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Journal articles on the topic 'Rangeland conservation'
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1
Arjjumend, Hasrat. "ENDANGERED NOMADIC PASTORALISM: A NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING THE POLICY PARADIGM OF RANGELAND COMMONS." Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development, no. 8(27) (2020): 56–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.37100/2616-7689/2020/8(27)/8.
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Fading fast all over the world, nomadic people have faced biases concerning their lifestyles and their symbiosis with rangelands. The nomadic grazing, which is helpful to biodiversity, not detrimental, in rangeland commons is perceived and advocated by deep ecologists, conservation administrators and policy makers as a threat to conservation of ecosystems. Consequently, both nomadic pastoralists and rangeland ecosystems have suffered a grim fate. On the contrary, the subsistence pastoralism is an established sustainable strategy of livelihood and ecosystem conservation in the rangelands. Unfortunately, some of the most nutritive foods and other sustainable products of nomadic pastoralists have not desirably been priced in modern markets. With the demonstrated cases exhibiting the nomadic pastoralists, such as Hutsul shepherd communities of Ukraine, as most sustainable societies on planet Earth, there is urgent need for restructuring the popular paradigm and State policies on rangeland commons. In isolation of nomadic people, the rangelands cannot truly be conserved or protected. To begin with, the resilience of nomadic pastoralists to the changing environments and their (unique) rangeland management can first be pondered. Accordingly, the policy and legal frameworks of States need to be reoriented and revised.
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Dong, Shikui, and Ruth Sherman. "Enhancing the resilience of coupled human and natural systems of alpine rangelands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau." Rangeland Journal 37, no. 1 (2015): i. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj14117.
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This special issue covers a wide range of topics on the protection and sustainable management of alpine rangelands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), including Indigenous knowledge of sustainable rangeland management, science-policy interface for alpine rangeland biodiversity conservation, adaptations of local people to social and environmental changes and policy design for managing coupled human-natural systems of alpine rangelands.
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Woinarski, J. C. Z., and A. Fisher. "Conservation and the maintenance of biodiversity in the rangelands." Rangeland Journal 25, no. 2 (2003): 157. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj03013.
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There has been substantial loss of biodiversity in the Australian rangelands, and evidence suggests that the attrition is continuing. We argue that rangeland users should be more aware of, and concerned about, this problem: that we are sullying an international asset; that we are undermining the basis of a major rangeland industry, tourism; that we are sabotaging the potential for the development of alternative rangeland uses (most notably sustainable use of native wildlife); that such losses provide evidence that we are poor managers; that such losses diminish our lives; that such losses indicate that at least some of our environments are operating at reduced functionality; and that such losses take away or reduce important and wide-ranging environmental services. This loss is due to a complex array of factors, each affecting different components of biodiversity in different ways. Our responses are generally poorly coordinated across rangeland jurisdictions, and there is uncertainty about responsibilities across different land tenures. Given the diffuse but pervasive nature of the problem and the generally poorly coordinated and non-strategic current response, we suggest that biodiversity conservation needs to be far more clearly and systematically operationalised, that a clear goal for biodiversity conservation in the rangelands (maintenance of viable populations of all native species of plants and animals at appropriate spatial and temporal scales) needs to be developed, and that, from this, the community needs to set explicit targets relating to this goal, at continental, jurisdiction, regional and property scales. While we recognise that our existing knowledge base is imperfect, such limitation should not delay the implementation of these steps. We consider that there is sufficient management expertise to realise a rangeland biodiversity goal. However, there are two more serious impediments in achieving the goal: current lack of resources and of societal agreement.
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Morton, SR. "Changing Conservation Perceptions in the Australian Rangelands." Rangeland Journal 15, no. 1 (1993): 145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9930145.
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Attitudes to conservation in the rangelands are shifting rapidly as cultural change alters the ways in which Australians view their history and environment. In earlier times, pastoralists of the outback were seen as admirable pioneers; today, not all Australians hold such a view. In an effort to predict how trends in social change might affect conservation issues I review recent events in the forest and fishing industries, which like the rangeland industries are to some extent based upon public land or resources. The forest industries have been under sustained attack from conservationists, whereas pressure on the fishing industry has emanated from scientists and governments worried about sustainability. Both industries are changing in response to these pressures, and it is possible that animal production in the rangelands will eventually experience similar forces. I suggest that in the long run the rangeland industries will be unable to ignore change, and that in fact the social currents may provide new opportunities.
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Duan, Cheng, Peili Shi, Minghua Song, Xianzhou Zhang, Ning Zong, and Caiping Zhou. "Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Kailash Sacred Landscape of China." Sustainability 11, no. 6 (March 25, 2019): 1788. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11061788.
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Land use and land cover change (LUCC) is an important driver of ecosystem function and services. Thus, LUCC analysis may lay foundation for landscape planning, conservation and management. It is especially true for alpine landscapes, which are more susceptible to climate changes and human activities. However, the information on LUCC in sacred landscape is limited, which will hinder the landscape conservation and development. We chose Kailash Sacred Landscape in China (KSL-China) to investigate the patterns and dynamics of LUCC and the driving forces using remote sensing data and meteorological data from 1990 to 2008. A supervised classification of land use and land cover was established based on field survey. Rangelands presented marked fluctuations due to climatic warming and its induced drought, for example, dramatic decreases were found in high- and medium-cover rangelands over the period 2000–2008. And recession of most glaciers was also observed in the study period. Instead, an increase of anthropogenic activities accelerated intensive alteration of land use, such as conversion of cropland to built-up land. We found that the change of vegetation cover was positively correlated with growing season precipitation (GSP). In addition, vegetation cover was substantially reduced along the pilgrimage routes particularly within 5 km of the routes. The findings of the study suggest that climatic warming and human disturbance are interacted to cause remarkable LUCC. Tourism development was responsible land use change in urban and pilgrimage routes. This study has important implications for landscape conservation and ecosystem management. The reduction of rangeland cover may decrease the rangeland quality and pose pressure for the carrying capacity of rangelands in the KSL-China. With the increasing risk of climate warming, rangeland conservation is imperative. The future development should shift from livestock-focus animal husbandry to service-based ecotourism in the sacred landscape.
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Read, J. L. "Are miners the bunnies or the bilbies of the rangelands?" Rangeland Journal 25, no. 2 (2003): 172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj03014.
