Location: Rangeland Resources & Systems Research
Project Number: 3012-21500-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Mar 28, 2024
End Date: Mar 27, 2029
Objective:
Objective 1. Quantify how climate change-driven increases in precipitation variability and extreme events affect forage production and other ecosystem services. (NP215 C4, PS4B PS4C)
Subobjective 1.1 - Quantify how spatial variability in precipitation, topography and soils interact to influence forage production. (LTAR objective)
Subobjective 1.2 – Quantify legacy effects of precipitation variability and extremes on plant growth, phenology, productivity, and C cycling. (LTAR objective)
Subobjective 1.3 - Experimentally test how increased interannual precipitation variability and added winter moisture affect resistance and resilience of rangeland plant communities and forage quantity and quality.
Objective 2. Understand how spatially and temporally dynamic conditions impact livestock foraging behavior and performance. (NP215 C4, PS4B)
Subobjective 2.1 - Determine how cattle distribute themselves on the landscape in relation to available resources, including forage quality, quantity, and plant species composition.
Subobjective 2.2 - Develop cattle behavior metrics that can be used to predict cattle performance with real time monitoring of livestock foraging behavior distribution.
Objective 3. Advance tools for near real-time monitoring and prediction of rangeland and livestock condition to facilitate precision livestock management and climate change adaptation. (NP215 C4, PS4B)
Subobjective 3.1 - Develop approaches for near real-time, broad-scale monitoring of forage conditions and livestock utilization across a range of plant communities.
Subobjective 3.2 - Improve monitoring and management of prairie dog colonies using remote sensing-based tools.
Subobjective 3.3 - Build a virtual rangeland ecosystem using the APEX model to integrate our understanding of climate-vegetation interactions (Objective 1), vegetation-livestock interactions (Objective 2), and current rangeland conditions (Objective 3) for developing scenarios to predict management outcomes under a wider range of climatic and edaphic conditions.
Objective 4. Combine collaborative, adaptive and precision management to improve provision of multiple ecosystem services, including livestock production, biodiversity, invasion resistance, and GHG emission reduction. (NP215 C4, PS4B PS4C)
Subobjective 4.1 - Test the utility of temporal flexibility in stocking rates to mitigate drought, capitalize on market opportunities, and enhance plant and animal diversity. (LTAR objective)
Subobjective 4.2 - Use precisely targeted grazing to control cheatgrass, increase plant diversity, and increase forage production by native perennial grasses.
Subobjective 4.3 - Enhance multiple ecosystem services and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by integrating collaborative, adaptive rangeland management with precision livestock management.
Approach:
Semiarid rangelands of the western Great Plains are complex socio-ecological systems that support livestock production, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services and are managed by multiple private and public entities. Climate change adds to that complexity, altering the weather patterns that drive plant and animal productivity. As precipitation becomes more variable, semiarid rangelands are expected to experience more droughts and deluges. At the same time, advances in remote sensing have the potential to provide detailed data on rangeland condition and livestock behavior, allowing managers to better adapt to rangeland complexity. This project plan is designed to provide the knowledge, data streams, and management strategies needed to use novel data sources for precision livestock management. We will use natural variation and field experiments to learn how precipitation variability interacts with grazing management, topography, and soils to influence rangeland vegetation (Objective 1). Temporal and spatial variation in vegetation in turn influence livestock behavior. We will use continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking of cattle to understand how vegetation patterns influence cattle grazing behavior, and how cattle behavior can be managed (e.g., with virtual fence) to improve weight gains and ecosystem services (Objective 2). Precision rangeland management also requires up-to-date understanding of rangeland conditions. We will develop techniques for near real-time monitoring of plant biomass and prairie dog colonies using remote sensing and use this monitoring data to improve models of forage and livestock production (Objective 3). We propose several experiments that combine collaborative, adaptive and precision management to match animal demand with forage availability, control invasive plants, and improve wildlife habitat and climate resilience (Objective 4). To achieve these goals, we will leverage extensive historical and remotely sensed data, participate in national research and outreach efforts (e.g., Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network, USDA Climate Hubs), and actively engage university partners, land managers, and other stakeholders.
