- Can foraging behavior of Criollo cattle help increase agricultural production and reduce environmental impacts in the arid Southwest? (S Spiegal, R Estell, AF Cibils, D Browning, HR Peinetti, D James, K Romig, A Gonzalez) - The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network (LTAR) was formed to develop strategies for agriculture that simultaneously enhance production efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. Through a Common Experiment, 18 networked sites are working to better understand the trade-offs associated with conventional, “business as usual” agriculture and explore hypotheses about how “aspirational” agriculture may present more favorable outcomes. In the northern Chihuahuan Desert, business as usual comprises thousands of cow-calf operations with low to moderate stocking rates and year-round grazing. Crossbreds with genetic lineages from Northern Europe (e.g., Angus x Hereford) are in wide use. Grazing is recognized as one of multiple interacting factors influencing ecosystem processes; however, uneven landscape utilization associated with conventional breeds can amplify soil erosion, dust emissions, and irreversible grass loss.
- La Economía de la Producción de Ganado Rarámuri Criollo (RC) Versus Ganado Mestizo Británico en el Desierto Chihuahuense (J Diaz, A Torell, A Gonzalez, R Estell, A Cibils, D Anderson) - Una investigación preliminar indica que el ganado Rarámuri Criollo (RC) puede deambular más lejos y buscar comida en áreas donde las razas tradicionales rara vez se aventuran. Estos animales de pequeño marco están bien adaptados a ambientes hostiles y pueden mantener la productividad con una mínima cría de ganado y suplementación. El ganado RC es potencialmente la vaca ideal para ambientes áridos. Este ganado se está comercializando con gran éxito en el mercado de engorde en pastizales del suroeste y tiene una aceptación positiva del consumidor por el sabor y calidad de la carne.
- The Economics of Raramuri Criollo Versus British Crossbred Cattle Production in the Chihuahuan Desert (J Diaz, A Torell, A Gonzalez, R Estell, A Cibils, D Anderson) - Preliminary research indicates Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle may range further and forage in areas where traditional breeds rarely venture. These small-frame animals are well adapted to harsh environments and maintain productivity with minimal husbandry and supplementation. RC cattle are potentially an ideal cow for arid environments. These cattle are being successfully marketed in the Southwest grass-fed meat market with positive consumer acceptance of meat quality and flavor.
- Art and Scienct at the Plant-Animal Interface: Using Animal Behaviors to Accomplish Management Goals (D Anderson) - presented to range science classes at New Mexico State University, April 2014. Go to https://jornada.nmsu.edu/people/dean-anderson to view "cow ear" and "moving paddock" videos in the presentation.
- Virtual Fencing-A Corrective or Substantive Paradigm Changer for Managing Animal Dominated Landscapes (D Anderson) - presented at the 2013 Spatially Enabled Livestock Management Symposium on September 26-27, 2013, in Camden NSW, Australia (Note: PowerPoint may not properly download from Internet Explorer, use Mozilla Firefox or another web browser).
- Relationship between one-seed juniper terpene concentration and herbivory by small ruminants (R Estell, S Utsumi, A Cibils, D Anderson) - Shrub encroachment into western rangelands reduces forage availability and has serious ecological implications. One-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma [Engelm.] Sarg.) dominate millions of hectares of western rangelands. Woody plants are typically well defended by plant secondary metabolites and used sparingly by livestock. Identification of factors regulating consumption of unpalatable woody plants may lead to mechanisms to enhance intake. Objectives: 1) to determine relationship between terpene concentrations and juniper herbivory by small ruminants, and 2) to determine relationship of terpene concentrations with season and sapling size.
- Distribution of Antiherbivory Compounds in Flourensia cernua (R Estell, D James, D Anderson) - Flourensia cernua is being used as a shrub model to study the role of terpenes in intake by browsing ruminants at the Jornada Experimental Range. Tarbush consumption by small ruminants is related to leaf surface concentration of individual terpenes, but plant to plant variability in concentration is high. Our objective was to identify sources of within-plant sources of variation in leaf chemistry in an effort to minimize sample variation and optimize sampling protocols.
- Tools to Study and Manage Grazing Behavior at Multiple Scales to Enhance the Sustainability of Livestock Production Systems (D Anderson) - No single tool exists to answer all questions, complex tools require sophisticated teams, tools should foster low stress animal handling, use tools that capitalize on innate animal behavior.