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In order to be preferred land-users of the Australian rangelands, mining operations should legacy net environmental, social and economic benefits in the regions that they operate. The positive and negative environmental implications of the Olympic Dam mine in arid South Australia are compared in this study. Criteria assessed include the relative area of affected v. improved landscape, environmental research, pest control and the facilitation of proactive conservation and sustainable diversification outcomes. A call is made for consistent treatment of potential environmental impacts across all rangeland users and the adoption of biodiversity trading to improve regional conservation outcomes. A challenge is issued to miners and other rangeland land-users to demonstrate that, like bilbies, their net environmental effects are beneficial.
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Prakash, Prem. "Grazing management in temperate grassland of Kumaun Himalaya for soil water conservation." Journal of Applied and Natural Science 5, no. 2 (December 1, 2013): 345–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.31018/jans.v5i2.330.
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Overgrazing by livestock has caused major changes in the productivity and composition of rangeland vegetation in India. The main problem stems from the fact that the carrying capacity of rangelands is low as a result of low vegetation cover, and is decreasing with range degradation. This has an impact on land degradation which affects the rangeland hydrology. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the physio-hydrological responses of soil to different intensities of livestock grazing and land management by comparing the effect of uncontrolled grazed land and fenced off (ungrazed) land. There is a need to understand the hydrology of rangeland so as to propose ways of improving carrying capacity of rangeland. The study site had two different treatments: fenced off to prevent grazing, and uncontrolled grazed treatments. Plant biomass was measured at the end of the season. The results showed that there is a significant difference in infiltration rate and soil moisture among the two treatments. Infiltration rates were substantially greater in summer than in winter. On day 1 the steady infiltration rate in summer was twice the winter rate. The infiltration rate in summer on day 2, which is a better measure of the steady rate, was 2.5 times the winter rate. The differences between seasons were statistically very significant (p < 0.001). The effect of treatments on soil moisture was proportional to the effect of vegetation, as well as the effect of soil type on soil moisture, thus vegetation production depends on soil moisture.
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Barry, Sheila, Tracy K. Schohr, and Karen Sweet. "The California Rangeland Conservation Coalition." Rangelands 29, no. 3 (June 2007): 31–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.2111/1551-501x(2007)29[31:tcrcc]2.0.co;2.
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Barrera-Perales, Octavio T. "Economic valuation of rangelands in the north of Mexico: A study for its conservation." Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 19, no. 3 (September 2021): e0110-e0110. http://dx.doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2021193-17041.
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Aim of study: To estimate grazing fee and the economic value of the communal rangelands of two groups of ranchers. Area of study: Ejido Tanque de Arenas (ETA) and ejido Tanque de Dolores (ETD) in Catorce, San Luis Potosí, Mexico Material and methods: The contingent valuation method with referendum format was used to propose a grazing fee that would allow conservation and continuity in the use of the common resource. The field information was collected by interviews and was processed in the PASW Statistics 22 software NLOGIT Version 5.0. Main results: Perception of rangeland deterioration, age, size of the herd, and level of income are characteristics of ranchers that influence the willingness to pay. From the coefficient of rangeland of the region (24.2 ha/AU) a monthly grazing fee of USD 7.18 per animal was calculated.
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Macleod, ND, and BG Johnston. "An economic framework for the evaluation of rangeland restoration projects." Rangeland Journal 12, no. 1 (1990): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9900040.
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Statements concerning rangeland degradation and restoration issues are often supported by technically oriented evaluations, with limited consideration of the economic implications of resource conservation or rehabilitation. In the few cases where an attempt has been made to incorporate economic elements into analyses, some shortcomings have been evident in the methodology adopted. This has sometimes produced misleading results, and has made comparisons of different restoration technologies difficult. This paper examines several issues that are important in obtaining an economic perspective on the restoration of degraded rangelands. The formal procedure of benefit-cost analysis is presented as a rational framework for the economic evaluation of such activities. The framework is applied, via a case study approach, to examine the private economic value of several technologies for rangeland restoration. However, because the analysis is based on limited data, the conclusion is indicative rather than definitive. Issues relevant to the extension of the analysis to encompass social evaluations of rangeland restoration management are canvassed.
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Lindner, RK. "Should rangeland rehabilitation be paid for from the public purse?" Rangeland Journal 12, no. 2 (1990): 61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9900061.
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The issue addressed in this paper is the appropriate source of funding for rangeland rehabilitation. Two subsidmy questions are pertinent to this policy issue. Is it profitable for private managers of pastoral properties to rehabilitate rangeland? If not, then on what grounds might it be in the public interest to do so? Evidence is presented that it is privately profitable to rehabilitate slightly to moderately degraded range, by destocking during seasons when there are good prospects for seedlings to become established, but otherwise matching the stocking rate to feed availability. Conversely, it is unprofitable to rehabilitate severely degraded range unless the cost of reseeding is subsidized by at least $5/ha. The relevance of various market failure arguments to the case for public fun- of rangeland rehabilitation to the extent of $100million is discussed, and the need to estimate the existence value of rangelands vis a vis other conservation goals is identified.
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Han, J. G., Y. J. Zhang, C. J. Wang, W. M. Bai, Y. R. Wang, G. D. Han, and L. H. Li. "Rangeland degradation and restoration management in China." Rangeland Journal 30, no. 2 (2008): 233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj08009.
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Rangelands of China have for centuries provided forage for livestock but now their role in water, soil, and biodiversity conservation is being recognised by Governments and people. However, much of the rangelands has recently degraded and desertification is now a widespread problem. The cause of the degradation is over-grazing and over-cultivation. Climate change is exacerbating the problem. The Chinese Governments have begun to address these severe problems through policy adjustments and projects. In parallel, some research and development is taking place. There are major impediments to addressing the problem; the importance of rangelands to China and its people are generally underestimated, legislative protection is incomplete and often ineffective, little attention is paid to scientific knowledge for development of management of natural resources, there is insufficient technological support, and Governments are not able to invest sufficiently to effectively restore and develop rangeland natural resources. However, with this background we propose how the problems might be more effectively addressed in the future.
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Dong, S. K., J. P. Lassoie, Z. L. Yan, E. Sharma, K. K. Shrestha, and D. Pariya. "Indigenous rangeland resource management in the mountainous areas of northern Nepal: a case study from the Rasuwa District." Rangeland Journal 29, no. 2 (2007): 149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj07033.
