Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
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Symposium • poster session • trade show • ranch tour
rangelands.org/strategicgrazing
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 2
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems
Introduction to the Symposium
Grazing ecosystems are what scientists call complex adaptive systems: the whole is greater than the sum
of the parts because of the relationships between the parts. The relationships form the web of life, so
intricate that their individual and collective behaviors exhibit patterns that are beyond complicated: self-
organization with emergent properties, unpredictability, and nonlinear dynamics. This panarchy of nested
adaptive cycles between order and chaos is what land managers call “the real world.”
Considerable debate has existed in both the rangeland profession and the ranching community,
regarding the efficacy of planned grazing management to achieve plant community, livestock production,
and profitability goals. Most grazing studies have found little or no advantage to rotational grazing
systems over continuous grazing with regard to plant or animal production, particularly in more arid
environments, especially when pastures were small and lacking diversity, and grazing treatments were
applied rigidly for the sake of scientific rigor.
However, there is substantial evidence in the scientific literature, documented case studies, and
practical experience of ranchers indicating that strategic grazing management that incorporates relatively
short grazing periods with adequate recovery afterward can—if well-planned and adaptively managed—
have profound and positive effects on the landscape, animal production, and ranch economics.
Both sides of this apparent discrepancy are right, in different ways. In the science of complexity, the
types of questions asked and the interpretation of results often differ depending on whether the observer’s
orientation is primarily reductionist (emphasizing parts) or holistic (emphasizing systems). Relativity and
quantum physics greatly expand scientific understanding, but classical Newtonian physics “works” on
most relevant scales and still stands. Similarly, classical range science still stands, but practical
experience and the context of complexity expand our frame of reference.
This symposium is intended to move the discussion beyond the old debate. The pertinent question is
not “is rotational grazing better?” but “How can grazing management be informed by ecological
processes, and what principles should be applied strategically to adapt to complexity and change?”
Collectively, grazing studies and on-the-ground experience provide evidence for widely applicable
guidelines for ecological process-based management to achieve ecological and economic goals by
manipulating grazing intensity, distribution across time and space, the diversity of plants available to
grazing animals, and animals’ selection thereof. Effective management of these grazing parameters
depends primarily on four sets of variables: (1) stocking rate, both for a grazing period and for the grazing
season or year; (2) timing and length of grazing periods, and adequate recovery; (3) spatial distribution of
grazing; and (4) diversity of plants available, and selection of those plants by grazing animals.
This symposium provides a rough answer to the above question using these four variables as a
framework, alternating between presentations of the underlying science and corroborating case studies.
On behalf of the team of people who put this together, welcome, and we hope you find it an adaptive
learning experience.
Matt Barnes Symposium organizer and editor
President-elect (2012)
Colorado Section Society for Range Management
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 3
Sponsors
Society for Range Management
Colorado Section Society for Range Management
Colorado State University Student Chapter, Society for Range Management
Colorado Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
TAMUK - Ceasar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute
Shining Horizons Land Management, LLC
Exhibitors
Colorado Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative
Colorado State University – Western Center for Integrated Resource Mgt.
Country Natural Beef
Pawnee Buttes Seed, Inc.
Shining Horizons Land Management, LLC
Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance
Truax Company, Inc.
DuPont – Range and Pasture
Granite Seed Company
Advertisers
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association – Cattle Guard
The Fence Post
High Country News
Society for Range Management – Rangeland News, RangeFlash
Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance – Forage For Thought
The Stockman GrassFarmer
Western Livestock Journal
Collaborators
Rob Alexander
Kelley Beaudoin
Shaan Bliss
Kimberly Diller
Nick Dormer
Julie Elliot
Maria Fernandez-Gimenez
Gary Frasier
Marshall Frasier
John Fusaro
Barb Gohlke
Meaghan Huffman
David Jessup
Jenna Lanphier
Paul Meiman
Ge Moore
Rachel Murph
Dan Nosal
Kim Obele
Lynelle Pahl
Randy Reichert
Roy Roath
Pat Shaver
Tim Steffens
Terri Stewart
Jenny Stricker
Vicky Trujillo
Lisa VanAmburg
Colorado Section
Student Chapter SRM
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 4
Agenda Wednesday evening, November 28
6:00 – 9:00 Colorado Section SRM Board of Directors Meeting
Beau Jo’s Pizza
Thursday, November 29
8:00 – 8:15 Registration
Lory Student Center
Session: Science, Management, and Historical Background North Ballroom
8:15 – 8:30 Welcome and introduction Matt Barnes, President-Elect, Colorado Section SRM
8:30 - 9:15 Complex Adaptive Landscapes: Principles, Processes, Practices, and Philosophies Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Utah State University – Wildland Resources
9:15 – 10:00 Rangeland Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP): Overview with Emphasis on the Literature Review of Rangeland Practices Pat Shaver, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA-NRCS West National Tech Support Center
10:00 – 10:20 Break in trade show and poster area Cherokee Park Room
Session: Optimum Stocking Rate North Ballroom
10:20 – 11:05 Optimum Stocking Rate: the Significance of Scale and the Link to Profitability Marshall Frasier, Professor, Colorado State University – Western Center for IRM
11:05 – 11:50 Case study: Optimum Stocking Rate, Monitoring, and Flexibility: Key Components of Successful Grazing Management “Poncho” Ortega-Santos, Professor, Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute, TAMUK
12:00 – 1:15 Lunch – burger buffet Colorado Section SRM Business Meeting Kimberly Diller, President, Colorado Section SRM
Theatre
1:30 – 2:30 Load-up and travel via CSU bus Travel – CSU to SDR
2:30 – 4:30
4:45 – 5:15
Ranch tour
Ranch presentation David Jessup, ranch owner, Sylvan Dale Ranch
Sylvan Dale Ranch
The Heritage Room
5:15 – 6:00 Social with Live music by Chuck Pyle with Dick Anderson; cash bar 6:00 – 6:45 6:45 – 7:15 7:15 – 8:30
Dinner – featuring Sylvan Dale Ranch’s grass-finished Heart-J Beef Colorado Section SRM Awards Julie Elliott, Awards Committee Chairperson, Colorado Section SRM Live music by Chuck Pyle with Dick Anderson
8:30 – 9:30 Load-up and travel via CSU bus Travel – SDR to CSU
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 5
Agenda, continued
Friday, November 30 Lory Student Center
Session: Temporal Distribution North Ballroom
8:00 – 8:45 Rest Vs. Recovery: It’s Not Enough to Just Move From Pasture to Pasture Tim Steffens, Multi-County Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA-NRCS Colorado
8:45 – 9:30 Case Study: Adaptive Grazing Management at Rancho Largo Cattle Company Grady Grissom, Rancher, Rancho Largo Cattle Company
9:30 – 10:00 Break in trade show and poster area
Cherokee Park Room
Session: Spatial Distribution North Ballroom
10:00 – 10:45 Grazing Management Can Improve Livestock Distribution Ben Norton, Associate Professor Emeritus, Utah State University – Wildland Resources
10:45 – 11:30 Case Study: Multiple-Pasture Grazing Distributes Utilization Across Heterogeneous Mountain Landscapes Matt Barnes, Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management ; Manager, The Howell Ranch
11:45 – 12:30 Lunch – barbeque buffet Colorado Section SRM business meeting, continued (if needed)
Theatre
12:30 – 1:15 Contributed Poster Session
Cherokee Park Room
Session: Diet Selection North Ballroom
1:15 – 2:00 Diet Selection and Stocking Density: It Ain’t As Simple As You’ve Heard Tim Steffens, Multi-County Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA-NRCS Colorado
2:00 – 2:45 Case Study: Stocking Density and Diet Selection Doug Peterson, Rancher; State Soil Health Conservationist, USDA-NRCS Missouri
2:45 – 3:00 Summary, conclusion, and benediction Matt Barnes, President-Elect, Colorado Section SRM
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 6
Thursday afternoon-evening: ranch tour, social, dinner, awards, and music
Special event sold out! Includes bus transportation.
Sylvan Dale Ranch
2939 N County Road 31D, Loveland, Colorado 80538
David Jessup, Ranch Owner, Sylvan Dale Ranch
Dinner: Heart-J Grassfed Beef
Buffet-style, featuring meatloaf of grass-finished beef, with vegetarian sides and options available.
Gluten-free dishes available by advance request.
“Natural beef has been a tradition at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch since the mid-60’s when Maurice
and Mayme Jessup bought their first herd of Charolais. They soon developed a breeding program
with registered Saler and Gelbvieh bulls, resulting in a unique herd well-suited to the grasslands
of our Rocky Mountain foothills. Recently we have introduced Red Angus breeding stock which
is known for its tenderness. Our goal for the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch cattle program is to
produce the best, most tender grass fed and grass finished beef possible. We keep our cattle on
grass or grass hay year round.”
Our Working Ranch Department contributes to our
sustainability mission—to apply practices in our daily work
routine that support a sustainable operation in harmony
with the natural environment through the principles of
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle—by: using rotational grazing of the
cattle and horses; using cattle and horse manures for
fertilizing the pastures; locally selling natural and grass fed
beef (Heart-J Beef); using a trail and land preservation
program; using solar pumps for stock watering; converting
to more efficient hay irrigation system; experimenting with
windrow grazing instead of hay harvesting; and using all
organic fertilizers and soil supplements. The ranch was the
Upper South Platte Watershed Conservationist of the Year
2008.
