. Thereafter, the cows continued to walk north along the west fence line for about a mile without further human intervention. Returning to the corral, we observed the cows as they returned to the corral this second time on March 3, 2008. The aural gathering cues were administered equally in both ears to all four cows in 30s intervals throughout their walk to the corral. These 30 s on-off intervals appear to correspond to the stop-and-go behavior one can observe in the video. This experiment suggests that preprogrammed audio cuing involving sounds associated with manual gathering may be sufficient to gather animals autonomously. However, efficient gathering requires movement in the proper direction. Therefore, we believe that directional audio cues may be required in order to establish proper animal orientation. Our next step will be to provide directional audio cues to the animals using hard- and software currently under development at MIT. In addition, we plan to investigate how many animals in a herd we would need to instrument in order to control the entire group.}, keywords = {animal, free-ranging, GPS, livestock, management}, author = {Correll, N. and Marek Doniec and R. Libeau and D. Rus and D.M. Anderson} } @conference {50147, title = {Weed management using goats: Effects on water infiltration rate}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management}, series = {62nd Society for Range Management Annual Meeting}, year = {2009}, month = {February 8-12, 2}, pages = {75-7}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Alb., NM}, abstract = {Goats are used increasingly for weed control, fire fuel reduction and ecological restoration. The high stocking rates typical of these applications have been reported to decrease the rate of water infiltration in goat pastures. The hypothesis that annual goat browsing for weed control decreases infiltration rate was tested in the Rio Grande River floodplain near Socorro, New Mexico (mean annual rainfall 200.9 {\textpm} 60.82 mm). Soils were coarse-loamy, mixed (calcareous), thermic Typic Torrifluvents with sandy loam surface texture. One plot (0.17-1.6 ha) from each of six pairs of plots was browsed at the end of the summer growing seasons. The 400-630 Boer/Spanish meat goats browsed the plots for 1-3 days at a mean stocking rate of 3.2{\textpm} 2.4 goat h m-2. Vegetation cover was measured using line point-intercept transects. Water infiltration rate was measured using a standardized saturated single-ring infiltration method. After four years of annual goat browsing and regrowth of vegetation, the rate of water infiltration was faster (P=0.036) in browsed areas (mean 1024 mm hr-1) than in unbrowsed areas (mean 896 mm hr-1). The increased cover of grasses and forbs, plus decreased cover of shrubs, increased mean infiltration rate in the browsed plots. Infiltration rate increased in unvegetated areas, probably due to disruption of the soil crust. The effects of goats on infiltration rate are probably influenced by climate, soil and vegetation characteristics, as well as season and stocking rate. The possible effects of goats on infiltration should be considered when designing weed management programs.}, keywords = {goats, management, SRM, water infiltration, weed}, author = {S. Tartowski and D. K. James} } @conference {50156, title = {Enhancing knowledge of rangeland ecological processes with benchmark ecological sites}, booktitle = {62nd Society for Range Management Annual Meeting}, year = {2009}, month = {February 8-12, 2}, pages = {1000-20}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Albuquerque, NM}, abstract = {A benchmark ecological site is one that has the greatest potential to yield data and information about ecological functions, processes, and the effects of management or climate changes on a broad area or critical ecological zone. A benchmark ecological site represents other similar sites in a major land resource area. Information gathered about benchmark ecological sites can address many different ecological, social, and resource management issues. One of the purposes of designating benchmark ecological sites is to promote greater understanding of the potential effects of management, natural disturbance, and climate change on rangeland ecosystem dynamics and soils. This will allow land managers to use adaptive management to provide for sustainability of natural resources on these landscapes. Examples of resource issues that could be addressed include the effects of management actions, disturbance, and climate change on livestock management; threatened, endangered, and other plant and animal species of concern; spread of invasive species; soil erosion, sedimentation, and runoff; soil ecology; plant community composition and productivity; and habitat reclamation potential.}, keywords = {abstract, benchmark, ecological, ecological site, management}, author = {W. G. Ypilantis and Michael S. Karl and Bottomley, T. and Biggam, P. and A. O{\textquoteright}Green and Curtis Talbot and Townsend, L. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Davis, R.} } @proceedings {50217, title = {Strategies for sustaining multiple ecosystem services from rangelands}, volume = {II}, year = {2008}, month = {June 30 - July 5}, pages = {1094}, address = {Hohhot, China}, abstract = {The application of natural resource science to both management needs and policy formation has been spotty, at best. Interestingly, rangeland science had an early history of closely supporting management needs and USA rangeland policies during the early 20th century. This history of support unraveled during the mid part of the 20th century as the science failed to address increasingly relevant socioeconomic factors, and rangelands were sought to provide other services beyond food and fiber. Recently, rangeland science has again been coupled to management and policy. Sustaining any combination of goods and services from rangelands requires that linkages among science, management and policy be well established and functional. An analysis of this history of the coupling, uncoupling and then recoupling of rangeland science with both management and USA rangeland policies may provide useful insights for sustained use of these resources.}, keywords = {ecosystem, management, multiple, policy, proceedings, rangelands, strategies, sustaining}, url = {/files/bibliography/08-032.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad and Joel R. Brown and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Debra C. Peters and E.L. Fredrickson and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Pieper, Rex D.} } @inbook {50266, title = {Snowpack Management and Modification}, booktitle = {Principles of Snow Hydrology}, year = {2008}, month = {July 7, 2008}, pages = {365-391}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press}, organization = {Cambridge University Press}, chapter = {12}, address = {Cambridge, NY}, abstract = {

Snow in the global environment is altered by human activity in many ways, some intentional and others inadvertent. Among the deliberate changes made to snowpacks are blowing snow management to benefit agriculture and transportation, forest management to protect and enhance water yields from snowpacks, urban snow management to improve transportation and habitation in developed areas, albedo modification to enhance snowmelt rates, and ski area management for enhanced and safe recreational opportunities. The major inadvertent change that may impact snowpacks is the possibility of global warming being forecast for the next century. This final chapter generally discusses these human-snow interactions from the viewpoint of the snow hydrologist.