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Rangelands perform numerous functions that have significant ecological and livelihood values for mountain societies in Nepal. There are no other systems more suitable than indigenous management systems, which have evolved over long periods of time and offer approaches to land use that are suitable to the varying climatic, biophysical conditions and ethnic diversity that characterise Nepal. However, traditional resource management practices have been ignored in the past, which has resulted in conflicts and resource degradation. In this context, a survey was conducted in the Rasuwa District of northern Nepal to identify existing indigenous rangeland management systems, examine the challenges facing the development of sustainable practices and suggest possible strategies for promoting their development. It was concluded from this study that local herders in the Rasuwa District of northern Nepal have developed effective indigenous rangeland management systems that include good grazing and conservation practices. Well organised local institutional arrangements and efficient traditional right and tenure systems have evolved that result in the sustainable use of rangeland resources. However, both internal and external factors are now challenging these traditional systems. Results indicated that to remain sustainable rangeland management systems in northern Nepal will require a clear recognition of indigenous knowledge of rangeland management as well as the integration of indigenous practices and strategies with modern technologies. More attention should be paid to the facilitation of rangeland legislation covering traditional rights and customary tenure, institutional cooperation and collaboration between government and civil society. Co-management and participatory research and development should be initiated on rangeland resources and the improvement of infrastructure and public service systems.
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Robinson, Nathaniel P., Matthew O. Jones, Alvaro Moreno, Tyler A. Erickson, David E. Naugle, and Brady W. Allred. "Rangeland Productivity Partitioned to Sub-Pixel Plant Functional Types." Remote Sensing 11, no. 12 (June 15, 2019): 1427. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs11121427.
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Understanding and monitoring the dynamics of rangeland heterogeneity through time and across space is critical for the effective management and conservation of rangeland systems and the sustained supply of the ecosystem goods and services they provide. Conventional approaches (both field-based and remote sensing) to monitoring rangeland productivity fail to effectively capture important aspects of this heterogeneity. While field methods can effectively capture high levels of detail at fine spatial and temporal resolutions, they are limited in their applicability and scalability to larger spatial extents and longer time periods. Alternatively, remote sensing based approaches that scale broad spatiotemporal extents simplify important heterogeneity occurring at fine scales. We address these limitations to monitoring rangeland productivity by combining a continuous plant functional type (PFT) fractional cover dataset with a Landsat derived gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP) model. Integrating the annual PFT dataset with a 16-day Landsat normalized difference vegetation (NDVI) composite dataset enabled us to disaggregate the pixel level NDVI values to the sub-pixel PFTs. These values were incorporated into the productivity algorithm, enabling refined estimations of 16-day GPP and annual NPP for the PFTs that composed each pixel. We demonstrated the results of these methods on a set of representative rangeland sites across the western United States. Partitioning rangeland productivity to sub-pixel PFTs revealed new dynamics and insights to aid the sustainable management of rangelands.
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Holechek, Jerry L. "Global trends in population, energy use and climate: implications for policy development, rangeland management and rangeland users." Rangeland Journal 35, no. 2 (2013): 117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj12077.
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Increasing world human population, declining reserves of cheaply extracted fossil fuels, scarcity of supplies of fresh water and climatic instability will put tremendous pressure on world rangelands as the 21st century progresses. It is expected that the human population of the world will increase by 40% by 2050 but fossil fuel and reserves of fresh water will be drastically reduced. Avoiding food shortages and famine could be a major world challenge within the next 10 years. Under these conditions, major changes in policies relating to economic growth and use of natural resources seem essential. Stabilisation of the human population, development of clean and renewable energy, enhanced supplies of water and its quality, increased livestock production, and changed land-use policies, that minimise agricultural land losses to development and fragmentation, will all be needed to avoid declining living conditions at the global level. The health and productivity of rangelands will need to receive much more emphasis as they are a primary source of vital ecosystem services and products essential to human life. Changes in tax policies by developed, affluent countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada, are needed that emphasise saving and conservation as opposed to excessive material consumption and land development. Extreme levels of debt and chronic deficits in trade by the United States and European Union countries need to be moderated to avoid a devastating collision of debt, depletion of natural resources, and environmental degradation. Over the next 10 years, livestock producers of the rangelands will benefit from a major increase in demand and prices for meat. Rapidly increasing demand for meat in China and other Asian countries is driving this trend. Rangeland managers, however, will also likely encounter greater climatic, financial, biological and political risks. Higher interest rates, higher production costs and higher annual variability in forage resources are major challenges that will confront rangeland managers in the years ahead. Under these conditions, a low risk approach to livestock production from rangelands is recommended that involves conservative stocking, use of highly adapted livestock, and application of behavioural knowledge of livestock to efficiently use forage resources.
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KOÇ, Ali, Mehmet Kerim GÜLLAP, Mustafa SÜRMEN, and Halil İbrahim ERKOVAN. "Changes in some vegetation properties of the rangelands of the Palandöken Mountains, Erzurum, over two decades." TURKISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY 44, no. 6 (December 8, 2020): 589–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.3906/tar-1909-37.
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Plant community responses to environmental changes depend upon management strategies, climate, topography, and time. The objective herein was to determine canopy coverage and botanical changes in Turkish highland rangelands with different topographical characteristics between 1993 and 2013. Trends in the plant composition changed depending on the slope aspect (compass direction) and topography. The contribution of the grasses to the canopy decreased, while that of legumes and the other families increased. The results indicated that rangeland degradation occurred under uncontrolled grazing conditions. Suitable range management changes are recommended for the conservation of natural resources in the highland rangelands of Turkey.
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Norman, Laura M., Miguel L. Villarreal, Rewati Niraula, Mark Haberstich, and Natalie R. Wilson. "Modelling Development of Riparian Ranchlands Using Ecosystem Services at the Aravaipa Watershed, SE Arizona." Land 8, no. 4 (April 16, 2019): 64. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land8040064.