David Jessup is also the author of a brand new, critically
acclaimed, local historical novel, Mariano’s Crossing.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 7
Chuck Pyle with Dick Anderson
Chuck Pyle has won high praise throughout an inspired performance
career of over 40 years. When reviewers first gave him the "Zen
Cowboy" moniker, he decided to, as he says, "Always ride the horse
in the direction it's going," and took the nickname to heart, shaving
his head and blending his upbeat perspective with old-fashioned horse sense. He mixes infectiously
hummable melodies with straight-from-the-saddle poetry, quoting bumper stickers, proverbs, world
leaders and old cowboys. The first time he made an audience laugh, he was "hooked".
An accomplished songwriter, Chuck's songs have been
recorded by Chris LeDoux ("The Other Side of the Hill
[Cadillac Cowboy]"), Jerry Jeff Walker ("Jaded Lover"), John
Denver (“High, Wide and Handsome”), Bill and Bonnie
Hearne (“Endless Sky”), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Suzy
Bogguss.
A nimble guitarist, critics say his sense of rhythm is more like a
fine classical, or jazz, soloist, his songwriting musically
sophisticated yet full of uncluttered space. The Chuck Pyle
Finger-Style approach to guitar has distinguished him as a true original. Since writing “Colorado,” the
theme-song for a PBS series called Spirit of Colorado, he's attained local fame, and even sings for the
opening session of the Colorado State Legislature.
Chuck Pyle rides a trail of inspiration, gathering his spiritual search into a thought-
provoking performance that is at once hopeful and skeptical. You'll be won over
by his vulnerability as he explores Western living, closely comparing the oriental
metaphor to high-plains, saddle philosophy. His pursuit of an 'inner' life' has led
him down many different paths. In the more secular circles of performing
songwriters, he is a famed Western singer/songwriter, who talks straight about his
journey. For one of life's quintessential feel-good moments, come spend an evening with this man's
unique perspective, and see the familiar parts of your own life, through the eyes of a gifted artist.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 8
Colorado Section SRM Awards
Julie Elliott, Awards Committee Chairperson, Colorado Section SRM
Excellence in Range Management Award Grady Grissom, managing partner of Rancho Largo Cattle Company, has improved the rangeland
resources under his care during his tenure and has shared what he has learned with those around him in
any way he can. Not only has he used grazing management on his own to increase plant species diversity,
improve watershed function and increase the diversity and quality of habitat for multiple wildlife species,
but he has also worked with diverse partners including Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and USDA-
NRCS to investigate and demonstrate innovative rangeland conservation measures including changing the
management of a playa lake to promote habitat for wetland species, patch burning for juniper control and
promoting structural diversity for wildlife.
When Grady took over the operation in 1995, plant communities on the uplands contained almost
exclusively short grasses. Because of poor distribution and extended grazing periods with no recovery,
many areas were severely degraded, and it was difficult to maintain cow reproductive performance.
Grady improved the existing water system, and split the original 9 pastures into the current 38.
Initially, his recovery periods were too short and he did not see significant improvement. He, therefore,
determined that he needed longer (9-month average) recovery periods between grazing events and to keep
stocking rates flexible to allow for high nutrient intake and adequate residual plant material following
graze periods. He knew that with this type of recovery and the animals’ natural species preferences with
changing seasons, his pasture numbers would effectively allow 2 growing seasons of recovery between
defoliations on target species, since cattle would not use them if given the choice except when green in
the early part of the year and again in the late fall.
As a result of Grady’s management, it is virtually impossible to get out of sight of cool season grasses
or winterfat. Warm season mid- and tall-grasses are also becoming more common in the draws, creek
bottoms and sandstone-breaks ecological sites. Trails are virtually nonexistent now and former headcuts
in the draws are reaching an angle of repose and revegetating. In addition, rarer species are being seen in
the more mesic locations.
He has also shared his knowledge and experience in the Quivira Coalition Journal, and presentations
at symposia sponsored by the SRM and the Colorado Chapter of The Wildlife Society. He is featured in
the Hope on the Range video developed by the SRM and the Bureau of Land Management.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Symposium program 9
Trail Boss Award
Roy Roath, Extension Rangeland Specialist Emeritus at Colorado State
University has been an outstanding, dedicated leader in this Society for four
decades. He taught livestock and wildlife nutrition classes in the CSU
College of Natural Resources, Animal Sciences and the Veterinary Teaching
Hospital; and as a visiting professor at the Federal University of Uberlandia
in Brasil. Roy has authored or coauthored over 200 publications, both
scientific and technical. He pioneered the Grazing Response Index (GRI) for
rangeland planning.
Roy’s passion and dedication to collaboration is exemplified by the
resource partnerships and programs which he has helped develop and been
involved in, including the GLCI/SRM Ranch Management Schools, the
CPW Habitat Partnership and Ranching for Wildlife programs, development
of the Wildlife habitat Evaluation Models and related workshops for sage-
grouse habitat management in Colorado and Wyoming, the Owl Mountain
Partnership, and numerous government agencies and livestock associations.
Roy’s involvement has been significant in driving the Coordinated Resource
Management Process (CRM) in the western U.S. He also taught a CRMP
workshop at the International Rangeland Congress in Queensland, Australia.
Roy has unwaveringly served SRM through the parent society and the
Colorado Section throughout his career, serving on too many committees and
task forces to list, especially supporting involvement of youth in the society.
Under Roy’s guidance, both the section meeting and Denver meeting of the
parent society have been some of the best attended and financially successful
in the history of the SRM. Roy has also been recognized for his
contribution, service, and dedication through the SRM Fellow, Outstanding
Achievement, and Chapline Stewardship Awards.
The Trail Boss symbolizes the one who cares for the land, livestock and
people, who determines when and where the herd travels. Like all proper
symbols he represents the founding of the society. Distinctly North
American, but recognizable by gauchos of South America or herdsmen of
central Asia. Originally a pen-and-ink drawing by Charles M. Russell, later
watercolored over. It was made the emblem of the SRM by founder Frederic
Renner, namesake of the Renner Award – appropriately, the parent-society-
level equivalent to the section-level Trail Boss Award, the highest given to a
Section member for outstanding accomplishments to the rangeland
management profession and for exceptional service to the section.
Past Recipients
2011 none 2010 none 2009 Tim Steffens 2008 Rob Alexander 2007 Lana Pearson 2006 none 2005 Wayne Leininger 2004 Don Hijar 2003 none 2002 Jeff Burwell 2001 Dave Bradford 2000 Floyd Reed 1999 Rene Crane 1998 Robbie Baird-LeValley 1997 Craig Whittekend 1996 Theresea M. Foppe 1995 Larry Rittenhouse 1994 Gene Mullings 1993 Ben Berlinger 1992 none 1991 Joe Trlica 1990 James C. Free 1989 John Mitchell 1988 David Kathmann 1987 William McGinnies 1986 Harvey Sprock 1985 Elbert H. Reid 1984 Bob Bernent 1983 Bill Laycock 1982 Tom Bartlett 1981 Jack Smith 1980 Thane Johnson 1979 George L. Burnett 1978 Donald G. Smith 1977 Ed Dennis 1976 Tad Paxton 1975 John C. Clark 1974 Thomas K. Eaman 1973 Bill Hoffman 1972 C. Wayne Cook 1971 Jerry Martinez 1970 Cotton Meredith 1969 Lyman Linger 1968 Clint Wasser
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 10
Session: Science, Management, and Historical Background
Keynote address
Complex Adaptive Landscapes: Principles, Processes, Practices, and Philosophies
Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; [email protected] Matt Barnes, Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA
Richard Teague, Professor & Associate Resident Director, Texas AgriLife Research, Vernon, TX 76384, USA
Hugh Pringle, Landscape Ecologist, Ecosystem Management Understanding, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia
Bruce Maynard, pastoralist, consultant, and Partner, Stress Free Stockmanship, Narromine, NSW 2821, Australia
Chip Hines, rancher and author, Bunkhouse Marketing, Yuma, CO 80759, USA
Complex adaptive systems are interrelationships among organisms adapting to ever-changing
environments that evolve unexpectedly and mostly unpredictably due to environmental stochasticity, so
the “same interactions” yield different results at different times. In complex adaptive grazing systems,
landscape-level effects arise from interactions among climate, soil, plants, herbivores, and people as they
influence four factors related to grazing: 1) overall intensity—measured by stocking rate relative to
grazing capacity; 2) time—the seasonality, timing, duration, and frequency of grazing and recovery; 3)
space— the dispersal and density of animals, and the varying intensity of their grazing relative to the
distribution of landscape features, vegetation and water resources; and 4) animal behavior—the
interactions of individuals with social and biophysical environments as they select foods and habitats.
Any changes in management affect processes of adaptation in soils, vegetation, herbivores, and people.
Research can illuminate principles and processes of adaptation, but they are not to be confused with their
manifold manifestations -- uniquely inflecting in space and time as climate, soil, plants, herbivores, and
people continually adapt within particular ecological, social, and economic contexts. When researchers
conduct grazing trials, they become managers of land. Through the questions they ask and the ways they
design, implement, and interpret their studies, they influence the outcomes. Thus, there is no “unbiased
observer” in science or practice. Every study, replicated or not, is a case study. In practice, a manager
must continually adapt to his/her unique ecological, economic, and social conditions. They do so best by
linking understanding of the processes of adaptation with the flexibility to respond to ever-changing
environments.
Fred Provenza is originally from Colorado, where he managed a ranch near
Salida and earned a BS in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. He
earned his MS and PhD at Utah State University, where he was a professor in the
Department of Wildland Resources from 1982 to 2009. His group’s ground-
breaking research laid the foundations for what is now known as behavior-based
management of landscapes, and led to the formation of
an international network of scientists and land managers
known as BEHAVE (www.behave.net), integrating
behavioral principles and processes with local
knowledge to enhance ecological, economic, and social
values of rural and urban communities. Their goal is to
create Locally Adapted Networks that help people use
behavioral principles and processes to foster healthy relationships among soil, plants,
herbivores, and people. He has received numerous awards, including the W.R.
