Download or read book Semi arid Rangeland Soil Health Forage and Grazing written by Timm Gergeni and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil scientists and rangeland ecologists are increasingly making range management decisions based upon projected impacts to soil health but disagreement persists regarding the direction, magnitude, and rate of potential soil health changes. According to the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Thus, it is important for soils to be managed sustainably for future generations. Soil health is complex and measured by its physical, chemical, and biotic properties all of which interact. Examples of these soils properties are: structure, nutrient content, and microbial activity. All are closely related to organic matter - an excellent indicator of soil health. Grazing lands represent ~40% of the earth’s terrestrial surface and have tremendous potential to sequester carbon while cattle, numbering ~1 billion head worldwide are one of the main grazers upon them. Within the state of Wyoming USA, cattle outnumber people 2.5:1 and anthropogenic management of their grazing likely has an effect on soil health. Unfortunately, the majority of research and data obtained from grazing studies have not occurred at working cattle ranches and may be hindering producer adoption. Furthermore, soil monitoring, soil health criteria, and expectations have generally been constrained to row cropping systems in mesic climates, not the semi-arid rangelands of the western US, and have been secondary to forage quality and animal performance. We conducted field research at two physical sites in Wyoming supplemented by systematically reviewed literature at the global scale to identify any research “gaps” with the intention of providing credible information and advice to regional producers seeking input. At our physical sites, located in McFadden and Lingle, Wyoming, different Animal Day pasture categories, grazing regimes, and densities are being utilized to understand the effects of cattle grazing on Wyoming’s native rangelands. The McFadden site is a working ranch located on a high-elevation steppe that rotationally grazes three herds of ~300 Angus/Simmental/Gelbvieh crossbred cows. Eleven native upland pastures of 167 to 367 acres (68 to 149 ha) were sampled in order to understand the relationship between grazing time per pasture and soil and plant quality. The Lingle site is a traditional research design at the University of Wyoming’s James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research Facility (UW SAREC) on a northern mixed-grass prairie, consisting of twelve 1 acre (0.405 ha) paddocks and three grazing densities; notably ‘not grazed’ (NG), ‘moderate rotationally grazed’ (MRG), and ‘ultra-high density rotationally grazed’ (UHD), replicated spatially four times each in a randomized complete block design. Our Chapter 1 global literature review resulted in 42 studies with an average publication date of 2010 from four continents. Cattle were utilized as the main grazer in North America while sheep were the main grazer in Asia. The majority of the research was conducted at research facilities, and organic matter’s response to grazing was generally neutral. Chapter 2 ranch-scale research conducted at Sims Ranch in McFadden, Wyoming determined that organic matter may be an indicator of time in pasture and established a soil health baseline for future research. Chapter 3 grazing density research at UWSAREC revealed time of sampling and environment interactions and established a soil health baseline for continued research.
Download or read book Grazing effects and resource use by large herbivores in arid and semi arid rangelands Advancements of analysis through high resolution spatio temporally dynamic modelling written by Pascal Fust and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research focused on the development of an agent-based model of livestock herds in semi-arid rangeland and its application in view of the sustainable use of natural resources and effects of climate change.
Download or read book Rangeland Health written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1994-02-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rangelands comprise between 40 and 50 percent of all U.S. land and serve the nation both as productive areas for wildlife, recreational use, and livestock grazing and as watersheds. The health and management of rangelands have been matters for scientific inquiry and public debate since the 1880s, when reports of widespread range degradation and livestock losses led to the first attempts to inventory and classify rangelands. Scientists are now questioning the utility of current methods of rangeland classification and inventory, as well as the data available to determine whether rangelands are being degraded. These experts, who are using the same methods and data, have come to different conclusions. This book examines the scientific basis of methods used by federal agencies to inventory, classify, and monitor rangelands; it assesses the success of these methods; and it recommends improvements. The book's findings and recommendations are of interest to the public; scientists; ranchers; and local, state, and federal policymakers.