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This paper describes how subdivision and development of rangelands within a remote and celebrated semi-arid watershed near the US–Mexico border might affect multiple ecohydrological services provided, such as recharge of the aquifer, water and sediment yield, water quality, flow rates and downstream cultural and natural resources. Specifically, we apply an uncalibrated watershed model and land-change forecasting scenario to consider the potential effects of converting rangelands to housing developments and document potential changes in hydrological ecosystem services. A new method to incorporate weather data in watershed modelling is introduced. Results of introducing residential development in this fragile arid environment portray changes in the water budget, including increases in surface-water runoff, water yield, and total sediment loading. Our findings also predict slight reductions in lateral soil water, a component of the water budget that is increasingly becoming recognized as critical to maintaining water availability in arid regions. We discuss how the proposed development on shrub/scrub rangelands could threaten to sever imperative ecohydrological interactions and impact multiple ecosystem services. This research highlights rangeland management issues important for the protection of open space, economic valuation of rangeland ecosystem services, conservation easements, and incentives to develop markets for these.
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Acharya, Dhruba, and Nav Raj Baral. "Neglected High Altitude Rangelands of Nepal: Need for Reform." Journal of Forest and Livelihood 15, no. 1 (September 4, 2017): 103–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v15i1.23093.
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High altitude (HA) rangelands (e.g., grasslands, pastures, and shrublands) are important resources for the livelihoods of transhumance pastoralists. Transhumance pastoralists have developed and used unique institutional practices of using and managing HA rangeland resources that better suit their local context. However, several issues have emerged regarding the use and management of such rangelands. Using secondary information and our own experiences, we analyse the resource tenure situation and the political ecology of the HA rangelands. We found that the current management of these resources is largely neglected from both legal and programmatic point of view. Legal instruments and programmatic interventions have not only failed to recognise historically held indigenous knowledge and long practiced resource conservation, use and management but have also limited the access of pastoralists to the resources, and thereby, inducing conflict among stakeholders. As a result, the livelihoods of the transhumance pastoralists have been threatened and several socio-cultural, economic and ecological consequences have also been experienced. We suggest developing a separate policy and management plan for HA rangeland resources considering the customary rights of transhumance pastoralists, resource conditions and appropriate management practices. We also suggest incorporating such perspectives in revising ongoing community forest and protected areas management.
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Mpondo, Faith Thomas, Patrick A. Ndakidemi, and Anna C. Treydte. "Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania." Tropical Conservation Science 14 (January 2021): 194008292110281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19400829211028127.
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Insect pollinators provide numerous ecosystem services that support other living organisms. While pollinators play a large role in cropping systems, little is known about their presence and function in rangeland ecosystems, which have recently become fragmented and overexploited at an extraordinary rate. We assessed local Maasai knowledge on insect pollinators and how pollinators affect livelihood diversification in Simanjiro rangelands, Tanzania. Through questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations, we found varied insect knowledge among Maasai herders. Lasioglossum of sub genus Ipomalictus and Syriphidae were the least commonly recognized pollinators as only 24%, and 7% of participants could identify them, respectively. Responses varied significantly between men and women (F = 7.397, p = .007). Commiphora africana, Acacia mellifera and Albizia anthelmintica were noted as most important bee forage plants while observations showed Aspilia mossambicensis, Justicia debile and Acacia tortilis. Most (77%) of Maasai herders showed limited ability to link pollinators and rangeland wellbeing. Beekeeping contributed to livelihood diversification for 61% of respondents, with women participating more frequently than men (χ2 = 46.962, p = .0001). Beekeeping was positively influenced by education level ( R = .421, p < .0001) and occupation ( R = .194, p = .009). Pollinator declines were attributed to climate change (47%), agriculture (37%), and habitat destruction (8%). We conclude that Maasai have limited knowledge of common pollinator groups and their roles. Community outreach and training should bridge the knowledge gap in pastoralist communities to fully realize pollinator benefits and highlight the importance of rangeland health.
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Freudenberger, DO, and CD Freudenberger. "Good Relationships: Ethical and Ecological Perspectives of Rangeland Management." Rangeland Journal 16, no. 2 (1994): 321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9940321.
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As we ponder the prospects of our rangelands, we face the fundamental ethical and ecological question: what is good rangeland management? We propose that good management is based on caring relationships. Caring about any person or anything is our only tangible way of expressing gratitude for life and our moment of opportunity to participate in it. The motivation of gratitude is the essence of ethical actions. Good management results from expressions of gratitude through informed, diverse, and responsive relationships with the land. Our relationships must be informed by sound ecological understanding; uninformed acts of gratitude have degraded the rangelands. Good relationships can involve extraction, preservation, conservation and enhancement of natural resources. No single relationship with the land is wholly appropriate. Good management is based on relationships that are responsive to the dynamics of rangeland ecosystems. The ethic and science of ecological sustainability must be incorporated into the moral concept of justice, otherwise justice is short lived. Without justice, communities and the land on which they depend suffer and decline. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. Is wrong when it tends otherwise. -Ado Leopold
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Rissman, Adena R., Richard Reiner, and Adina M. Merenlender. "Monitoring Natural Resources on Rangeland Conservation Easements." Rangelands 29, no. 3 (June 2007): 21–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.2111/1551-501x(2007)29[21:mnrorc]2.0.co;2.
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Rogers, RW. "Blue-green algae in southern Australian rangeland soils." Rangeland Journal 11, no. 2 (1989): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9890067.
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Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are imponant to the ecology of arid rangelands as sources of nitrogen and as soil stabilizers, yet have been the subject of little comment or investigation in Australia. To provide information on their distribution soil samples were collected from 136 locations in rangeland areas of southem Australia and cultured to permit the identification of the blue-green algae present. Blue-green algae were found in 134 of the samples. The species represented include several apparently capable of nitrogen fixation, and all produce a gelatinous sheath which can bind soil panicles to produce soil-surface crusts. It is likely that lichens and blue-green algae are important for the ecology of arid rangelands now, and if climatic change destroys the lichens which are very heat sensitive when wet, blue- greens may become even more significant in soil conservation and the maintenance of pasture productivity. Both lichens and blue-green algae merit inclusion in assessments of range condition.
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Kowal, Virginia, Julian Ahlborn, Chantsallkham Jamsranjav, Otgonsuren Avirmed, and Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer. "Modeling Integrated Impacts of Climate Change and Grazing on Mongolia’s Rangelands." Land 10, no. 4 (April 10, 2021): 397. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10040397.