Chapline Research Award, the most prestigious award given by the Society for Range
Management for achievements in research. He and his wife Sue are living once again
in the mountains of Colorado.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 11
Agency-focused presentation and discussion
Sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Rangeland Conservation Effects Assessment Program
(CEAP): Overview with Emphasis on the Literature Review of
Rangeland Practices
Pat Shaver, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA–NRCS West National
Technology Support Center, Portland, OR 97232, USA; [email protected]
The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort to quantify the
environmental effects of conservation practices and programs and develop the science base for managing
the agricultural landscape for environmental quality. Project findings will be used to guide USDA
conservation policy and program development and help conservationists, farmers and ranchers make
more informed conservation decisions. Assessments in CEAP are carried out at national, regional and
watershed scales on cropland, grazing lands, wetlands and for wildlife. The three principal components
of CEAP—the national assessments, the watershed assessment studies, and the bibliographies and
literature reviews— contribute to building the science base for conservation. That process includes
research, modeling, assessment, monitoring and data collection, outreach, and extension education. Focus
is being given to translating CEAP science into practice. Rangeland national assessment is a combination
of ground and remotely sensed measurements and modeling; regional and watershed studies include
quantification of cumulative effects of conservation practice application; dynamic bibliographies and
literature synthesis of the peer-reviewed literature. The literature synthesis covered more than 3.5 years
of 40 rangeland scientists reviewing the peer-reviewed literature to evaluate the effectiveness of seven
major NRCS conservation practices on the purported environmental benefits of those practices. Those
conservation practices included; Prescribed Grazing, Prescribed Burning, Brush Management, Range
Planting, Riparian Herbaceous Cover, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management and Herbaceous Weed
Control. Two crosscutting issues were also looked at – Landscape Effects Analysis and Socioeconomics
and Ecosystem Services.
Pat Shaver, CPRM, is a Rangeland Management Specialist in the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service’s West National Technology
Support Center in Portland, Oregon, serving primarily the western region
of the United States. He served as NRCS advisor to the CEAP Rangeland
Literature Review teams for Prescribed Grazing, Prescribed Burning, and
Brush Management. During his 39+ year career with the NRCS, he has
worked in all of the western states as well as Russia, China, Kenya, and
Mongolia. He earned his BS in range science at New Mexico State
University, and his PhD from Oregon State University (2010). He has been
active in the New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Pacific Northwest sections of
SRM as well as serving on several SRM committees and on the Board of
Directors from 1998 – 2000. When not playing with grandchildren or
making apple cider, most of Pat’s leisure time revolves around taking his bow for hikes in the woods.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 12
Session: Optimum Stocking Rate
The applied science
Optimum Stocking Rate: the Significance of Scale and the Link to Profitability
Marshall Frasier, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics / Western Center for Integrated Resource Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA; [email protected]
Stocking rate (SR) is the number of animals per unit area for a unit of time, whether for a management
unit for the grazing season or full year or for for a paddock while it is being grazed. In economic terms,
optimum SR occurs when profit, not production, is maximized, and applies to a specific set of
environmental and management conditions and given type of livestock. Optimum as well as actual SR
vary across the landscape and may be mismatched as a result of differences in productivity and quality of
vegetation, microclimate, topography, and proximity to water. Disparities between SR and carrying
capacity across the landscape can result in long-term degradation of preferred areas and short-term
decreased carrying capacity because of under-utilized plant communities. When maximum sustained
livestock net return is the management goal, the goal of grazing management is for every available forage
plant that can be mixed to achieve performance targets to contribute to animal intake under ecologically
safe circumstances. Therefore, adjustments to infrastructure and grazing management can increase the
optimum economic SR. At the same SR for a management unit, rotational grazing creates an opportunity
to meet the principle management challenge of more precisely matching carrying capacity at smaller
spatial scales and providing heavily defoliated, preferred plants enough time between defoliations to
increase their vigor and abundance. Addressing that challenge in this way can have profound
implications regarding the financial rewards of forage based livestock operations.
Marshall Frasier is a professor in Agricultural and Resource Economics, and
the Western Center for Integrated Resource Management, at Colorado State
University. His teaching and research interests focus on the management of
agricultural enterprises in the western US and the interplay between those
activities and the natural resource base which sustains them. Dr. Frasier grew
up on a diversified cropping and livestock operation in southwest Nebraska.
He earned his BS (1983) and MS (1990) degrees from the University of
Nebraska, focusing on these enterprises. He served as technical coordinator
for Nebraska’s IRM demonstration program from 1984-1989. Prior to coming
to CSU, Dr. Frasier spent three years at Washington State University where
he earned his PhD, focusing his research on the allocation and management of
water in irrigated enterprises. He now also serves as coordinator of
undergraduate programs in his department. Following several extended trips
to New Zealand, Dr. Frasier and his wife have developed a strong interest in
backpacking and enjoy a host of summer and winter activities the Colorado
mountains have to offer.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 13
The art of management
Case study: Optimum Stocking Rate, Monitoring, and Flexibility:
Key Components of Successful Grazing Management
J. Alfonso Ortega-Santos, Professor & Research Scientist, Texas A&M University-Kingsville – Department of
Animal, Rangeland, and Wildlife Sciences / Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX 78363,
USA; [email protected]
Steven D. Lukefahr, Regents Professor, Texas A&M University-Kingsville – Department of Animal, Rangeland, and
Wildlife Sciences, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
Fred C. Bryant, Professor & Director of Wildlife Research, Texas A&M University-Kingsville – Department of Animal,
Rangeland, and Wildlife Sciences / Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
A case study of the complexity of the optimum stocking
rate determination, as well as the importance of
monitoring the variation in the optimum stocking rate,
and using that monitoring to make timely management
decisions with maximum flexibility to accomplish
specific objectives. 10 years of data from the ranch in
south Texas support principles of grazing management,
including stocking rate adjustments, monitoring
protocols, and grazing management decisions during a
drought, and in wet years (e.g., keeping weanlings and
buying stockers). How we use flexible stocking rate to
accomplish rangeland conservation, animal production,
and profitability goals in a drought-prone environment.
J. Alfonso “Poncho” Ortega-Santos is a professor at Texas A&M
University-Kingsville, Department of Animal, Rangeland, and Wildlife
Sciences, and research scientist at the Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research
Institute. He was previously Researcher and National Leader of the Range
and Forage Program at Mexico’s National Research Institute of Forestry,
Crops and Livestock. He obtained his PhD at the University of Florida.
Most of his research experience has been on grazing management and
cattle – wildlife interactions. Among other honors he received
Outstanding Achievement Awards from the SRM and the Texas Section
SRM. He is coauthor of the book White-tailed Deer Habitat: Ecology and
Management on Rangelands, published in English and Spanish, which
won the Special Publication Award by the
Texas Section SRM and the Outstanding
Publication Award by the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. Poncho is
also a rancher in south Texas and Mexico, where he raises cattle and Quarter
Horses, as well as a professional horse trainer and farrier.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 14
Session: Temporal Distribution
The applied science
Rest Vs. Recovery:
It’s Not Enough to Just Move From Pasture to Pasture
Tim Steffens, Multi-County Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA-NRCS, Springfield, CO 81073, USA;
Roy Roath, Extension Rangeland Specialist Emeritus, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Grady Grissom, Managing Partner, Rancho Largo Cattle Company, Fowler, CO 81039, USA
Plant recovery from grazing depends on ecological processes. It is species-specific and determined by
growing conditions, optimum climatic conditions for that species, severity of defoliation of that plant,
particularly in relation to neighboring plants, number of days with adequate climatic conditions to allow
sufficient regrowth of existing plants to maintain or improve vigor, as well as the number of days of good
growing conditions needed vs. available for new plants to establish and the effects of defoliation during
establishment on those plants. Excluding grazing without adequate growth is not recovery. Changes in
palatability of different species can provide more recovery than the non-grazing period.
Tim Steffens, CPRM, is a rancher and a Multi-county
Rangeland Management Specialist with the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service in Springfield, Colorado. He
specializes in prescribed grazing and prescribed burning on the
plains of southeastern Colorado. He was previously an
Extension Rangeland Specialist with Colorado State
University, where he earned his PhD. A Past President of the
Colorado Section Society for Range Management, Tim
organized the Strategy Vs. System: Grazing for Desired
Outcomes symposium in 2008, for which he received the
Colorado Section’s Trail Boss Award and the SRM’s
Outstanding Achievement Award. His Texas drawl engages
audiences throughout Colorado and the West.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 15
The art of management
Case Study: Adaptive Grazing Management at Rancho Largo Cattle Company
Grady Grissom, Managing Partner, Rancho Largo Cattle Company, Fowler, CO 81039, USA; [email protected]
Rancho Largo Cattle Co. implemented a rotational grazing system in 1996 utilizing 40 to 60 day non-
grazing periods (2-3 grazing periods per growing season). That grazing system did not produce positive
economic or ecological results. In 2000 management began a series of adaptations that eventually tied
grazing protocols to ecological processes. A key adaptation was to define the length of non-grazing
periods by plant physiology, creating true recovery periods. Species targeted for recruitment were
allowed to complete their life cycle (produce seed) on a significant portion of the ranch each year.