Download or read book A Study of the Influences of Rangeland Grazing Management on Soil Health Vegetative Quantity Livestock Performance and Ranch Econommics on the Northern Mixed grass Prairie and Shortgrass Steppe written by Bryce R. Lidtka and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this study is to better quantify rangeland soil health and the associated relationships with the economics of livestock production. A suite of soil health indicators, vegetation, livestock performance, and economic health measures were assessed in the northern mixed-grass prairie (NMGP) and shortgrass steppe (SGS) influenced by grazing yearlings at three fixed stocking rates (light, moderate, and heavy). We hypothesized that as grazing intensity decreased, soil health attributes would positively increase, forage quantity increases, and individual yearling weight gains increase. As expected, forage quantity and average daily gains were highest in lower grazed pastures. Contrary to our hypothesis, only a select few soil health indicators were significantly impacted by grazing treatment at each study site, with variation in trends among significant indicators across two sites showing grazing intensity does not have universal effects on soil health attributes across all semiarid ecosystems. Soil water relationships were more closely evaluated to better understand how management effects ecological response to drought. At both sites, available water holding capacity had a significant relationship with grazing intensity, however, these relationships had different responses (decreased with grazing intensity at SGS; increased with grazing intensity at NMGP). Soil water infiltration rates decreased with grazing intensity at SGS, but no relationship was found at NMGP. Interannual variability of livestock performance and returns over grazing fees as a function of continuous stocking densities were analyzed. We found that returns over grazing fees per hectare were higher among pastures with higher stocking rates, while returns over grazing fees per head were higher among pastures with lower stocking rates. Yet, interannual variability is substantially higher within ranch economics than livestock performance. These findings suggest economic sustainability of ranching enterprises is more driven by livestock market dynamics than by results occurring from grazing management.
Download or read book Holistic Resource Management written by Allan Savory and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Holistic management considers humans, their economies, and the environment as inseparable. At the heart of the approach lies a simple testing process that enables people to make decisions that simultaneously consider economic, social and environmental realities, both short- and long-term. A useful handbook for anyone involved with land management and stewardship.
Download or read book Introduction to Forestry and Natural Resources written by Donald L. Grebner and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-01-19 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to Forestry and Natural Resources, Second Edition, presents a broad, completely updated overview of the profession of forestry. The book details several key fields within forestry, including forest management, economics, policy, utilization and forestry careers. Chapters deal specifically with forest regions of the world, landowners, forest products, wildlife habitats, tree anatomy and physiology, and forest disturbances and health. These topics are ideal for undergraduate introductory courses and include numerous examples and questions for students to ponder. There is also a section dedicated to forestry careers. Unlike other introductory forestry texts, which focus largely on forest ecology rather than practical forestry concepts, this book encompasses the economic, ecological and social aspects, thus providing a uniquely balanced text. The wide range of experience of the contributing authors equips them especially well to identify missing content from other texts in the area and address topics currently covered in corresponding college courses. Covers the application of forestry and natural resources around the world with a focus on practical applications and graphical examples Describes basic techniques for measuring and evaluating forest resources and natural resources, including fundamental terminology and concepts Includes management policies and their influence at the local, national and international levels
Download or read book Rangeland Systems written by David D. Briske and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-12 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.
Download or read book Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases written by Mark Liebig and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-10-16 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Global climate change is a natural process that currently appears to be strongly influenced by human activities, which increase atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG). Agriculture contributes about 20% of the world’s global radiation forcing from carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and produces 50% of the methane and 70% of the nitrous oxide of the human-induced emission. Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases synthesizes the wealth of information generated from the GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) effort with contributors from a variety of backgrounds, and reports findings with important international applications. Frames responses to challenges associated with climate change within the geographical domain of the U.S., while providing a useful model for researchers in the many parts of the world that possess similar ecoregions Covers not only soil C dynamics but also nitrous oxide and methane flux, filling a void in the existing literature Educates scientists and technical service providers conducting greenhouse gas research, industry, and regulators in their agricultural research by addressing the issues of GHG emissions and ways to reduce these emissions Synthesizes the data from top experts in the world into clear recommendations and expectations for improvements in the agricultural management of global warming potential as an aggregate of GHG emissions
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment written by Daniel Hillel and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Encyclopedia of the World s Biomes written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2020-06-26 with total page 3542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information