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Mongolia contains some of the largest intact grasslands in the world, but is vulnerable to future changes in climate and continued increases in the number of domestic livestock. As these are two major drivers of change, it is important to understand interactions between the impact of climate and grazing on productivity of Mongolia’s rangelands and the livelihoods they sustain. We use a gridded, spatially explicit model, the Rangeland Production Model (RPM), to explore the simultaneous and interacting effects of climate and management changes on Mongolia’s rangeland and future livestock production. Comparing the relative impact of temperature, precipitation, and grazing intensity, varied individually and in combination, we find that climatic factors dominate impacts on forage biomass and animal diet sufficiency. Site rainfall strongly mediates the impact of grazing on standing biomass, such that more productive or higher-rainfall sites are more vulnerable to increases in grazing pressure. Gridded simulations covering Mongolia’s Gobi-Steppe ecoregion show that while rangeland biomass is generally predicted to increase under future climate conditions, interactions among spatially varying drivers create strong heterogeneity in the magnitude of change.
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Goosey, Hayes B., Joseph T. Smith, Kevin M. O’Neill, and David E. Naugle. "Ground-Dwelling Arthropod Community Response to Livestock Grazing: Implications for Avian Conservation." Environmental Entomology 48, no. 4 (June 24, 2019): 856–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz074.
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Abstract Terrestrial arthropods are a critical component of rangeland ecosystems that convert primary production into resources for higher trophic levels. During spring and summer, select arthropod taxa are the primary food of breeding prairie birds, of which many are imperiled in North America. Livestock grazing is globally the most widespread rangeland use and can affect arthropod communities directly or indirectly through herbivory. To examine effects of management on arthropod community structure and avian food availability, we studied ground-dwelling arthropods on grazed and ungrazed sagebrush rangelands of central Montana. From 2012 to 2015, samples were taken from lands managed as part of a rest-rotation grazing program and from idle lands where livestock grazing has been absent for over a decade. Bird-food arthropods were twice as prevalent in managed pastures despite the doubling of overall activity-density of arthropods in idle pastures. Activity-density on idled lands was largely driven by a tripling of detritivores and a doubling in predators. Predator community structure was simplified on idled lands, where Lycosid spiders increased by fivefold. In contrast, managed lands supported a more diverse assemblage of ground-dwelling arthropods, which may be particularly beneficial for birds in these landscapes if, for example, diversity promotes temporal stability in this critical food resource. Our results suggest that periodic disturbance may enhance arthropod diversity, and that birds may benefit from livestock grazing with periodic rest or deferment.
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Robins, Joseph G., and Kevin B. Jensen. "Breeding of the Crested Wheatgrass Complex (Agropyron spp.) for North American Temperate Rangeland Agriculture and Conservation." Agronomy 10, no. 8 (August 4, 2020): 1134. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081134.
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Species from the crested wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.) complex have been widely used for revegetation and grazing on North American rangelands for over 100 years. Focused crested wheatgrass breeding has been ongoing since the 1920s. These efforts resulted in the development of 18 cultivars adapted to western USA and Canadian growing conditions. These cultivars establish rapidly, persist, and provide soil stabilization and a reliable feed source for domestic livestock and wildlife. To address ecological concerns and increase rangeland agriculture efficiency, crested wheatgrass breeding requires new emphases and techniques. This review covers the history of crested wheatgrass breeding and genetics in North America and discusses emerging methods and practices for improvement in the future.
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Lubell, M. N., B. B. Cutts, L. M. Roche, M. Hamilton, J. D. Derner, E. Kachergis, and K. W. Tate. "Conservation Program Participation and Adaptive Rangeland Decision-Making." Rangeland Ecology & Management 66, no. 6 (November 2013): 609–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2111/rem-d-13-00025.1.
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Li, Yanbo, Mingming Fan, and Wenjun Li. "Application of payment for ecosystem services in China’s rangeland conservation initiatives: a social-ecological system perspective." Rangeland Journal 37, no. 3 (2015): 285. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj14014.
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The Chinese government has adopted Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a main approach for preventing or restoring rangelands perceived as undergoing degradation on a massive scale. Using the PES project, known as the ‘retire livestock, restore rangeland’ project in Alxa of Inner Mongolia as an example, the long-term ecological consequences of such projects is assessed, and the causes of the associated problems from the perspective of social-ecological system explored. Study findings demonstrate that PES, as used in the case study area, is unlikely to achieve the expected outcome of rangeland restoration in the long term. The root cause of such failure is that the PES approach focuses on end-point ecosystem services (outputs), while at the same time decoupling the feedbacks among social and ecological systems that are the key to generating such services. This drives the overall social-ecological system into an undesirable basin of attraction. It is concluded that a PES program for pastoral systems should aim to improve resilience of such a coupled social-ecological system to external shocks and changes, instead of simply maintaining ecological services without considering the origins of such services in the inter-relationship of humans and environment. It is argued that ‘Payment for Ecosystem Services’ should be displaced by ‘Payment for Social-ecological System Resilience’ in future policy discussions.
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Li, Xiao-Wen, Meng-Di Li, Shi-Kui Dong, and Jian-Bin Shi. "Temporal-spatial changes in ecosystem services and implications for the conservation of alpine rangelands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau." Rangeland Journal 37, no. 1 (2015): 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj14084.
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Ecosystem services emerged as a concept to bridge ecosystem conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. Given the limited funding and resources available for ecosystem conservation, fully understanding and identifying the temporal-spatial patterns of ecosystem services can help establish a cost-efficient ecosystem conservation strategy. Although studies have indicated globally important ecosystem services on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), key ecosystem services, such as carbon storage, water provision and habitat quality, have not been spatial-explicitly quantified, leading to a lack of understanding of key spatial patterns for conservation of this unique alpine ecosystem. To fill this gap, these three key ecosystem services were simulated for the QTP rangelands by using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-off model, and the hotspots of those ecosystem services were evaluated and identified. It was shown that alpine meadows played a key role compared with alpine steppe and alpine desert in providing the ecosystem services of water provision, carbon storage and habitat quality in the alpine rangelands of the QTP. In addition, it was shown that there had been a considerable decrease in both the potential and the protected hotspots of ecosystem service between 1990 and 2000, implying that the existing conservation system (i.e. National Nature Reserves) could not effectively maintain these hotspots and that there was a need to restore those degraded rangeland ecosystems within the existing conservation system. The large-scale spatial heterogeneity among the different ecosystem services found in this study can be used to inform a more comprehensive conservation strategy for the provision of ecosystem services as well as biodiversity in the QTP rangelands.
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Vuren, Dirk Van, and P. R. Krausman. "Rangeland Wildlife." Journal of Wildlife Management 61, no. 4 (October 1997): 1446. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3802155.