Seasonal grazing considerations also allowed seedlings extended periods without exposure to defoliation
during establishment. A second key adaptation made seasonal animal selectivity of plant species integral
to grazing decisions. These adaptations were largely in place by 2004. Return on investment (ROI) for
the years 2004 - 2011 was 19% higher compared to 1996 - 1999. Aerial coverage dominated by cool
season grasses (targeted species) also doubled when comparing the same time increments. Stocking rates
were slightly higher from 2004 to 2011 than from 1996 to 1999, while average rainfall was lower in the
later time period.
Grady Grissom is partner and manager of Rancho
Largo Cattle Company, LLC, near Fowler, Colorado.
Under Grady’s management since 1995, Rancho Largo
has converted from a cow-calf operation utilizing
continuous grazing to a multi faceted cattle business
encompassing stocker, yearling, cow-calf, and custom
grazing enterprises within a planned grazing regime.
Grady received a BA in Geology from Princeton
University in 1984. He worked on ranches in eastern
Colorado until 1987 when he returned to graduate
school. He finished a PhD at Stanford University in
1991, studying geology in northwestern Argentina.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 16
Session: Spatial Distribution
The applied science
Grazing Management Can Improve Livestock Distribution
Brien E. Norton, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan,
UT 84321, USA; [email protected]
Matt Barnes, Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA
Richard Teague, Professor & Associate Resident Director, Texas AgriLife Research, Vernon, TX 76384, USA
Unmanaged livestock repeatedly graze preferred plants in preferred areas, resulting in overgrazed patches
that expand over time, even at low stocking rates. Grazing management has the power to alter this pattern
and improve distribution over the landscape. This is most apparent, and most important, at larger scales
and with more variation in topography and vegetation. Most historic grazing studies were done at very
small scales and so effectively minimized the primary problem associated with extensive grazing, and
thus found little or no advantage to more intensive management. Landscape subdivision reduces pasture
size; rotation increases stocking density, reduces grazing period, and increases recovery period—all of
which promotes improved distribution across the landscape. Improved distribution promotes rangeland
health as well as increases effective grazing capacity and harvest efficiency.
Brien E. “Ben” Norton is Emeritus Associate Professor of
Range Science in the Department of Wildland Resources at
Utah State University. A native of Australia, Ben has worked
with pastoralists on rangelands in Australia, the United States,
the Middle East, Africa, and central Asia. After “retiring” from
Utah State, he worked at the International Center for
Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria,
then directed the Centre for the Management of Arid
Environments in Western Australia, and initiated a major
rangeland restoration project in Libya, evacuating by ship
during the Arab Spring revolution. Ben lives with his wife
Tracie in Logan, Utah.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 17
The art of management
Case study: Multiple-Pasture Grazing Distributes Utilization across Heterogeneous
Mountain Landscapes
Matt Barnes, Ranch Manager, The Howell Ranch; Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land
Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA; [email protected]
Jim Howell, Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Del Cerro LLC / The Howell Ranch, Cimarron, CO 81220, USA
Planned grazing has improved the spatial distribution of utilization on the Howell Ranch with shorter
grazing periods, higher stocking density, and smaller paddocks than the extensive management practiced
previously on the ranch and currently on many ranches. Cattle regularly graze steep mountainsides and
plants often considered unpalatable, without damaging riparian areas,
at moderate overall utilization, while maintaining good animal
performance. These areas comprise most of the land and much of the
forage base of the ranch; if they were not utilized the ranch would
sustain a much lower grazing capacity, and if they were only utilized
when preferred areas and plant species were overgrazed, rangeland
health and livestock performance would suffer. Monitoring data from
1997-2011 show increases in plant basal and litter cover, and a
decrease in bare ground, while the stocking rate averaged about 50%
higher under planned grazing than under previous season-long
grazing management, and about 400% higher than adjacent public
land allotments. This landscape scale demonstration supports recent
experimental evidence that well-planned and adaptively managed
multiple-paddock grazing can improve the distribution of livestock
grazing across a heterogeneous landscape and across plant species,
providing a resolution to the debate over grazing management.
Matt Barnes, CPRM, is owner and rangeland consultant at Shining
Horizons Land Management, LLC, providing grazing planning,
implementation, and monitoring for whole-systems resilience. He manages
the Howell Ranch near Cimarron, Colorado, from May to October. He is
President-elect (2012) of the Colorado Section Society for Range
Management, and serves on the SRM Applied Science Task Force and the
Rangelands Editorial Board. He was Ben Norton’s last graduate student at
Utah State University. A scientist, conservationist, and rancher, as well as a
writer, photographer, and artist, he explores the mountains, deserts, and
rivers of the west, and rangelands of the world, by foot, horse, boat, and
pickup truck.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 18
Session: Diet Selection
The applied science
Diet Selection and Stocking Density: It Ain’t As Simple As You’ve Heard
Tim Steffens, Multi-County Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA-NRCS, Springfield, CO 81073, USA;
Larry Rittenhouse, Professor Emeritus, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Matt Barnes, Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA
Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Short grazing periods at high stocking density can influence diet
selection and animal learning. Increasing the breadth of plants
selected by animals may not mean that either selectivity or diet
quality has been compromised. Increased stocking density
increases instantaneous grazing pressure, but does not necessarily
reduce diet quality and nutrient intake. Grazing animals select
higher quality plants first; longer grazing periods increase
differential diet quality from the beginning to the end of the period,
limiting the total amount of lower quality forage that can be mixed
to provide a diet that meets requirements. Subdividing with a given
recovery period, grazing period decreases faster than stocking
density increases; thus the proportion of available forage that
animals can mix to meet requirements increases relative to a longer grazing period at lower density.
Increasing paddocks and stocking density can change distribution of utilization while maintaining diet
quality by keeping the grazing period stocking rate light enough to allow animals to meet their
requirements. This requires adaptive management.
Tim Steffens, CPRM, is a rancher and a Multi-county Rangeland Management
Specialist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Springfield,
Colorado. He specializes in prescribed grazing and prescribed burning on the plains of
southeastern Colorado. He was previously an Extension Rangeland Specialist with
Colorado State University, where he earned his PhD. A Past President of the Colorado
Section Society for Range Management, Tim organized the Strategy Vs. System:
Grazing for Desired Outcomes symposium in 2008, for which he received the
Colorado Section’s Trail Boss Award and the SRM’s Outstanding Achievement Award. His Texas drawl
engages audiences throughout Colorado and the West.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Invited symposium abstracts 19
The art of management
Case Study: Stocking Density And Diet Selection
Doug Peterson, Rancher, Medicine Creek Ranch; State Soil Health Conservationist, USDA-NRCS, Gallatin, MO
64663, USA; [email protected]
Mark Brownlee, Rancher, Brownlee Ranch, Lowry City, MO 64763, USA
Tim Kelley, Rancher, Kelley Ranch, Elmo, MO 64445, USA
Stocking density is a powerful tool to manage grazing land resources, as demonstrated on prairie and
pasture in Missouri. Utilizing different stock densities, we can achieve different goals, including affecting
diet selection, weed and brush control, improving utilization and manure distribution, and even improving
seed-to-soil contact. We allow sufficient recovery periods between grazing events to increase plant
diversity and develop as much above- and below-ground biomass as possible. During grazing periods we
use high stocking density at the proper stocking rate to manipulate the proportion of the plant community
that animals can select to maintain a desired level of performance, and the amount of forage trampling
that occurs. Trampling can have a very positive impact on water and mineral cycles, building soil and
increasing fertility in our perennial grasslands.
Doug Peterson operates Medicine Creek Ranch, Newtown, Missouri. He is
also State Soil Health Conservationist, and formerly State Grassland
Conservationist, with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in
Missouri. Peterson spends much of his time helping livestock producers
improve their land and their grazing management. As a rancher, he puts into
practice those same grazing and conservation concepts. Peterson markets a
portion of his cattle as grass-fed, and others are earning premiums when sold as
feeder cattle into the niche “all-natural” market.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 20
Session: Contributed Posters (alphabetical by lead author)
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Paddock Size and Stocking Density Affect Spatial Heterogeneity of Grazing
Matthew K. Barnes, former Graduate Research Assistant, Utah State University; Owner & Rangeland Consultant,
Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA; [email protected]
Brien E. Norton, Associate Professor Emeritus, Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Motoko Maeno, former Graduate Research Assistant, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
John C. Malechek, Professor Emeritus, Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
The claim that intensive rotational grazing (IRG) can sustain higher stocking rates may be partially
explained by more even spatial distribution of grazing such that livestock consume forage from a greater
proportion of a pasture (Norton et al., p. 16; Barnes et al., p. 17). To test the hypothesis that utilization is
more even at the higher stocking densities of smaller paddocks, mean absolute deviation (heterogeneity)
of utilization estimates by plot was compared in paddocks of sizes and stocking densities representing
increasing subdivision from 2-paddock deferred rotation grazing (DRG) to 16-, 32-, and 64-paddock, 2-
cycle IRG. These 70-, 4-, 2-, and 1-ha paddocks were grazed for 7 weeks, 4 days, 2 days, and 1 day,
respectively, at 32 animal unit days (AUD) ∙ ha-1 during 2000 and 34 AUD ∙ ha-1 during 2001. Within
IRG there was no response to the treatment gradient. After 1 cycle in the IRG paddocks, heterogeneity of
use was generally lower than in the DRG paddocks, both in 2000 (3%–11% [outlier 18%] vs. 14%–19%)
and 2001 (9%–17% vs. 24%–28%). After a 2nd cycle in 2001, heterogeneity in half of the IRG paddocks
(17%–21%) was nearly as high as the early-grazed (24%), but not the late-grazed (28%), of the DRG
paddocks. This lack of a stronger difference
between systems was probably due to the
fixed 2-cycle IRG schedule and lack of plant
growth during the non-grazing interval.