Download or read book Wild Rangelands written by Johan T. du Toit and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rangeland ecosystems which include unimproved grasslands,shrublands, savannas and semi-deserts, support half of theworld’s livestock, while also providing habitats for some ofthe most charismatic of wildlife species. This book examines thepressures on rangeland ecosystems worldwide from human land use,over-hunting, and subsistence and commercial farming of livestockand crops. Leading experts have pooled their experiences from allcontinents to cover the ecological, sociological, political,veterinary, and economic aspects of rangeland management today. This book provides practitioners and students ofrangeland management and wildland conservation with a diversity ofperspectives on a central question: can rangelands be wildlands? The first book to examine rangelands from a conservationperspective Emphasizes the balance between the needs of people andlivestock, and wildlife Written by an international team of experts covering allgeographical regions Examines ecological, sociological, political, veterinary, andeconomic aspects of rangeland management and wildland conservation,providing a diversity of perspectives not seen before in a singlevolume
Download or read book Spatial Modeling in GIS and R for Earth and Environmental Sciences written by Hamid Reza Pourghasemi and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2019-01-18 with total page 798 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spatial Modeling in GIS and R for Earth and Environmental Sciences offers an integrated approach to spatial modelling using both GIS and R. Given the importance of Geographical Information Systems and geostatistics across a variety of applications in Earth and Environmental Science, a clear link between GIS and open source software is essential for the study of spatial objects or phenomena that occur in the real world and facilitate problem-solving. Organized into clear sections on applications and using case studies, the book helps researchers to more quickly understand GIS data and formulate more complex conclusions. The book is the first reference to provide methods and applications for combining the use of R and GIS in modeling spatial processes. It is an essential tool for students and researchers in earth and environmental science, especially those looking to better utilize GIS and spatial modeling. Offers a clear, interdisciplinary guide to serve researchers in a variety of fields, including hazards, land surveying, remote sensing, cartography, geophysics, geology, natural resources, environment and geography Provides an overview, methods and case studies for each application Expresses concepts and methods at an appropriate level for both students and new users to learn by example
Download or read book Catastrophic Vegetation Dynamics and Soil Degradation in Semi arid Grazing Systems written by Max Rietkerk and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cum laude graduation (with distinction).
Download or read book Forages Volume 2 written by Kenneth J. Moore and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-05-29 with total page 968 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th Edition, Volume II will extensively evaluate the current knowledge and information on forage agriculture. Chapters written by leading researchers and authorities in grassland agriculture are aggregated under section themes, each one representing a major topic within grassland science and agriculture. This 7th edition will include two new additional chapters covering all aspects of forage physiology in three separate chapters, instead of one in previous editions. Chapters will be updated throughout to include new information that has developed since the last edition. This new edition of the classic reference serves as a comprehensive supplement to An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, Volume I.
Download or read book Biological and Environmental Hazards Risks and Disasters written by Ramesh Sivanpillai and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2023-06-22 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological and Environmental Hazards, Risks, and Disasters, Second Edition provides an integrated look at major impacts to the Earth’s biosphere caused by diseases, algal blooms, insects, animals, species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, and comet and asteroid strikes, with important implications for humans. This second edition from Elsevier’s Hazards and Disasters Series incorporates perspectives from the natural and social sciences to offer in-depth coverage of threats from microscopic organisms to celestial objects and their potential impacts. Contributions from expert biological, health, ecological, environmental, wildlife, physical, and health scientists, readers will gain valuable insights on damages, causality, economic impacts, preparedness, and mitigation. Provides inter- and multi-disciplinary research accessible to both specialists and non-specialists Includes newly added chapters on emerging hazards and risks to earth’s ecosystems (land conversion and habitat loss) and human health (spread of diseases) Contains full-color tables, maps, diagrams, illustrations, and photographs of hazardous processes
Download or read book Grasslands of the World written by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together information on the contrasting characteristics, condition, present use and problems of the world's main natural grasslands. Since grassland is commercialized through the grazing animal, particular attention is paid to the livestock production systems associated with each main type. Grazing resources are more than simply edible herbage: many other factors have to be taken into account, notably water in all areas, and shelter in winter-cold climates. Seasonality of forage supply is a characteristic of almost all grazing lands, so the strategies for dealing with lean seasons are described. The main problems of each type are mentioned and possible strategies for their sustainable management discussed - taking into account their multiple functions, not only livestock production. The book is primarily aimed at agricultural scientists, educationalists, extensionists and decision-makers with interests in responsible use of extensive grasslands.
Download or read book Management intensive Grazing written by Jim Gerrish and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using vivid images and detailed explanations, Gerrish takes graziers step by step through the MiG system. He begins from the ground up with the soil, and advances through the management of pastures and animals. Written for those new to MiG grazing, Gerrish's insight and personal experience can help experienced graziers fine tune their grazing operations for added income.