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Bremer, Leah L., Neil Nathan, Clay Trauernicht, Puaʻala Pascua, Nicholas Krueger, Jordan Jokiel, Jayme Barton, and Gretchen C. Daily. "Maintaining the Many Societal Benefits of Rangelands: The Case of Hawaiʻi." Land 10, no. 7 (July 20, 2021): 764. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10070764.
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Well-managed rangelands provide important economic, environmental, and cultural benefits. Yet, many rangelands worldwide are experiencing pressures of land-use change, overgrazing, fire, and drought, causing rapid degradation. These pressures are especially acute in the Hawaiian Islands, which we explore as a microcosm with some broadly relevant lessons. Absent stewardship, land in Hawaiʻi is typically subject to degradation through the spread and impacts of noxious invasive plant species; feral pigs, goats, deer, sheep, and cattle; and heightened fire risk. We first provide a framework, and then review the science demonstrating the benefits of well-managed rangelands, for production of food; livelihoods; watershed services; climate security; soil health; fire risk reduction; biodiversity; and a wide array of cultural values. Findings suggest that rangelands, as part of a landscape mosaic, contribute to social and ecological health and well-being in Hawaiʻi. We conclude by identifying important knowledge gaps around rangeland ecosystem services and highlight the need to recognize rangelands and their stewards as critical partners in achieving key sustainability goals, and in bridging the long-standing production-conservation divide.
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Asamoah, S. A., E. W. Bork, B. D. Irving, M. A. Price, and R. J. Hudson. "Seasonal herbage dynamics on Aspen Parkland landscapes in central Alberta." Canadian Journal of Animal Science 84, no. 1 (March 1, 2004): 149–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/a02-105.
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We evaluated the temporal dynamics of herbage biomass and protein within riparian meadows and upland grasslands of native Aspen Parkland rangeland to understand the contribution of each to lives tock foraging. For the growing season monitored, meadows were greater in forage yield and crude protein (P < 0.05), leading to important implications for sustainable livestock production and rangeland conservation. Key words: Crude protein, forage production, riparian meadow, upland grassland
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Bosworth, Dale. "A Century of Rangeland Conservation in the Forest Service." Rangelands 27, no. 3 (June 2005): 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.2111/1551-501x(2005)27.3[2:acorci]2.0.co;2.
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Wilmer, Hailey, Lauren Porensky, María Fernández-Giménez, Justin Derner, David Augustine, John Ritten, and Dannele Peck. "Community-Engaged Research Builds a Nature-Culture of Hope on North American Great Plains Rangelands." Social Sciences 8, no. 1 (January 12, 2019): 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci8010022.
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In the North American Great Plains, multigenerational ranches and grassland biodiversity are threatened by dynamic and uncertain climatic, economic, and land use processes. Working apart, agricultural and conservation communities face doubtful prospects of reaching their individual goals of sustainability. Rangeland research could serve a convening platform, but experimental studies seldom involve local manager communities. The Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) project, however, has undertaken a ten-year, ranch-level, participatory research effort to explore how community-engaged research can increase our understanding of conservation and ranching goals. Using ethnographic data and the nature-culture concept—which recognizes the inseparability of ecological relationships that are shaped by both biological and social processes—we examine the CARM team’s process of revising their management objectives (2016–2018). In CARM’s early days, the team established locally-relevant multifunctional goals and objectives. As team members’ understanding of the ecosystem improved, they revised objectives using more spatially, temporally and ecologically specific information. During the revision process, they challenged conventional ecological theories and grappled with barriers to success outside of their control. The emerging CARM nature-culture, based on a sense of place and grounded in hope, provides insights into effective community-engaged research to enhance rangeland livelihood and conservation outcomes.
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Aghajanlou, Farhad, Hamidreza Mirdavoudi, Mohammad Shojaee, Eileen Mac Sweeney, Andrea Mastinu, and Parviz Moradi. "Rangeland Management and Ecological Adaptation Analysis Model for Astragalus curvirostris Boiss." Horticulturae 7, no. 4 (April 2, 2021): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7040067.
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The present study investigates the ecological requirements of Astragalus curvirostris Boiss, with emphasis on determining the ecological factors that affect the distribution of plant species, and the species’ response to changes in ecological factors using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) in the Iranian Province of Zanjan from 2017 to 2019. Randomized-systematic sampling was used to collect vegetation data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS17 and CANOC4.5 software. The results showed that the growth and development of A. curvirostris change according to environmental factors linked to the composition of the soil and the variety of the other species present. This model is indicative of a competitive limitation along the environmental gradient. By understanding all environmental parameters, the necessary steps could be taken towards planning proper management programs, including rangeland grazing management and determining the proper moment for seed collection, which will result in the conservation, improvement, and restoration of rangelands.
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Robertson, G. A. "Global influences on rangelands of Australia." Rangeland Journal 25, no. 2 (2003): 128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj03011.
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Globalisation is a key pressure affecting the current and future use of the rangelands of Australia. While primary producers often perceive an insatiable demand for food as a guarantee of business success, declining population growth rates and high levels of productivity improvement in world food production are reducing the importance of food and fibre from the rangelands. This, combined with significant changes in consumer demands, is driving rangeland producers to meet market specifications for quality, safety, animal welfare and sustainability. Sustainability is a particular challenge with the rangelands certain to be affected by global warming and the politics and strategies required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently the rangelands produce a higher proportion of greenhouse gases compared with their contribution to the economy. However, they also provide an opportunity for carbon sequestration. While international trade liberalisation has been of advantage to the grazing industries in the rangelands, increased global awareness of the Australian rangelands, facilitated by the communications revolution, is encouraging alternative uses including tourism, existence value and other conservation and biodiversity management uses. The growing concept of multi-functionality will also impact on the rangelands as international government programmes continue to encourage non-commercial, surplus production of food. These influences are forcing major changes in the way land is used and what it produces.
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Diogo, Rodrigue Vivien Cao, Luc Hippolyte Dossa, Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou, Badirou Dine Abdoulaye, Kossi Hélliot Dosseh, Marcel Houinato, Eva Schlecht, and Andreas Buerkert. "Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin." Land 10, no. 4 (April 16, 2021): 425. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10040425.
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The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.