Across both systems, heterogeneity of
utilization was strongly positively correlated
with paddock size. Because utilization was
not severely patchy in the largest treatment,
the difference between systems would likely
be greater in commercial-scale paddocks.
Thus grazing distribution can be more even
under intensive than extensive management,
but this depends on how adaptively the
system, particularly the aspects of timing and
frequency, is managed.
In IRG, grazing was also fairly even across
plant species (Maeno et al., p. 26).
Rangeland Ecology & Management 61:380-388.
Figure 1. Unevenness of utilization within a paddock decreased as paddock size and grazing period decreased from deferred rotation paddocks (2) to intensive rotational grazing paddocks (representing rotations of 16-64 paddocks). The effect weakened when a second grazing cycle was applied without adequate recovery.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
64 32 16 2
1 ha 2 ha 4 ha 70 ha
Intensive rotational grazing Deferred rotation
Mea
n a
bso
lute
devia
tion
of u
tiliz
atio
n (
%)
Number of paddocks in rotation Paddock size (ha)Grazing system
Cycle 1 Cycle 2
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 21
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Targeted Grazing in Southeastern Arizona:
Using Cattle to Reduce Fine Fuel Loads
Retta Bruegger, former Graduate Research Assistant, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University
of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; [email protected]
Larry D. Howery, Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ,
85721, USA
Derek W. Bailey, Professor, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces,
NM 88003, USA
Effectively managing the risk of unwanted wildfires is a growing concern in the western U.S. Targeted
grazing (TG), or managing livestock grazing to achieve specific vegetation goals, is one possible tool. In
this two-year study on Forest Service land in the Santa Rita mountains of Arizona, we tested the efficacy
of using TG using low-stress herding (LSH) and low moisture block (LMB) supplement to achieve fuel-
reduction goals on rangelands that were steep, rocky and > 0.75 km from water, and dominated by
Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees.). The cow herd consisted of 58 red angus cows and 2
bulls. Five of the cows were fitted with GPS collars. Two grazing treatments (i.e., herding and
supplement = TG treatment vs. no herding and no supplement = Control) were randomly assigned to two
pairs of study sites.Vegetation measurements were taken before and after grazing treatments were
imposed. GPS-collared cows spent 34% of their time within 100 m of TG sites during herding periods
compared to <1% of their time during non-herding periods. Mean utilization (%) of Lehmann lovegrass
was 26% in TG sites compared to 11% in control sites. Mean stubble height of Lehmann lovegrass was
reduced from 71 to 35 cm in TG sites (pre-and post-herding) vs. from 70 to 52 cm in control sites (pre-
and post-herding). Even though average utilization was light (26%) in TG sites, a fire model created using
Behave Plus predicted that TG would have reduced the rate of spread by > 47% in three different fire
conditions in the two major vegetation types (grassland and grass/shrub). Application of TG will require
careful calibration of animal numbers, supplement amounts, and length of herding periods to achieve fuel
reduction objectives.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 22
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Adaptive Grazing Management Experiment: The New Frontier of Grazing Research
Justin D. Derner, Research Leader, USDA-ARS, Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Cheyenne, WY 82009,
USA; [email protected]
David J. Augustine, Ecologist, USDA-ARS, Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Cheyenne, WY 82009, USA
David D. Briske, Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, Texas A&M University, College
Station, TX 77843, USA
Maria Fernandez-Gimenez, Associate Professor, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Ken W. Tate, Russell L. Rustici Endowed Chair in Rangeland Watershed Science, Department of Plant Sciences,
University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Emily J. Kachergis, Ecologist, USDA-ARS, Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Cheyenne, WY 82009, USA
Leslie M. Roche, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA
95616, USA
The Adaptive Grazing Management experiment at the USDA-ARS Central Plains Experimental Range
(shortgrass steppe, MLRA 67B) addresses important gaps in our current understanding of grazing
management including: 1) lack of management-science partnerships to more fully understand the effect of
management decisions, 2) need for management practices that optimize both livestock production and
conservation benefits, and 3) need to conduct ranch-scale experiments. The novel experiment utilizes a
collaborative approach with a Stakeholder Group, consisting of 11 members representing a diverse cross-
section of interests. The Stakeholder Group will create an Adaptive Grazing Management Plan for ten
320-acre pastures (total of 3,200 acres). Each pasture contains multiple ecological sites and is paired with
a similar 320 acre control pasture (in terms of size, soils, topography, prior management history). Control
pastures will be managed in a traditional manner: grazed season-long from mid-May to early October at a
moderate stocking rate. The Stakeholder group will 1) choose outcomes for livestock production and
conservation, 2) determine objectives for each outcome, 3) identify management strategies to implement
during the same grazing season (mid-May to early October), 4) select appropriate background information
and monitoring data (indicators) needed to inform adaptive management, and 5) select triggers for
movement of livestock among pastures. This experiment, beginning in May 2013 and planned for a
minimum ten years, incorporates different ecological sites, highly variable environmental conditions, and
management decisions as the new frontier in grazing research to examine grazing management decisions
in managing semiarid rangelands.
Collaborative approach with management-science partnerships to understand the effects of adaptive management.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 23
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
A Beef Producer’s Experience Thinking “Outside the Box”:
An Integrated Approach to Improve Rangeland Health While Marketing Grassfed Beef
Kimberly Diller, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pueblo, CO
81003, USA; [email protected]
Steve Oswald, Rancher, Oswald Cattle Company, Cotopaxi, CO 81223, USA
Daniel Nosal, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Franktown, CO
80116, USA
Ben Berlinger, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, La Junta, CO
81050, USA
Steve and Nancy Oswald are working toward the goal of increasing species diversity, litter, and
productivity on the Oswald Ranch on meadows and uplands, primarily Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii)
woodlands, in the Southern Rocky Mountains (MLRA 48A). They changed from early spring calving and
fall weaning to summer calving and spring weaning. Sub-irrigated meadows, formerly hayed, have been
converted to pastures. They intensified their grazing management from a two pasture system with season-
long grazing to short duration grazing, now with >70 pastures and grazing periods as short as 1 day on the
meadows. They run cow/calf pairs, steers, and goats, in one or two herds. These methods facilitate more
effective utilization of the landscape in both space and time. Range trends are monitored at 13 permanent
transects with photo points to provide a basis for adjustments in the grazing schedule and stocking rates.
The changed calving and weaning periods better fit the annual forage cycle, and facilitate flexibility in
marketing. The Oswalds work with government partners and urban neighbors to provide wildlife habitat
and make improvements on the land. The Oswalds received the 2006 Excellence in Rangeland
Conservation Award from the Colorado Section SRM for their integrated approach to improve the health,
vigor, and production of their rangeland resource base while marketing a natural, grass-fed beef product
to the public.
NRCS Rangeland Management Specialists learning from rancher Steve Oswald at the Oswald Cattle Co., Cotopaxi, Colo.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 24
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Home on a Transitioning Range: Extending State and Transition Models as a Tool for Adaptive Grazing Management
Maria E. Fernandez-Gimenez, Associate Professor, Dept. of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State
University, 80523, USA; [email protected]
James Pritchett, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State
University, 80523, USA
Emily Kachergis, Ecologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, High Plains Research Station, Cheyenne, WY
82009, USA
Jay Parsons, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics; Western Center for
Integrated Resource Management, Colorado State University, 80523, USA
John Ritten, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wyoming,
Laramie, WY 82071, USA
State and transition models (STMs) have been adopted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, and other organizations as the basis
for rangeland assessment and monitoring. STMs also hold potential as an important tool to facilitate
adaptive grazing management. For example, STMs can help ranchers evaluate the costs and probability
of success of using grazing management as a tool to restore plant communities to a desired composition
for specific management objectives. Although many natural resource management professionals are
aware of STMs, fewer have used them, and in a 2009 survey of Colorado and Wyoming only 31% of
ranchers had heard of STMs and 2% had used them. To address this gap in awareness and application of
STMs as a tool for adaptive management, we developed a series of outreach materials, including
presentations, fact sheets and a ranch simulation game, based on STMs developed from local knowledge
and ecological field data in Northwest Colorado. To date the game has been used in 4 workshops and
numerous public and classroom demonstrations to help current and future land managers understand the
value of state and transition models for decision making and allow them to apply STMs to management
decisions on a “model
ranch” based on
characteristics of
ranches in the Elkhead
Watershed, Routt and
Moffat Counties,
Colorado. This poster
describes the S&T
Ranch Game, reports
the results of our initial
workshop evaluations,
and allows participants
to play the game in a
hands-on demonstration
during the poster
session.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 25
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Characterizing Wyoming Ranching Operations:
Natural Resource Goals, Management Practices and Information Sources
Emily Kachergis, Postdoctoral Ecologist, USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Cheyenne, WY, USA;
Justin Derner, Research Leader, USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Cheyenne, WY, USA
Rachel Mealor, Extension Specialist, University of Wyoming Extension, Laramie, WY, USA
Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Cheyenne, WY, USA
Kenneth Tate, Professor and Rangeland Watershed Specialist, Department of Plant Sciences, University of
California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Mark Lubell, Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA,
USA
Valerie Eviner, Associate Professor, of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Leslie Roche, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA,
USA
What are the characteristics of Wyoming ranches, and how do they manage natural resources on 29
million acres of rangelands? In cooperation with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA)—a
predominant agricultural organization in the state—we asked WSGA producer members about their
operations via a mail survey. A total of 307 ranchers (50%) responded to the survey. Livestock
production and forage production were the top natural resource management goals, with ecosystem
characteristics that support these goals (e.g. soil health, water quality) tied for second. Survey
respondents’ ranches had a median size of 10,440 acres, but ranged up to 458,000 acres; 71% of
operations included public land permits and 60% included private leased land. Reporting operations
generally grazed cow-calf pairs (91%), with a median of 260 pairs per ranch. Most survey respondents
managed grazing by moving one to five herds of livestock (84%) among two or more pastures (92%) after
less than three months of grazing (87%). Most operations also included other activities that affect land
management (72%), including extractive recreation (55%), conventional energy development (23%), and
other agricultural production (20%). Survey respondents primarily got information about grazing
management from other ranchers (97%), and preferred print publications (68%) rather than internet
resources. Wyoming ranching operations are diverse in operation characteristics and management
practices, presenting a challenge for efforts to improve food production and conservation in Wyoming.