}, keywords = {agriculture, blowing, forest, management, modifications, snowpack}, url = {http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/hydrology-hydrogeology-and-water-resources/principles-snow-hydrology}, author = {A. Rango and D. DeWalle} } @article {50277, title = {Historical and modern disturbances regimes, stand structures, and landscape dynamics in pinon-juniper vegetation of the western U.S.}, year = {2008}, month = {June 4, 2008}, pages = {35 p}, abstract = {Pi{\~n}on-juniper is one of the major vegetation types in western North America. It covers a huge area, provides many resources and ecosystem services, and is of great management concern. Management of pi{\~n}on-juniper vegetation has been hindered in the past by inadequate understanding of its prehistoric and historic dynamics, of the mechanisms controlling those dynamics, and of the variability in ecosystem structure and process that exists among the many different environmental contexts and floristic combinations of pi{\~n}on, juniper and associated species. This paper presents a summary of what we currently know {\textendash} and don{\textquoteright}t know {\textendash} about historical and modern stand and landscape structure and dynamics, in three major and fundamentally different kinds of pi{\~n}on-juniper vegetation in the western U.S.: persistent woodlands, savannas, and wooded shrublands. It is the product of a workshop that brought together experts from across the geographical range of pi{\~n}on-juniper vegetation. The intent of this synthesis is to provide a source of information for managers and policy-makers, and to stimulate researchers to address the most important unanswered questions.}, keywords = {ecosystem, management, North America, pinon-juniper, vegetation}, url = {/files/bibliography/08-026.pdf}, author = {W.H. Romme and C.D. Allen and J.D. Bailey and W.L. Baker and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and P.M. Brown and K.S. Eisenhart and Floyd-Hanna, L. and D.W. Huffman} } @conference {50337, title = {Conservation of resources for sustainable ecosystems: a dialogue on connecting science, policy, and management}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management, 60th Annual Meeting and Trade Show}, year = {2007}, note = {202776 duplicate. Use 209003 for reporting purposes}, month = {February 9-16, 2}, pages = {Paper No. 189}, address = {Reno/Sparks, NV}, abstract = {For over a century rangeland science has focused, with varying degrees of success, on issues of sustainable goods and services. Our goal in this paper is to analyze this research history for insights into how best to link science, policy, and management of natural resources. We describe three broad periods of rangeland science during the 20th century: 1) a Utilitarian period of the early 20th century where science was closely linked to livestock management use and grazing related policies, followed by 2) a Decoupled Period where science schizophrenically worked to serve disparate management and policy emphases of optimal yields of traditional products and identifying ecological limits and alternative ecological services, and 3) a Reconnection Period where science is slowly redefining the linkages to policy and management as fundamental ecological paradigms have changed and new management tools and policy goals are being developed. During this third period the uses and users of science have changed (both in interest and sophistication) and broadened. The three key, overriding science goals of relevance, impact, and transparency, for all fields of applied ecology have acquired new dimensions during this last Period. Given our current ecological understanding of rangelands, relevance now requires experimental approaches that span multiple spatial and temporal scales. Impact today also requires establishing improved connections to and, in some cases, direct involvement of users in the conduct of that science. Finally, continued public trust requires that all aspects of that scientific method, including data and their analyses and interpretations, need to be open and accessible. Unless we can integrate these new dimensions into our practice of rangeland science, we will not be supported by either managers or policy makers.}, keywords = {management, natural resources, policy, science, sustainable}, author = {Kris Havstad and Joel R. Brown and Debra C. Peters and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and E.L. Fredrickson and Pieper, Rex D. and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @conference {50367, title = {Ecology and management of savannas and semi-deserts of central Argentina}, booktitle = {Society for Range Mangement, 60th Annual Meeting and Trade Show}, number = {Paper No. 324}, year = {2007}, month = {02/2007}, address = {Reno/Sparks, NV}, abstract = {Vegetation of western pampas of central Argentina comprises: caldera, local name of a savanna to woodland ecosystem dominated by Prosopis caldenia; short-grassland and dune-grassland. The area include the central La Pampa and southern San Luis provinces, following a western precipitation gradient from 700 to 400 mm year-1. The caldenal typically occurs in valleys with loamy soils, while grasslands occur in flat uplands and sand dunes. The caldenal was originally featured by large sparse P. caldenia trees surrounded by a matrix of valuable thin short grasses dominated by Poa ligularis and Piptochaetium napostaense (flechillas). Shrub strata was only present in more marginal areas, as in dry slopes. Think grasses were also dominated in short (Stipa tenuis, P. napostaense, P. ligularis, Koeleria permollis), and dune grasslands (Sorgastrum pelitum). Nomadic cattle herding by Indians were widespread until mid 1800s. Major ecological changes occurred in early 1900s when livestock started being risen in fencing paddocks at high stocking rates. Sheep grazing was prevalent during the first half of 1900s and cattle grazing since then. Two severe periods of lodging for woods devastated the calendal in 1910s and 1940s. Lodging was also carried out to establish pastures and croplands. Human activities determine an increase in fire frequency. Currently, almost all calendal cover area comprises secondary forest with a poorly represented tall strata (6-10m) and well represented shrub strata. Grass strata shifted to bunch grasses of low palatability. Similarly, a shift to low valuable grasses and forbs occurred in grasslands. Woody encroachment mostly driven by the dispersion of P. caldenia seed by cattle, is a prevalent problem in both caldenal and grasslands. Woody encroachment increased the likelihood and intensity of fires. Current management focus in improving forage availability through controlled fires. However, there is need for an integrated management approach to restore degraded ecosystems.}, keywords = {Argentina, caldera, ecology, management, savannas}, author = {H. Raul Peinetti and Fernandez, G. and A. Kin and Morici, E.} } @conference {50386, title = {Remote sensing of threshold conditions in an arid ecosystem}, booktitle = {Amereican Geophysical Union Fall Meeting}, year = {2007}, month = {December 10-14, }, pages = {B42B-1160}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {Land management in the arid southwestern USA increasingly addresses thresholds in response to recent concepts adopted by private and public lands agencies and conservation organizations. Vegetation in arid rangelands typically presents as distinctive mosaics of vegetation patches, which persist in dynamic equilibrium with the abiotic environment and facilitative-competitive interactions between organisms. Theory and observation suggest that as an area approaches a threshold in response to disturbance, there is a concomitant change in the spatial arrangement of vegetation patches. This change is readily identifiable on fine spatial resolution aerial photography or satellite sensor imagery. We propose a classification method for identifying threshold-inducing change in vegetation pattern. To illustrate this method, we have applied an object-oriented, supervised classification to subsets of Quickbird imagery (70 cm ground resolution) over the Jornada basin in southern New Mexico. The imagery covers several land management regimes (private, public, federal) and provides spatial variation in ecosystem conditions. Imagery was first segmented to create fine and coarse resolution image objects. Fine resolution image objects are defined as having within-object spectral homogeneity at the scale of the shrub or single patch of grass or soil. Coarse resolution image objects are defined as containing spectral homogeneity at the scale of the vegetation stand. A classification tree was used to classify coarse resolution image objects to high risk of a threshold, low risk of a threshold, or post-threshold according to the content and spatial arrangement of shrub, grass and soil patches within them. Ground-based monitoring to detect localized threshold conditions across broad management areas is intractable so the use of remote sensing is essential to successful prevention of threshold development.}, keywords = {management, private, public lands, threshold}, author = {Caitriana Steele and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and A. Rango and Phil Smith and Andrea S. Laliberte} } @article {50392, title = {Cover pole design for easy transport, assembly and field use}, journal = {Journal of Wildlife Management}, volume = {72}, year = {2007}, month = {2008}, pages = {564-567}, abstract = {