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Briske, D. D., B. T. Bestelmeyer, J. R. Brown, M. W. Brunson, T. L. Thurow, and J. A. Tanaka. "Assessment of USDA-NRCS rangeland conservation programs: recommendation for an evidence-based conservation platform." Ecological Applications 27, no. 1 (November 21, 2016): 94–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.1414.
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Hacker, Ronald B., Peter J. Jessop, Warren J. Smith, and Gavin J. Melville. "A ground cover-based incentive approach to enhancing resilience in rangelands viewed as complex adaptive systems." Rangeland Journal 32, no. 3 (2010): 283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj10011.
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Inconsistencies can commonly be expected between the financial goals of rangeland grazing enterprises and public conservation goals such as maintenance of ground cover to reduce erosion. Where the State wishes to promote conservation outcomes, incentive schemes which reward these outcomes on privately managed grazing lands are an option. We describe one such scheme intended to achieve conservation outcomes and support the development of resilience in the complex adaptive (human–environmental) rangeland system through payments related to measured ground cover. A pilot program in western New South Wales has shown that the practical operation of such a program is uncomplicated and that while several theoretical issues could be further refined there is a rationale for extension of the program based on parameters and processes that are agreed by the participants. We suggest that development of such a scheme should be considered as part of the policy mix related to natural resource management and drought assistance.
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Young, E., and H. Ross. "Using the Aboriginal Rangelands: 'insider' Realities and 'outsider' Perceptions." Rangeland Journal 16, no. 2 (1994): 184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9940184.
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Aboriginal ownership of Australia's rangelands is already significant and is likely to increase with recognition of Native Title. Aboriginal management of the rangelands, including their use for cultural and subsistence purposes as well as for pastoralism and conservation (parks) presents alternatives to conventional practices. Traditional ecological knowledge is applied in all forms of Aboriginal land use. Multiple use of the land, combining two or more forms of use within a single area, is predominant. Such strategies are particularly important in more marginal parts of the rangelands where, because of environmental unpredictability, single purpose use may threaten the successful survival of landholders. A case-study of contemporary land use practised by the Ngarrinyin people in one such marginal area, the interior section of the Kimberley's remote Gibb River road, illustrates these points. As it shows, Aboriginal groups have varied their land management responses according to the extent of their ownership and control over their traditional country. The multiple uses which they practise enhance both their chances of providing a livelihood and the sustainability of the land as a whole. Non-Aboriginal neighbours have also increasingly moved towards multiple use strategies. These realities challenge the common perception from the 'outsider' government authorities that such regions should focus on single purpose use, with pastoralism the prime emphasis. The paper argues that this challenge must be met, by revision of land tenure to accommodate multiple use, by improving Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communication and information exchange on rangeland management, by providing appropriate land management programs and by engaging in longterm, holistic planning for all residents of such regions. Such approaches would enhance opportunities for closing the gap between the realities of rangeland use and beliefs in appropriate forms of use.
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Gilley, John E. "Surface Detention on Cropland, Rangeland, and Conservation Reserve Program Areas." Transactions of the ASABE 61, no. 3 (2018): 955–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/trans.12569.
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Abstract. One of the factors contributing to overland flow on upland areas is water stored temporarily in a thin sheet on the soil surface as surface detention. This study was conducted to quantify surface detention on selected cropland, rangeland, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sites. Surface detention was determined from the recession portion of runoff hydrographs corresponding with the period when rainfall had ceased but runoff continued. The hydrographs were generated from six previously reported rainfall simulation studies conducted on paired 3.7 m wide × 10.7 m long plots on which approximately 128 mm of rainfall was applied. Surface detention values were found to increase as crop residue or vegetative cover increased. Eleven fallow cropland sites in the eastern U.S. had surface detention values that varied from 1.7 to 4.6 mm. Surface detention on plots in southwestern Oklahoma containing Old World bluestem, no-till wheat, and conservation-till wheat was 9.4, 7.3, and 5.2 mm, respectively. No-till sorghum, tilled sorghum, no-till wheat, and tilled wheat plots in southeast Nebraska had surface detention values of 6.7, 4.5, 6.7, and 4.6 mm, respectively. Mean surface detention on no-till and tilled cropland sites in southwest Iowa containing corn residue was 7.2 and 5.9 mm, respectively. CRP study sites in southwestern Iowa had mean surface detention of 10.8 mm. When data from the six field studies were combined, mean surface detention values for fallow cropland, tilled cropland, no-till cropland, rangeland, and CRP areas were 3.1, 5.0, 6.9, 9.6, and 10.8 mm, respectively. Keywords: Depressional storage, Hydrographs, Hydrologic modeling, Overland flow, Runoff volume, Surface detention.
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Hauwanga, W. N., B. McBenedict, and B. J. Strohbach. "Trends of phanerophyte encroacher species along an aridity gradient on Kalahari sands, central Namibia." European Journal of Ecology 4, no. 2 (December 1, 2018): 41–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/eje-2018-0011.
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Abstract Poor rangeland management, especially overstocking and under-burning coupled with climate change on southern African savannas, have brought about a serious ecological problem of bush encroachment. Bush encroachment leads to many ecological implications such as extirpation or extinction of plant species and a colonisation by opportunistic species leading to unwanted changes in plant species composition, structure and loss of species diversity. Furthermore, bush encroachment has a negative impact on the country’s progress in terms of conservation efforts, economic stability and livelihood. Namibian livestock ranchers forego an estimated N$ 700 million loss yearly linked to bush encroachment. Studies focusing on particular bush encroacher species enable the devise of ecologically sound management strategies by land manager, farmers and scientists for the prevention and control of bush encroachment. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the main encroacher species and their relationship to the environmental factors along an aridity gradient on Kalahari sands in central Namibia. Results disclosed that Acacia erioloba E.Mey., Acacia mellifera (Vahl) Benth. ssp. dentines (Burch.) Brenan, Combretum collinum Fresen., Terminalia sericea Burch. Ex DC., Grewia spp., Bauhinia petersiana Bolle ssp. macrantha (Oliv.) Brummitt & J.H. Ross were the main encroacher species, and mean annual rainfall was the main environmental factor influencing their distribution. Nanophanerophyte from different encroacher species were recorded mainly from 400 mm to 500 mm mean annual rainfall, mesophanerophyte recorded from 280 mm to 450 mm, while microphanerophyte were widely distributed over the rainfall gradient. Bush encroachment was recorded at 440 mm mainly due to the poor rangeland management. Information from this study should be used as a baseline for conservation and restoration attempts towards savanna rangelands.