Programs that focus on livestock and forage production and supporting ecosystem functions are most
likely to find synergies with ongoing management goals and strategies.
Figure 1. Survey respondents’ natural resource management goals. Photo credits: Jack Dykinga; Emily Kachergis;
Emily Kachergis; Emily Kachergis; Kira Puntenney; Jaepil Cho.
NA
TUR
AL
RES
OU
RC
E G
OA
LS
Tier 1: Livestock Production and Forage Production
Tier 2: Soil Health, Water Quality, Riparian and/or Meadow Health, and Invasive Weed Management
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 26
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Do Paddock Size and Stocking Density Affect Species Selectivity of Grazing?
Motoko Maeno, former Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan,
Utah 84322, USA
Brien E. Norton, Associate Professor Emeritus, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
84322, USA; [email protected]
Matthew K. Barnes, former Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University;
Owner & Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA
Rotational stocking may change the diet selection of grazing animals relative to more extensive
grazing methods such as continuous stocking, thus increasing grazing capacity (Norton et al., p. 16;
Steffens et al., p. 18). We tested the hypotheses that, as stocking density increased under intensive
rotational stocking, grazing use would be distributed over a higher proportion of species, and the
tillers of preferred species would be grazed more evenly.
At Cedar Mountain, Utah (2600 m elevation; 76 mm mean annual precipitation), during July-
August, we stocked cattle on a gradient of 3 levels of decreasing paddock size and increasing stocking
density, representing increasing intensity of landscape subdivision (16-, 32-, and 64-paddock
rotations) at the same stocking rate: 4-, 2-, and 1-ha paddocks grazed for 4, 2, and 1 days, at 4, 8, and
16 animal units (AU)/ha (Barnes et al., p. 20; Maeno et al., p. 27). We measured height of 300
marked tillers in each paddock before and after grazing. Effects of species (codominant graminoids)
and treatment levels on proportions of grazed tillers were assessed with a logit model, and effects of
treatment levels on standard deviation of defoliated tiller length were assessed with ANOVA.
Utilization was light, so there was ample opportunity
for cattle to express selectivity. However, there was no
difference between treatment levels in proportions of
species grazed (P = 0.6518), overall utilization (P =
0.58), or utilization of graminoids (P = 0.63). A
correlation between the proportion of each species in a
paddock and the utilization of that species suggests that
selectivity was low regardless of treatment.
The lack of response to the treatment gradient, and the
correlation between use and availability, are consistent
with the findings (Barnes et al., p. 20) that the spatial
heterogeneity of utilization was similar in the rotational
stocking treatments, but lower than in rotationally
deferred 70-ha paddocks on the same site. These results
imply that the small paddocks and high stocking densities
of rotational stocking can make a higher proportion of
herbage effectively available relative to extensive grazing
methods (Norton et al., p. 16; Steffens et al., p. 18), but
that ever higher stocking densities do not necessarily
result in even lower selectivity and spatial heterogeneity
of grazing.
Cattle grazing in a 2-ha paddock for 2 days, Cedar Mountain, Utah. Photo by Matt Barnes.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 27
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Minimal Repeat Defoliation, and Feeding Choice Shift, During Short Grazing Periods
Motoko Maeno, former Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
84322, USA
Brien E. Norton, Associate Professor Emeritus, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
84322, USA; [email protected]
Matthew K. Barnes, former Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University; Owner &
Rangeland Consultant, Shining Horizons Land Management LLC, San Luis, CO 81152, USA
Rotational stocking may reduce repeat grazing of preferred plants relative to more extensive grazing
methods such as continuous stocking, thus increasing effective grazing capacity. We measured repeat
defoliation and documented a shift in feeding choice over short grazing periods in small paddocks.
At Cedar Mountain, Utah (2600 m elevation; 76 mm mean annual precipitation), during July-August,
we stocked cattle at 2 levels of decreasing paddock size and increasing stocking density, representing
increasing intensity of landscape subdivision (16- and 32-paddock rotations) at the same stocking rate: 4-
and 2-ha paddocks grazed for 4 and 2 days, at 4 and 8 animal units (AU)/ha, with 2 replicates (Barnes et
al., p. 20; Maeno et al., p.26). We measured height of 300 marked tillers in each paddock at the
beginning, midpoint, and end of the grazing periods. The differences in grazed tiller length of the 4
codominant grass species between days 2-4 of the 4-day treatment, and days 1-2 of the 2-day treatment,
were assessed using one-way ANOVA for each species.
Utilization was light, so there was ample opportunity for cattle to express selectivity. However, the
proportion of tillers grazed in both the first and the second half of the grazing period was only 5.41% in
the 4-day, and 3.17% in the 2-day paddocks. There were significant interactions between day and species
in the 4-day (P = 0.0006) and the 2-day (P = 0.0019) grazing periods, indicating that a shift of feeding
choice happened during the grazing periods. Mountain brome (Bromus marginatus) was preferred in the
first and avoided in the second half, while (generally less-palatable) Letterman needlegrass (Achnatherum
lettermanii) was avoided in the first but preferred in the second half of the periods.
The lack of repeat defoliation is probably due to lack of regrowth during the grazing periods, and is
consistent with the findings (Barnes et al., p. 20) that the spatial heterogeneity of utilization was similar in
the rotational stocking treatments, but lower than in rotationally deferred 70-ha paddocks on the same
site. Short grazing periods, small paddocks, and high stocking densities can increase the proportion of
herbage effectively available to meet nutritional requirements if livestock mix more lower-quality forage
in their diet earlier in the grazing period, evening out diet quality over time (Steffens et al., p. 18).
Table 1. Proportion of repeat-grazed tillers in paddocks representing two levels of rotational stocking.
Treatment Replicate Repeat-grazed tillers
16 paddocks/herd: 4 days, 4 ha, 4 AU/ha Replicate 1 1.02% Replicate 2 9.76% Mean 5.41%
32 paddocks/herd: 2 days, 2, ha, 8 AU/ha Replicate 1 3.01% Replicate 2 3.33% Mean 3.17%
Total Mean 4.29%
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 28
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
An Adaptive Management Approach to Livestock Grazing
on the Santa Rita Experimental Range
Fadzayi Mashiri, Senior Research Specialist, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of
Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; [email protected]
George Ruyle, Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
85721, USA
Mitchel P. McClaran, Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson,
AZ 85721, USA
Larry Howery, Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
85721, USA
Mark Heitlinger, Santa Rita Experimental Range Manager, University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station,
Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Alisha Phipps, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tucson, AZ
85705, USA
Andrew McGibbon, Rancher, Santa Rita Ranch, Green Valley, AZ 85622, USA
A previous study at the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) found no significant differences between
rotational vs. yearlong grazing after 34 years. Like many grazing studies with inflexible application of
treatments over time, the stocking rate and grazing seasons were set based on long-term average plant
production and phenology, with little flexibility in annual stocking rates and grazing periods despite the
characteristic extreme temporal variability in plant growing conditions. In 2007, an adaptive management
(AM) approach to livestock grazing was introduced in order to better respond to high temporal variability.
About 20 pastures (360-1900 ha) are grazed by a large herd (~540 AU). The AM we employ emphasizes
continual assessment of resource conditions by collecting peak standing herbaceous biomass data,
mapping utilization patterns, and monitoring a network of precipitation gauges. These data, along with a
history of actual use information, are used to adjust stocking rates and plan grazing periods for the
dormant and the active growing seasons of the warm season grasses. Grazing periods range from 10 to 60
days during the dormant season, depending on pasture size and biomass production, and about 10 days
during the growing season, to prevent regrazing during the time when grasses are most sensitive to
grazing. Preliminary results show that even with high temporal and spatial variability in production,
average utilization is around 40% (Fig. 1). This approach may provide for sustainable livestock grazing
in semiarid ecosystems and for generating large scale predictive models of relationships among stocking
rates, vegetation production, and precipitation.
Figure 1. Area of the Santa Rita Experimental Range grazed at different utilization classes in 2010/2011.
Are
a (
acre
s)
Utilization class
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 29
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
The Effect of Grazing Intensity on Grassland and Cattle Performance
in South-Central North Dakota
Bob Patton, Range Scientist, North Dakota State University (NDSU) – Central Grasslands Research Extension
Center (CGREC), Streeter ND 58483, USA; [email protected]
Paul Nyren, Range Scientist, NDSU – CGREC, Streeter ND 58483, USA
Anne Nyren, Research Specialist, NDSU – CGREC, Streeter ND 58483, USA
A grazing intensity study began at CGREC in 1989 to determine ecological and economic effects of
season-long cattle grazing. Five treatments - no grazing, light, moderate, heavy, and extreme grazing - are
each replicated three times. Thirty-acre pastures are stocked so that when the cattle are removed in the
fall, 65, 50, 35, and 20% of the forage remains on the light, moderate, heavy, and extreme grazing
treatments respectively. The no grazing treatment consists of six 0.3-acre exclosures.