Cover poles, also called Robel poles, are used to measure a variety of structural vegetation attributes commonly used in wildlife and livestock management. Although cover pole dimensions, measurement criteria, and interpretation of cover pole data vary depending on measurement objectives, the technical use of cover poles is fairly consistent. Practical use of cover poles requires that they are sturdy, lightweight, and easily transported. We describe a cover pole apparatus that can be easily constructed, transported, and assembled for use in remote locations. This self-supporting cover pole enables one person to take measurements, and can be modified for use in multiple habitats and soil types.

}, keywords = {cover pole, design, livestock, management, measure, Robel, transport, wildlife}, doi = {10.2193/2007-109}, url = {/files/bibliography/08-051.pdf}, author = {David P. Toledo and Laurie Abbott and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @conference {50421, title = {How can LTER data contribute to ecosystem management}, booktitle = {LTER All Scientists Meeting}, year = {2006}, month = {September 21, 20}, pages = {Paper No. 35}, address = {Estes Park, CO}, abstract = {Research conducted at LTER sites has great potential for use by natural resource managers and policymakers within the surrounding regions, but in many cases the link between LTER data and management policy is limited. We use examples from the Jornada Basin LTER to illustrate some general steps and research questions that can connect LTER research to whole-ecosystem management (e.g., the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, ranchers). The steps/questions include 1) what are spatial extents, often defined by climate and physiography, within which ecological patterns and processes are similar, 2) what are the key gradients and thresholds in soil and climate within regions governing ecological processes, 3) what is the distribution of potential and alternative ecosystem states along the gradients, 4) what are the mechanisms of transition among states, 5) what patterns and tools can be used to recognize and map states within the region, and 6) how should recognition of states be used to generate management decisions?}, keywords = {ecosystem, LTER, management}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Caitriana Steele and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Curtis H. Monger} } @conference {50481, title = {Interpreting Indications of Rangeland Health, Version 4}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management Annual Meeting Abstracts}, number = {Paper No. 278}, year = {2006}, month = {February 12-17, }, address = {Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada}, abstract = {Land managers are in need of an assessment tool that provides a preliminary evaluation of rangeland health. Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 4 is the second published version of a protocol that uses 17 easily observed indicators summarized as three rangeland health attributes (soil/site/stability/hydrologic function, and biotic integrity). Version 3 was published in 2000 and has been widely used in the United States by land management agencies and technical assistance specialists. The changes in Version 4 build up the Version 3 framework and increase the consistency in the application of the protocol in two ways. The most significant modification is the replacement of the ecological site description and/or reference area(s) with an ecological site-specific reference sheet as the standard for the evaluation process. The reference sheet integrates all available sources of data and knowledge, including the ecological site description and reference areas, to generate a range of reference values for each indicator. The reference sheet will be included in ecological site descriptions as they are updated. A second significant modification is the addition of recommended quantitative measurements to support the qualitative evaluations. Version 4 is currently being translated into Chinese, Mongolian, and Spanish.}, keywords = {management, rangeland health}, author = {M. Pellant and P. L. Shaver and D.A. Pyke and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @article {50515, title = {Rangeland research: strategies for providing sustainability and stewardship to the rangelands of the world}, journal = {Rangelands}, volume = {28}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {December 2006}, pages = {7-14}, abstract = {Rangeland research is an important determinant of how rangelands are and will be used. Although larger external forces such as national and global economies and social and political attitudes have direct impact on uses of rangelands, the methods by which we implement and evaluate those economic and social priorities are based in research and development. Decisions made by rangeland scientists and their institutions today about priorities will have a definite and profound influence on the management of our rangelands in the future. The Society for Range Management, in a once-a-decade symposium, examines the current state of the science, existing technologies and changing social and political trends to identify research needs. In 2005, SRM brought together over 2 dozen speakers and 100 participants to examine new directions in rangeland use and management and propose changes to research that will provide decision-makers at all levels the necessary tools to set goals, implement management and monitor performance.}, keywords = {management, rangelands, sustainability, vegetation}, url = {http://www.srmjournals.org/archive/1551-501X/28/6/pdf/i1551-501X-28-6-7.pdf}, author = {Vavra, J. and Joel R. Brown} } @booklet {50533, title = {State and Transition Models 101: A Fresh Look at Vegetation Change}, howpublished = {Quivira Coalition Newsletter}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {August 3, 2005}, pages = {6-11}, abstract = {State-and-transition models are part of a new framework for evaluating the condition of rangelands, anticipating vegetation change, and planning land management. Government agencies, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and ranchers are involved in developing this framework. Why should you care? First, a clear understanding of vegetation change is critical. It lies at the center of the conflict (and cooperation) with which many of us are involved. It affects our bottom line, our interactions with others, and our ways of life. If you have ever wondered why vegetation has changed the way it has, what it used to look like, or what it could look like in the future, then you could probably use a state-and-transition model (hereafter, STM). Second. it is important to realize that both new scientific and policy developments will be connected to the concepts underlying STMs. Even an Undersecretary of the Interior Department and the director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have publicly advocated the uses of STMs. The Nature Conservancy is also using STMs to prioritize conservation efforts. Alongside rangeland health, STM concepts will be part of the common language of natural resource management for years to come.