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Hughes, Michael, and Roy Jones. "From productivism to multi-functionality in the Gascoyne - Murchison Rangelands of Western Australia." Rangeland Journal 32, no. 2 (2010): 175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj09079.
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A sustainability assessment of the Western Australian (WA) rangelands identified a range of issues associated with regional economic decline typical of many marginal rangeland regions in Australia. As part of a regional rejuvenation strategy, the WA state government purchased selected pastoral lease properties for incorporation into the conservation estate. It was intended as a means of land-use transition from mono-functional productivism to multi-functionality incorporating protection of significant rangeland bioregions and development of tourism. A 1-year project was conducted to assess the issues relating to this transition. Archived information was obtained from government relating to the characteristics of the lease properties at the time they were purchased. Site visits were undertaken to purchased leases acquired by the government as well as neighbouring leases. During site visits, interviews with pastoralists and purchased lease managers were conducted. A series of facilitated community discussion groups in the region was held to ascertain the views of landholders and managers, government representatives, indigenous interests and commercial operators in the region. This paper describes how the transition to a combination of protection and consumption exchanged one set of problems for another. This was due partly to the intrinsic character of the land, in terms of previous overgrazing, isolation, large distances, and limited infrastructure and services. More importantly, the top-down approach to land transition failed to allocate adequate management resources to replace those lost when the former pastoral leaseholders left. The consequences of inadequate management included theft and rapid degradation of assets, inadequate control of pests and weeds; inadequate fire prevention management and poor communication between the government and other stakeholders over management decisions. This paper discusses the dynamics of this WA rangeland transition with reference to the multi-functional rural transition concept.
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Meehan, Miranda A., Peter L. O'Brien, Garret A. Hecker, and Jeffrey L. Printz. "Integrating Rangeland Health and Stream Stability in Assessments of Rangeland Watersheds." Rangeland Ecology & Management 75 (March 2021): 104–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2020.12.005.
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Bestelmeyer, Brandon T., Laura M. Burkett, Leticia Lister, Joel R. Brown, and Robert L. Schooley. "Collaborative Approaches to Strengthen the Role of Science in Rangeland Conservation." Rangelands 41, no. 5 (October 2019): 218–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2019.08.001.
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Butynski, Thomas M., and Yvonne A. de Jong. "Primate Conservation in the Rangeland Agroecosystem of Laikipia County, Central Kenya." Primate Conservation 28, no. 1 (December 2014): 117–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1896/052.028.0104.
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Bestelmeyer, Brandon T., Laura M. Burkett, Leticia Lister, Joel R. Brown, and Robert L. Schooley. "Erratum to “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthen the Role of Science in Rangeland Conservation” [Rangelands 41 (5) (2019) 218–226]." Rangelands 42, no. 1 (February 2020): 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2020.01.002.
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Barry, Sheila, and Lynn Huntsinger. "Rangeland Land-Sharing, Livestock Grazing’s Role in the Conservation of Imperiled Species." Sustainability 13, no. 8 (April 16, 2021): 4466. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13084466.
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Land sharing, conserving biodiversity on productive lands, is globally promoted. Much of the land highest in California’s biodiversity is used for livestock production, providing an opportunity to understand land sharing and species conservation. A review of United States Fish and Wildlife Service listing documents for 282 threatened and endangered species in California reveals a complex and varied relationship between grazing and conservation. According to these documents, 51% or 143 of the federally listed animal and plant species are found in habitats with grazing. While livestock grazing is a stated threat to 73% (104) of the species sharing habitat with livestock, 59% (85) of the species are said to be positively influenced, with considerable overlap between species both threatened and benefitting from grazing. Grazing is credited with benefiting flowering plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, and bird species by managing the state’s novel vegetation and providing and maintaining habitat structure and ecosystem functions. Benefits are noted for species across all of California’s terrestrial habitats, except alpine, and for some aquatic habitats, including riparian, wetlands, and temporary pools. Managed grazing can combat anthropomorphic threats, such as invasive species and nitrogen deposition, supporting conservation-reliant species as part of land sharing.
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Green, DR. "Rangeland restoration projects in western New South Wales." Rangeland Journal 11, no. 2 (1989): 110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9890110.
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The semi-arid to arid Western Division of New South Wales has suffered significant levels of land degradation due to overstocking by domestic animals and rabbits. Three major forms of land degradation are identified, soil erosion, woody weed growth and pasture quality decline. Restoration techniques developed and applied by the New South Wales Soil Conservation Service are presented and discussed. The successful techniques presented are contour furrowing and waterponding for sheet eroded or scalded areas, fire and blade ploughing for woody weed control and grazing management to reverse pasture decline. The lack of knowledge on pasture species responses to grazing management stimuli is highlighted.
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Hunt, L. P. "Opportunities for the future in Australia's grazed rangelands." Rangeland Journal 25, no. 2 (2003): 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj03015.
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The importance, use and management of Australia's grazed rangelands are being questioned. Financial returns from pastoralism have declined for some and there is increasing interest in alternative land uses. There are also concerns for the protection of natural resources and the conservation of biodiversity. As a result many rangeland users and residents consider that the pastoral rangelands are at a point when substantial and radical change in the way they are used, administered and managed must be implemented. One perspective on the future values the rangelands for all natural resource values that provide sustainable incomes for its residents, strives for more integrated natural resource management, involves the development of more tightly integrated regional economies, and facilitates an increased influence of local communities in guiding land use in their regions. These changes offer many opportunities for individual sectors and for cross-sectoral benefits, cooperation and integration. They offer truly complementary options for future use, although there are still likely to be conflicts over land use. To realise these opportunities will require legislative reform, improved knowledge and skills in pastoralists, legislators and advisers, and better planning processes that engage all stakeholders, set appropriate targets, have land capability as a basis for land use decisions and provide for satisfactory conflict resolution. An understanding of the ecological and economic implications of a new mix of land uses is also required.
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Fuhlendorf, Samuel D., David M. Engle, R. Dwayne Elmore, Ryan F. Limb, and Terrence G. Bidwell. "Conservation of Pattern and Process: Developing an Alternative Paradigm of Rangeland Management." Rangeland Ecology & Management 65, no. 6 (November 2012): 579–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.2111/rem-d-11-00109.1.
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