On loamy sites, forage production is highest under light grazing. On loamy overflow sites, production
does not differ between light, moderate, and heavy grazing, but ungrazed and extreme treatments produce
significantly less forage.
Of the 165 plant species found on the loamy sites, 38% have shown a response to grazing based on
frequency, density, or basal cover. On the loamy overflow sites, 29% of the 175 species have responded
to grazing. Of these species, the majority are favored by a moderate or heavy level of grazing.
Since 1990, average daily gain and animal body condition scores have decreased with increasing
grazing intensity. Initially, gain/ton of available forage increases as the grazing pressure increases, but
declines at higher grazing pressures.
We cannot predict which grazing pressure will give the maximum gain/ton of forage in a particular
year. However, the grazing pressure which would have given the highest average gain from 1991-
2011would have been 2.49 AUM/ton and would have averaged 77.2 lbs. of gain/ton. The grazing pressure
with the maximum return/ton over the last 21 years would be 1.91 AUM/ton, with an average annual
return of $30.19/ton.
Figure 1. Relationships between grazing pressure, animal gains, and economic returns at the Central Grasslands
Research Extension Center, North Dakota, from 1991-2011.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 30
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Ultra-High Stocking Densities on Nebraska Sandhills Meadow
Miles Redden, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA
Ben Beckman, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA
Jordan Johnson, former Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915,
USA; Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Norfolk, NE 68701-2267, USA
Robert Vavala, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA
Jerry Volesky, Professor, UNL West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, NE 69101, USA
Walter Schacht, Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA; [email protected]
Ultra-high stocking density is promoted as a tool to increase grassland productivity by building soil.
Study objectives were to compare aboveground vegetation production, cattle performance, and herbage
utilization by yearling cattle on subirrigated meadow dominated by cool-season grasses in response to
different grazing methods: ultra-high stocking density with a single grazing period (mob grazing); 4-
pasture 1-cycle rotational grazing (4-PR-1); and 4-pasture 2-cycle rotational grazing (4-PR-2). In each
year of the study (2010-2012), the 60-day grazing season began in June for cattle rotating through 120
mob-grazed pastures and 4-PR-1 pastures; whereas, the grazing season for 4-PR-2 began in mid-May and
continued for 80 to 90 days. Grazing period per pasture for mob, 4-PR-1, and 4-PR-2 grazing methods
was 0.5, 15, and 10 days, respectively. Each method had the same stocking rate (8.2 AUM ha-1
in 2010
and 7.4 AUM ha-1
in 2011 and 2012), but stocking density differed (220,000, 7,000 and 5,000 kg ha-1
or
489, 16, and 11 AU ha-1
for mob, 4-PR-1, and 4-PR-2, respectively). Herbage disappearance and
trampling was estimated (1) weekly in mob-grazed pastures and (2) when the cattle were moved from a
pasture in 4-PR-1 and 4-PR-2. Sixty percent of the standing herbage was trampled in the mob-grazed
pastures resulting in low grazing efficiency (30%) compared to the 4-PR-1 (49%) and 4-PR-2 (46%)
pastures. Aboveground production was estimated in 2012 by clipping in exclusion cages and did not
differ among grazing methods. In 2011 and 2012, average daily gain was greater for yearling cattle on 4-
PR-2 (0.73 kg) than on 4-PR-1 and mob-grazed pastures (0.24 kg) likely because of the availability of
higher quality forage on 4-PR-2
pastures during the second half of
the grazing season. With no
production variable responding
favorably to mob grazing by the
third year, the study will be
continued to determine longer-term
system responses, including soil
nutrient and microbial properties, to
grazing method.
Utilization of a Nebraska Sandhills
meadow after mob grazing.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 31
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Grass and Forb Heights for Gunnison Sage-Grouse: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Lars Santana, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montrose, CO
81401, USA; [email protected]
Jim Cochran, County Wildlife Coordinator, Gunnison County, Gunnison, CO 81230, USA
John Scott, former District Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Gunnison, CO 81230,
USA
A group was organized in Gunnison, Colorado to look at some of the inconsistencies of how rangeland
measurements were being taken in Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) habitat and to see if
they could resolve any of the variations in the data that was being collected. One of the first tasks of this
group was to look at grass and forb height measurements. We thought this would be an easy task, but it
turns out there is enormous variation on how land managers take these measurements. In an effort to get
consistent data in the future we collected some pictures to give examples of ‘where to draw the line’ when
looking at grass and forb heights. The Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee agreed on
some standards (Fig. 1). This simple measurement can mean much to sage-grouse and to livestock
producers, since plant height is one of the core vegetation measurements for land managers in this
sagebrush-grassland habitat.
Figure 1. Variation in measurements of grass height, and where measurements should be taken as agreed upon by the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee. A, Where grass and forb heights should be taken according to the habitat guidelines provided in the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan (red line). B, Inconsistencies of where height measurements could be taken. The yellow lines illustrate the variation we received after a survey of over 30 different land managers; the green line is correct based on the Minimum Structural Vegetation Collection Guidelines for Gunnison Sage-grouse.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 32
A Landscape Scale Analysis Technique Indicates Rangeland Improvements after
Management Changes
Gregg Simonds, President, Open Range Consulting, Park City, UT 84098, USA
Eric Sant, Remote Sensing & Geographic Information Systems Specialist, Open Range Consulting, Park City, UT
84098, USA
Rio de la Vista, Owner, Shining Mountain Land Services, Alamosa, CO 81101, USA
Lisa VanAmburg, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Saguache, CO 81132, USA;
We used a remote sensing rangeland monitoring technique to inventory and evaluate rangeland conditions
and riparian trends over time for the Saguache Park grazing allotment (115,000 acres) on the Saguache
District of the Rio Grande National Forest. In 1995 the allotment combined two herds that had been in
two, 4-pasture rest rotation systems into a one-herd rotational grazing system, utilizing 8 pastures in a
different order in successive years. The monitoring technique provided information about resource health
to assist in evaluating long-term watershed
health conditions and trends from 1972 to
present. We used multiple scales of
remotely sensed imagery including ground-
based, aerial, and satellite. The landscape
scale analysis provided coverage for
dominant land cover, upland assessment for
continuous cover (bare ground, litter,
herbaceous, shrub), carrying capacity
estimates, and riparian assessments. This
information, combined with existing data
collected on the allotment, assisted in
evaluating existing conditions, trends and
the development of management
recommendations. Land cover and riparian
classifications had > 80% accuracy. Bare
ground estimates for continuous cover had
high accuracy (R2=0.88). Bare ground was
found to be <20% on 51% of the allotment.
The analysis showed significant increases in
percentage of willows in all major drainages
after management changes occurred (Figure
1). Riparian assessment indicated increases
in water table and fish populations, and
decreased sediment and water temperatures.
Figure 1. Improvements in vegetation on the Saguache Park Allotment after changing from
rest rotation (above) to rotational grazing in 1995 (below), as shown by remote sensing.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 33
To Plow or Not to Plow: Investigating Grassland to Cropland Conversion
in the Northern Great Plains Using Systems Dynamics
Benjamin L. Turner, Graduate Research Assistant, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; West
River Ag Center, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA; [email protected]
Roger Gates, Extension Range Specialist, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; West River
Ag Center, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA
Timothy Nichols, Associate Professor, Sociology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Melissa Wuellner, Assistant Professor and Distance Education Coordinator, Department of Natural Resource
Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Luis O. Tedeschi, Associate Professor, Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
From 1997 to 2007, 23.7 million acres of grassland were converted to cropland. Fifty seven percent were
located in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Since 2007, another 23.7 million U.S. acres have been
converted with the majority located in the NGP. These changes were likely driven by prices, U.S. farm
programs (e.g. crop insurance) and policies (e.g. ethanol mandates), technology, and social-cultural
changes of land owners and managers. The short term positive benefits have been increased food
production and returns to farmers. However, there could be unintended consequences through loss of
ecosystem services like water quality degradation, wildlife habitat loss/fragmentation, and decreased
carbon sequestration. Our objectives were to: 1) identify structural features influencing land use
decisions, 2) quantify implications for land management, and 3) forecast potential unintended
consequences from those decisions, which will likely impact livestock management through loss of
grassland, declining infrastructure (e.g. input suppliers, market options), or water quality degradation due
to runoff. This will be achieved through triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data using systems
dynamics (causal loop diagramming and simulation via stocks and flows). Triangulation is a procedure to
find convergence among different sources of information to form themes, using three spokes: 1)
qualitative information gathering through interviews with system stakeholders, 2) using system dynamics
modeling to link identifiable
themes, and 3) quantitative data
incorporation through
methodology to test themes and
identify potential outcomes.
Outcomes include: 1) evaluation
of land uses from financial,
ecological and managerial
perspectives, 2) identifying
alternative intervention strategies,
and 3) creation of a decision
support tool to provide long term
insight on NGP land use decisions.
A former grazing land site with a retention pond that has now been converted to a tillage operation. The clearly
identifiable walls of the pond make these sites easy to find.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 34
Defining Factors that Influence Improved Grazing Management by Community-Based
Rangeland Management Groups and their Adaptation to Climate Change
Tungalag Ulambayar, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1472, USA; [email protected]
Maria E. Fernandez-Gimenez, Associate Professor, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1472, USA
We examined the difference in outcomes of formally organized community-based rangeland management
(CBRM) groups and traditional nomadic neighborhoods in Mongolia in terms of their abilities to improve
livelihoods and grazing management. The overall objective of this comparative case study is to contribute
to reducing vulnerability of pastoral communities to climate change by defining more effective ways for
adaptation and building resilience to external shocks of natural and anthropogenic origins. We analyzed
the essential factors that influence the strategies for rangeland management by CBRM groups.