}, keywords = {management, rangelands, state-and-transition, vegetation change}, url = {/files/bibliography/06-005.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown} } @proceedings {50535, title = {Rangelands and Global Change}, year = {2005}, note = {Global Issue Paper}, month = {July 1, 2005}, pages = {11}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Lakewood, CO}, abstract = {GLOBAL CHANGE is any change in the global environment that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life. Included are changes in changes in LAND USE and PRODUCTIVITY, ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY, CLIMATE, WATER RESOURCES and ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (U.S. Global Change Research Act 1990). These changes can be attributed primarily to the growth in human population (\>6 billion in 1999) and their use of natural resources. There are two forms of responding to global change: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation are actions taken to reduce the amount of change that occurs, while adaptation refers to actions that are taken to reduce the impact of change. RANGELANDS are lands on which the indigenous vegetation is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs or shrubs and is managed as a natural ecosystem and include grasslands, savannas, shrublands, deserts, tundras, marshes and meadows (Forage and Grazing Terminology Committee 1991). In the United States, over one-third (770 million acres) of the land area is classified as rangeland. Over half of rangelands are privately owned. In general, rangelands west of the Rocky Mountains are dominated by federal ownership, while those east of the Rockies are predominately privately-owned. There are notable exceptions, particularly along the west coast, where productivity is high enough to warrant private ownership. The significance of ownership is not in how rangelands should be treated in response to global change, but in the policies and programs that must be crafted and implemented to achieve those treatments. (http://www.rangelands.org/pdf/Global_Issue_Paper.pdf)}, keywords = {atmospheric, change, chemistry, global, issue paper, land use, management, producivity, range, society}, url = {/files/bibliography/05-009.pdf}, author = {Joel R. Brown and Blake, R.R. and McPherson, G.R. and Tate, K.W.} } @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} } @article {50556, title = {Selected Essays on Science, Rangelands, and Roles of the Society for Range Management}, journal = {Rangelands}, volume = {27}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {December 27, 200}, pages = {24-28}, abstract = {We are members of a field profession. As a scientist, I am also a member of a profession based on the written word. Often, unfortunately, in writing about this field, our chosen words often reflect the perpetual nature of the environment; dry, dusty, and typically sparse. Maybe it is part of the nature of objective scientific writing. The following collection of nine short essays has been written over recent years as an alternative to this more xeric verbage. Mostly, these have been written to be buried on the 3rd page of an obscure SRM section newsletter. A few have appeared in the SRM Member Resource News. It is my impression that these essays have been read by two people - and I, and another person who thinks I am of questionable intellect and can\&$\#$39;t wait to read my latest rambling as further proof of his conviction, and who then shares his reasoning with me. I have assembled these into a single collection here to offer an array of viewpoints for readers of Rangelands. These viewpoints range form perspectives on the sufficiency of our science to cultural statements expressed within a dairy parlor in China. The central thread is probably best summed as a passion for the profession occasionally tempered by a sense of humor for my minor role in that profession. http://www.srmjournals.org/archive/1551-501X/27/6/pdf/i1551-501X-27-6-24.pdf}, keywords = {management, range, range management, rangelands, science, viewpoints}, url = {/files/bibliography/05-018.pdf}, author = {Kris Havstad} } @book {50559, title = {Monitoring Manual for Grassland, Shrubland and Savanna Ecosystems}, volume = {II}, year = {2005}, month = {2005}, pages = {200}, publisher = {University of Arizona Press - Distributor}, organization = {University of Arizona Press - Distributor}, address = {Tucson, AZ}, abstract = {This two-volume document is intended to assist a wide range of users, including technicians (data collectors), field crew leaders, ranchers and landowners, land managers, rangeland professionals, and researchers. Volume II provides more detailed guidance on monitoring program design, data analysis and interpretation. It also includes a number of supplementary methods.Monitoring is part of a broader process in which we use data to test and refine management decisions. Monitoring data allow the collective knowledge of scientists and land managers to be applied to improve resource management. Monitoring is designed to support a diverse set of goals required by various societal interests. The monitoring procedures described in this manual provide data on three key attributes of landscape and ecosystem sustainability: soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity. These data provide the foundation for assessing and evaluating the degree to which societal goals and/or values are being met by current landscape management. They also provide the basis for management options that meet specific goals. http://usda-ars.nmsu.edu/monit_assess/PDF_files/Volume_II.pdf.}, keywords = {ecosystem, grassland, management, monitoring, monitoring manual, savanna, shrubland}, url = {/files/bibliography/05-008.pdf}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and Justin Van Zee and Kris Havstad and Laura M. Burkett and Walter G. Whitford} } @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} } @conference {50631, title = {Applications of multi- and cross-scale analyses to management of dynamic systems}, booktitle = {Sixth Symposium on the Natural Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Region}, year = {2004}, month = {October 15, 2004}, pages = {19}, address = {Alpine, TX}, abstract = {Decades of research on the management and monitoring of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands have emphasized (1) fine-scale patterns, (2) uniformity of dominant processes, and thus (3) standard, vegetation-based protocols for directing and measuring change. Although this was a necessary step, alone it is an insufficient approach to detecting and responding to degradation. We describe recent conceptual and empirical approaches to measuring the variety of pattern and process in vegetation transition based on soil-geomorphic-climate relationships, multiple scales of vegetation/soil pattern, and cross-scale interactions among grass loss in patches, patch connectivity and flux regulation, and climate-forcing functions. These approaches are being used to develop and refine tools that classify different pathways of vegetation response (state-and-transition models) according to soil and climate variables (ecological site descriptions). Pathways featuring cross-scale interactions can explain irreversible and nonlinear rates of change in time and space. These interactions indicate that different processes drive change at particular times and spatial locations, even within same vegetation type. Identification of the dominant processes governing vegetation change indicates the spatial pattern of change. In turn, this pattern indicates the appropriate scale and strategy for monitoring and designing and implementing management responses.}, keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, climate, cross-scale, geomorphic, management, monitoring, multi-scale, soil, vegetation change}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Kris Havstad and E.L. Fredrickson and Joel R. Brown} } @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} } @conference {50728, title = {Spatial heterogeneity of dynamic soil properties for management and restoration of desert landscapes}, booktitle = {89th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America}, year = {2004}, month = {August 1, 2004}, pages = {Abstract p. 513}, address = {Portland, OR}, abstract = {Restoration of rangelands requires information about the temporal dynamics of soil and vegetation. However, soil survey databases do not provide information about the historical or expected dynamics of soil properties in response to management and disturbances. Information about the temporal nature of soil and its heterogeneity at multiple scales requires new soil survey methods for gathering and reporting soil and vegetation dynamics. A preliminary study in the Chihuahuan Desert for the collection of dynamic soil properties was conducted by the NRCS soil survey crew at Big Bend National Park, Texas. The soil survey map, ecological site description and state-and-transition model were used to select plots. State-and-transition models were also used to illustrate relationships among data. Soil and vegetation measurements included bulk density, salinity, pH, carbon, soil surface stability, canopy cover and canopy gap. Soil surface stability, bulk density and electrical conductivity differed significantly among ecological states. However, differences for bulk density and salinity may not be functionally significant. Near-surface soil property information can provide additional information about the consequences of degradation as well as insight to the feasibility of restoration success.}, keywords = {desert landscapes, management, rangelands, restoration, soil, vegetation}, author = {A.J. Tugel and Loomis, L. and S. Andrews and Dyess, J. and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Jeffrey E. Herrick and G. Peacock and Biggam, P.} } @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 {50971, title = {An approach to managing landscape pattern and dynamics in southern New Mexico}, year = {2001}, month = {April 1, 2001}, address = {Las Cruces, NM}, abstract = {The ecological site concept of USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service provides a hierarchical framework for classifying and distinguishing landscape units differing in the processes that determine plant and animal community dynamics within units and that determine interactions among units. Ecological sites are based upon important differences in landscape position and inherent soil properties as defined by the responses of dominant plant species to variation in climate and management. Dominant plants, in turn, regulate several ecosystem attributes including dynamic soil properties. State-and-transition models represent theories about the positive feedbacks between plants and ecosystems and the causes of irreversible changes in plant and animal composition. An understanding of these causes is needed to avoid ecosystem degradation, to fairly evaluate and manage instances of degradation, and to promote remediation. Here, we describe our ongoing efforts to improve the ecological site classification system for the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico by integrating current approaches to community and landscape ecology with the historical perspective and practical experiences of land managers and ranchers. Our approach emphasizes an increased understanding of patterns of dispersal, establishment, and growth of dominant plants along landscape and climatic gradients.}, keywords = {classifying, dynamics, ecological site concept, landscape pattern, landscape units, management}, url = {http://agecon.nmsu.edu/nmsrm/}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and Joel R. Brown and Kris Havstad and Alexander, R. and Chavez, G. and Jeffrey E. Herrick} } @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 {51121, title = {Indicators of Great Basin rangeland health}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {45}, number = {4}, year = {2000}, month = {August 1, 2000}, pages = {289-304}, abstract = {