We qualitatively sampled four community groups in two adjacent soums (counties) of Umnugovi
province with and without formal CBRM experience: two traditional neighborhoods (non-CBRM groups)
and two formal CBRM groups. Qualitative data consisted of four focus group interviews with a total of
31 herders, and semi-structured interviews with community leaders. Digitally recorded data were
transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a phenomenological approach with thematic analysis.
Preliminary results suggest that 1) outcomes of CBRM and non-CBRM groups will differ with better
results for CBRM, and 2) formal CBRM groups will have a greater level of social capital and collective
action, which positively influence their rangeland management practices.
These analyses will result in identification of key factors in improving outcomes of CBRM groups,
leading to increased adaptation to climate change through improved management strategies.
Study site: Khankhongor and Tsogt-Ovoo soums of Umnugovi aimag, Mongolia.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 35
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Dry Matter Yield, Nutritional Value and Phenology of African Star Grass-Based
Pastures in the Region of Monteverde, Costa Rica
Luis Alonso Villalobos, Profesor e Investigador en Forrajes,,Escuela de Zootecnia, Universidad de Costa Rica, San
José; Centro de Investigación en Nutrición Animal, San José, Costa Rica; [email protected]
Jose Arce, Profesor e Investigador en Nutrición de Rumiantes, Escuela de Zootecnia, Universidad de Costa Rica,
San José; Centro de Investigación en Nutrición Animal, San José, Costa Rica
Dry matter yield, nutritional value and phenology of African star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) based
pastures were evaluated on four commercial dairy farms (two Pacific and two Atlantic weather-
influenced) in the region of Monteverde, Costa Rica (latitude 10°20', longitude 84°50', 800 to 1200 m
elevation) every other month over a two-year period. African star grass is adapted to Costa Rica at
elevations between 600 and 1800 m. Its regrowth period is between 20 and 30 days in order to have
optimum nutritional value and yield. The four dairy farms had 25 days of regrowth along the evaluation.
Average dry matter yield and phenological stage were 4484 kg ha-1
per grazing cycle and 7.36 green
leaves per regrowth, respectively (Table 1). Botanical composition of pastures was 86.81% African star
grass, 2.52% other grasses, 1.39% legumes, 1.53% weeds and 7.75% senescent material. The nutritional
value of the pastures averaged 20.27% CP, 64.21% NDF, 34.95% ADF, 4.06% Lignin and 1.25 Mcal kg-1
NEL (NRC, 2001), all on DM basis (Table 1). Dry matter yield and nutritional value were higher on farms
with Pacific weather influence and both decreased in the rainiest months as a result of the higher moisture
levels in soils. The phenological stage of the African star grass averaged between 6 and 8 green leaves per
regrowth which allowed for adequate recovery of the plant, and it was affected by precipitation as well.
African star grass has morphological traits (deep roots and stoloniferous growth) that permit its utilization
under high stocking rates. The phenological stage concept has been developed for C3 grasses but it can be
applied to tropical grasses in order to have an idea of the optimum time to graze pastures.
Table 1. Agronomic traits of African Star-Grass based pastures in four commercial dairy farms in the Region of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Farm (weather influence)
Nº of leaves at grazing
DM yield (kg ha-1 cycle-1)
CP (DM%)
NDF (DM%)
NEL (Mcal kg-1 DM)
1 (Pacific)1 7.3578 4490ab 20.68 63.95 1.29a 2 (Pacific) 7.2825 5369a 20.44 64.31 1.28a 3 (Atlantic) 7.4709 4143ab 19.79 64.55 1.20b 3 (Atlantic) 7.3580 3936b 20.17 64.05 1.23b a,b. Means in a column with different superscripts are significantly different (P≤0.05) 1 Average of 12 samples of measurements
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 36
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Evaluation of Restoration Activities on Riparian Vegetation Condition and Stream
Morphology, Kerber Creek Watershed, Colorado
Jason Willis, Field Coordinator, Trout Unlimited, Salida, CO 81201, USA
Laura Archuleta, Environmental Contaminants Specialist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Saguache, CO 81149, USA
Aarón Mohammadi, former Coordinator, AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA, Lakewood, CO 80225, USA
Karl Ford, former Environmental Scientist, Bureau of Land Management, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Elizabeth Russell, Mine Restoration Project Manager, Trout Unlimited, Lafayette, CO 80026, USA
Steve Sanchez, Forest Manager for Soils and Hydrology, USDA Forest Service, Pueblo, CO 81008, USA
Trevor Klein, Coordinator, AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA, Saguache, CO 81149, USA; [email protected]
The Kerber Creek watershed, located in Saguache County, CO, encompasses the historic Bonanza Mining
District, operational from the 1890s to the 1970s. Over time, mine wastes discharged into Kerber Creek
were transported down-gradient as a result of flood events and human interference and redeposited
throughout the lower watershed. To correct subsequent impacts, several techniques have been
implemented, including in-situ soil treatment (phytostabilization) and subsequent revegetation, in-stream
habitat enhancements, stream bank stabilization, and grazing management. These enhancements have
noticeably improved stream and riparian conditions. In-situ treatment and revegetation of mine waste
deposits have reduced mobility of metals in the soil and raised soil pH. NRCS rangeland management
specialists and landowners have developed site-specific rotational grazing management plans that will
allow livestock grazing of restored riparian areas on private land after a 3 to 5 year rest period during
vegetative recovery. Other indications of success include a 6.3% increase in stream sinuosity and an
increase in riparian vegetation visible from photographs taken before and after restoration efforts.
Since 2008, the Kerber Creek Restoration Project has maintained partnerships with the Bonanza
Stakeholders Group (BSG), Trout Unlimited (TU), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Natural
Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), US Forest Service
(USFS), AmeriCorps Western Hardrock Watershed Team OSM/VISTA, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), and Saguache County Sustainable
Environment and Economic Development (ScSEED).
Figure 1. Mine waste deposit along Kerber Creek before and after restoration.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 37
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Innovation on the Range: Studying Rangeland Manager Internet Use and Decision Making in Order to Develop Effective Delivery Systems for Rangeland Innovations in Colorado
Hailey Wilmer, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; [email protected]
Shayan Ghajar, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; [email protected]
Maria E. Fernandez-Gimenez, Associate Professor, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Efforts to understand and facilitate the diffusion of innovations in rangeland management
necessitate an understanding of social systems and communication. While many researchers have
studied the adoption of new practices by land managers over the past sixty years, there is little
understanding of why, when, and how ranchers and agency professionals decide to adopt
rangeland innovations related to adaptive grazing management. As internet speed and access
continue to improve in rural areas, documenting how and where ranchers obtain information on
these techniques will also prove essential to improving outreach. Colorado State University’s
Social-Ecological Systems team is exploring the social and institutional constraints that affect
decisions to adopt these rangeland innovations in Colorado. This research explores the role of
social networks, the use of the internet, and individual and family-level decision making in
changes in rangeland management. Data are collected through semi-structured interviews and
surveys.
Based on information about ranchers’ decision making, social interactions, and patterns of
internet use, the results of the study will provide concrete recommendations for the development
of outreach programming for two grazing distribution projects in Colorado, New Mexico and
Arizona and a state-and-transition model program in Colorado and Wyoming. These
recommendations will focus on presenting information to land managers when and where it will
most likely be effective in enabling range management change. The study is ongoing and results
are preliminary at this stage.
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
Contributed poster abstracts 38
Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Adaptive Systems 29-30 November 2012; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Society for Range Management
The Effect of Brush Mowing on Invertebrate Populations in Sagebrush Ecosystems
Elizabeth With, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Gunnison, CO
81230, USA; [email protected]
Lars Santana, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montrose, CO
81401, USA; [email protected]
Tom Eager, Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Gunnison, CO 81230, USA
Evan Bulla, Student, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO 81230, USA
Brush mowing is one of many rangeland improvement treatments practiced in sagebrush (Artemisia)
ecosystems to reduce the interspecific competition of sagebrush with, and improve production and
diversity of, grasses and forbs. Theoretically, this structural alteration results in a change in insect species
present. These changes are of special interest in Colorado due to the Gunnison sage-grouse
(Centrocercus minimus), a USFWS species of concern. The grouse is a gallinaceous bird whose early
brood survival is dependent on insects as a primary food source. Knowing and understanding the impact
of brush mowing on insect diversity and population size could give land managers a key perspective in
linking rangeland improvement to a critical period in the Gunnison sage-grouses’ development and ability
to recruit. The assemblage of insects on a given site can serve as an indicator of habitat condition, but the
effects of treatments such as mowing on insect communities and sage-grouse habitat are unknown.
We placed pitfall traps in mowed and unmowed areas, which were within the same ecological site and
all grazed with domestic cattle; and checked them on a weekly basis during the brood rearing season
when chicks were reliant on insects for nutrition. This inventory established a baseline of insect diversity,
the first attempt to characterize the insect fauna of the Gunnison sagebrush steppe with respect to
Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. The collection of identified insects remains a series of voucher specimens
which can be retained for future reference and as an aid to identification.
We found higher diversity and production of insects in the mowed than in the untreated areas, but our
sample size is too small to extrapolate beyond the sites sampled. More information is needed to clarify
gaps in our understanding of sage-grouse needs and preferences, and move towards a cohesive
understanding of the tie between insect populations and rangeland management practices.
Figure 1. Some examples of insects collected in Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. Left, Order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, locusts). Right, Order Coleoptera, family Carabidae (ground beetles).
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