Early-warning indicators of rangeland health can be used to estimate the functional integrity of a site and may allow sustainable management of desert rangelands. The utility of several vegetation canopy-based indicators of rangeland health at 32 Great Basin rangeland locations was investigated. The indicators were originally developed in rangelands of the Chihuahuan Desert. Soil resources are lost through wind and water-driven erosion mainly from areas unprotected by plant canopies (i.e. bare soil). Study sites in Idaho had the smallest bare patches, followed by sites in Oregon. The more arid Great Basin Sagebrush Zone sites in Utah had the largest bare patches. Several vegetational indicators including percent cover by vegetation, percent cover by life-form, percent cover by sagebrush, and percent cover by resilient species were negatively related to mean bare patch size and are potential indicators of Great Basin rangeland condition. Plant community composition and the range of bare patch sizes were different at sites in the three locations in Idaho, Oregon and Utah. Therefore, expected indicator values are location specific and should not be extrapolated to other locations. The condition of study sites were often ranked differently by different indicators. Therefore, the condition of rangeland sites should be evaluated using several indicators.

}, keywords = {Great Basin, indicators, management, rangeland health}, doi = {10.1006/jare.2000.0645}, url = {/files/bibliography/00-014.pdf}, author = {A.G. de Soyza and Justin Van Zee and Walter G. Whitford and A.C. Neale and Tallent-Hallsel, N. and Jeffrey E. Herrick and Kris Havstad} } @proceedings {51083, title = {Integrating soil processes into management: From microaggregates to macrocatchments}, volume = {1}, year = {2000}, month = {July 17-23, 1999}, pages = {91-95}, address = {Townsville, Australia}, abstract = {

Soil properties and processes are rarely considered in range management, or in monitoring or assessment of range condition. An implicit assumption of most management programs is that soil properties are correlated with vegetation, so it is only necessary to manage and monitor the plant community. However, most range managers recognize that the plant communities which could exist at a particular site fundamentally depend on soil properties, and that many of these properties are dynamic and respond to management. A reduction in soil organic matter content, or a change in its distribution (dynamic properties), are frequently cited as indicators of land degradation (Northup \& Brown 1999a,b). There are numerous reports demonstrating relationships between soil properties and processes and the capacity of rangelands to support diverse plant and animal communities (National Research Council 1994) and plant and animal production (Elkins et al. 1986; Whitford et al. 1987; Whitford \& Parker 1989; Whitford \& Herrick 1995), and maintain air quality (Belnap \& Gillette 1998) and water quality (National Research Councill993).

}, keywords = {ecosystem health, indicators, management, monitoring, soil processes}, url = {/files/bibliography/00-001.pdf}, author = {Jeffrey E. Herrick and Walter G. Whitford} } @inbook {51104, title = {Landscape Diversity}, booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Biodiversity}, volume = {3}, year = {2000}, month = {October 25, 2000}, pages = {648-658}, publisher = {Academic Press}, organization = {Academic Press}, address = {Princeton, NJ}, abstract = {While biodiversity is usually considered at the species level, maintenance of biodiversity requires management at higher levels of organization, particularly at the landscape scale. It is difficult to manage for each threatened species individually. Alternatively, management can focus on the ecosystems that contain these species, and on the landscapes where ecosystems are found. The relatively new discipline of landscape ecology provides insight into both landscape diversity and species diversity, and suggests a theoretical and practical basis for conservation planning. There are three basic characteristics of landscapes that affect their diversity: structure, function and dynamics. Structure is the most well-understood element of landscapes. It is also the most obvious- nearly any aerial view will show a mixture of different landforms, habitats, or vegetation types. The patch is the basic unit of landscape structure. The characteristics of patches and the spatial relationships among patches are important components of landscapes. The distributions of energy, materials, and species among patches differing in size, shape, abundance, and configuration are particularly important to patterns in diversity at the landscape scale. The other two elements of landscapes go beyond a description of spatial heterogeneity. Function is concerned with interactions among the spatial elements of a landscape, including flows of energy, materials, and species among patches. Landscape dynamics includes characteristics of both structure and function in order to examine changes in pattern and process over time. Conservation and management of biodiversity requires understanding of all three of these elements, including the effects of human activities on the system.}, keywords = {biodiversity, dynamics, function, landscape ecology, maintenance, management, structure}, url = {/files/bibliography/00-020.pdf}, author = {Debra C. Peters and Sarah Goslee}, editor = {Simon Asher (ed. Levin} } @article {51425, title = {Intersection of ecosystem and biodiversity concerns in the management of rangelands}, journal = {Natural Resources and Environmental Issues}, volume = {IV}, year = {1995}, month = {1995}, pages = {72-79}, abstract = {

Maintenance of ecological functions and disturbance regimes within ecosystems is as important as preserving species populations or their genetic structure, biotic communities, and landscapes. There is considerable dispute as to how species diversity influences productivity and stability of various ecosystem structural and dynamic attributes. Some view each and every species as making an incremental\  contribution\  to these features. Others assume that some redundancy exists. Addition or loss\  of species can be anecdotally shown to influence ecosystems in proportion to the role such organisms have in altering microclimate, capturing energy, cycling nutrients, and serving as food and habitat for other organisms. Subtle but essential\  interactions are easy to overlook, however. We should try to keep all the parts until\  more definitive research\  is available\  on\  this topic. Sustainable development will require balancing resource use with maintenance of our natural legacies. Ecosystem perspectives\  must contribute\  to decisions\  on where the balance exists.

}, keywords = {biodiversity, ecosystem, management, rangelands}, url = {files/bibliography/95-NatResandEnv-Whitford.pdf}, author = {West, N.E. and Walter G. Whitford} } @conference {51465, title = {Persistence of desertified ecosystems: explanations and implications}, booktitle = {International Symposium and Workshop on Desertification in Developed Countries: Why Can{\textquoteright}t We Control It?}, year = {1994}, month = {October 24-29, 1}, pages = {18-19}, address = {Tucson, AZ}, abstract = {

Desertification in much of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico has resulted in the replacement of perennial grasslands with desert scrublands. Scrublands dominated by C3 shrubs exhibit long-term persistence, resist control efforts, and are resilient in areas where control and revegetation with grasses have been attempted. Experiments using 5 consecutive years of summer drought using \"rain-out\" shelters and 5 consecutive years of approximately doubling the summer rainfall resulted in no significant changes in annual net above-ground primary production of creasotebush, barren tridentata, in either of the treatments. There were significant changes in species composition and above-grind net primary production of spring annual plants and some reduction of perennial grasses and fortis in droughted plots. There were small changes in decomposition rates and nitrogen mineralization potential but no quantitative differences in the Studies of shrub water budgets demonstrated that between 6 percent and 25 percent of the intercepted rainfall was translocated to deep soil storage by stemflow and root channelization. Nutrient minerals in stemflow water on creosotebush were 5 to 10 times more concentrated in stemflow than in thrnttghfsli and bulk precipitation. These data demonstrate that once shrubs are established, islands of resource enrichment of water and nutrients develop under the shrubs. The result is self-reinforcing systems that are resistant to disturbance. The characteristics of the shrub-dominated ecosystems documented in the experiments demonstrate that they are likely to persist with climate change. The data from these studies suggest that management of desertified landscapes in North America should focus on maintaining the residual grasslands and on the economic uses of the shrub-dominated ecosystems.

}, keywords = {desert scrublands, desertification, desertified landscapes, maintaining grasslands, management}, author = {Walter G. Whitford and G. Martinez-Turanzas and E. Martinez-Meza} } @article {51531, title = {Effects of age and flock size on flocking behavior in Rambouillet and Rambouillet x Polypay female sheep}, journal = {Sheep Research Journal}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, year = {1992}, month = {1992}, pages = {112-115}, abstract = {

Although intraspecies cohesiveness or flocking behavior in some breeds of adult sheep is well recognized (Hunter,1960), age effects and numbers of sheep within and among ages independent of maternal attachment is not clear. Young ewe lambs from our New Mexico flock just weaned from their dams refused to stay with a group of adult ewes bonded to cattle (flerd). In contrast, a group of yearling ewes tenaciously stayed close to peer yearling ewes bonded to cattle (Anderson et al.,1988). In attempts to increase the numbers of young bonded lambs in flerds we observed that when group size approached or exceeded 12, lambs frequently became independent of cattle and formed small independent lamb groups. However, when the original small confinement groups were maintained as separate units until the lambs were 6 months or more of age, the small flerd could be combined into larger groups and would maintain close affinity quite consistently (Hulet,1989). Bonded older lambs, yearlings and mature ewes have been maintained in large groups (\>80) with cattle with consistent close affinity of the sheep to cattle over long periods of time (\>3 years). These contrasting behaviors raised the question as to the age at which the flocking instinct, independent of maternal attachment, expresses itself.

}, keywords = {behavior, flocking, management, sheep}, url = {/files/bibliography/390.pdf}, author = {Clarence V. Hulet and D.M. Anderson and Shupe, W. Larry and L. W. Murray} } @inbook {51569, title = {Grazing Management}, booktitle = {Semiarid Lands and Deserts: Soil Resource and Reclamation}, year = {1991}, month = {1991}, pages = {361-385}, publisher = {Marcel Dekker, Inc.}, organization = {Marcel Dekker, Inc.}, address = {New York, NY}, abstract = {A major use of semiarid and arid lands ("rangelands" in this chapter) is grazing or browsing by livestock and wild herbivores. Rangelands also provide habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities, water, and aesthetic values. Animal production on rangelands reduces the requirements for nonrenewable fossil fuels and utilizes resources not readily usable by other means. Semiarid and arid rangelands are often fragile and subject to accelerated soil erosion if not managed appropriately. If rangelands are mismanaged so that plants fail to provide sufficient soil cover, the composition of the plant community changes, resulting in reduced productivity and increased erosion. Continued abuse of the rangeland system can result in severe soil degradation. This does not imply that proper grazing is destructive; some plants produce more biomass with moderate livestock grazing than with protection from livestock grazing. Some native plant communities evolved with grazing use by native animals, whereas other communities evolved with little or no utilization by herbivores. However, native plant communities are not always the most productive under intensive animal grazing (Herbel, 1982). Revegetation with introduced or improved plant species may dramatically increase the productivity of rangelands (Herbel, 1983). Grazing of livestock is controlled to some degree by range managers and pastoralists around the world. However, many important environmental factors are beyond control of the manager, but these factors need to be considered in planning grazing management and future research on the subject.}, keywords = {environmental factors, increased erosion, livestock, management, rangelands, reduced productivity}, url = {/files/bibliography/370.pdf}, author = {C.H. Herbel and Pieper, Rex D.}, editor = {Skujins, J.} } @article {51666, title = {A Review: Understanding sheep behaviour, a key to more efficient and profitable lamb and wool production}, journal = {SID Research Journal}, volume = {5}, year = {1989}, month = {1989}, pages = {26-33}, abstract = {

A knowledge of sheep behavior can help to improve production efficiency. Flocking instinct and social attachments provide methods to improve the efficiency of managing sheep through bonding to cattle to reduce loss to predation and minimize stress at weaning. Characteristics of sheep movement behavior have contributed to the design of efficient sheep-working facilities and management systems. Cattle, sheep and goats are complementary in transforming the range resource into red meat and fiber. Grazing behavior and diet learning are leading to improved forage utilization and range management. Periodic exposure of rams to ewes increases testes size, fertility and libido. Exposure of ewes, previously isolated from males, to rams during the transitional period between the non breeding and breeding season can initiate early breeding and fall lambs. Ewe lambs are shy breeders and should be mated separately from mature ewes. Orphan lambs can be fostered to ewes with extra milk utilizing odor transfer techniques resulting in higher and more efficient lamb production. Stress management can improve rate of gain following weaning and in feedlot lambs.

}, keywords = {behavior, management, production, sheep}, url = {/files/bibliography/347.pdf}, author = {Clarence V. Hulet} } @proceedings {51899, title = {The dynamics of liveweight in cattle grazing southwestern United States semiarid rangeland}, year = {1984}, month = {May 13, 1984}, pages = {402-403}, address = {Adelaide, Australia}, abstract = {This paper alleges that information necessary to make management decisions, such as calving date, and improved precision in estimating characteristics of an individual cow{\textquoteright}s liveweight profile can be obtained when liveweights taken frequently and automatically are compared to liveweights taken at greater than 27-day intervals using conventional methods. The measurement, liveweight, is used to evaluate biological and economic components of production animal agriculture. Changes in liveweight are dynamic, both diurnally and seasonally, mainly in response to body fluids anti fill (Anderson and Tietjen, 1982). To reduce variability in the mean liveweight between animals, past research has been directed to evaluate number of animals to be weighed, time of weighing, type and length of fasting, and the use of consecutive weighings (Hughes, 1976). Until the advent of single animal electronic scales and individual electronic animal identification, frequent weighing of free ranging cattle was not practical (Anderson, Landt and Salazar, 1981). Automatic liveweight data acquisition reduces the incidence of transcriptional and phonetic errors and variability in data taken during manual weighing arising from nervous animalsthat move excessively on the scale platform. Analyses in this paper compare liveweight data of free ranging cattle obtained when both infrequent manual and automatic weighings were recorded. Prior to drinking, automatically obtained individual liveweights were taken whenever animals entered the corral to drink water.}, keywords = {cattle, grazing, liveweight, management, semiarid rangeland}, url = {/files/bibliography/286.pdf}, author = {D.M. Anderson and Weeks, D.L.} } @article {JRN52694, title = {Factors restricting pronghorn increase on the Jornada Experimental Range}, number = {245}, year = {1973}, month = {1973}, pages = {1-12}, institution = {New Mexico State University}, address = {Las Cruces, NM}, abstract = {

The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana, Ord) is New Mexico\&$\#$39;s third most important game ungulate. In 1963, 90,000 big game hunters spent $16.6 million in New Mexico (26). Approximately $358,000 was spent in pursuit of pronghorns. These numbers may double by 1975 because of the expected increase in population and the increasing percentage of hunters. Because of these hunting increases and additional demands on all phases of outdoor recreation, wildlife managers will be forced to engage in more intensified game management programs. They must find ways to increase carrying capacity of game ranges and increase the production of game herds. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that were restricting pronghorn increase on the Jornada Experimental Range. Even though hunting is not allowed on the area, the basic information gained could be used to improve management of pronghorns on similar areas of the Southwest. If habitat requirements are known, it might be possible to increase pronghorn habitat and numbers through habitat manipulation.

}, keywords = {Jornada Experimental Range, management, pronghorn, Southwest}, issn = {245}, url = {/files/bibliography/146.pdf}, author = {V. W. Howard Jr. and C.T. Engelking and Elmo Dwain Glidewell and J. E. Wood} } @article {52576, title = {Range management}, journal = {Western Livestock Journal}, volume = {19}, year = {1941}, month = {1941}, pages = {55}, keywords = {management, range, range management}, author = {F.N. Ares} } @article {52607, title = {Management of black grama ranges}, journal = {American Hereford Journal}, volume = {26}, year = {1935}, month = {1935}, pages = {74-76}, keywords = {black grama, management}, author = {R.S. Campbell} }