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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296238
Title: Western land managers will need all available tools for adapting to climate change, including grazing: A critique of Beschta et al

Author
item Svejcar, Anthony
item Boyd, Chad
item Davies, Kirk
item Madsen, Matthew
item Bates, Jonathan - Jon
item Sheley, Roger
item MARLOW, CLAYTON - Oregon State University
item BOHNERT, DAVID - Oregon State University
item BORMAN, MIKE - Oregon State University
item MATA-GONZALEZ, RICHARDO - Oregon State University
item BUCKHOUSE, JOHN - Oregon State University
item STRINGHAM, TAMZEN - University Of Nevada
item PERRYMAN, BARRY - University Of Nevada
item SWANSON, SHERMAN - University Of Nevada
item TATE, KENNETH - University Of California
item GEORGE, MEL - University Of California
item RUYLE, GEORGE - University Of Arizona
item ROUNDY, BRUCE - Brigham Young University
item CALL, CHRIS - Utah State University
item Jensen, Kevin
item LAUNCHBAUGH, KAREN - University Of Idaho
item GEARHART, AMANDA - University Of Idaho
item Vermeire, Lance
item TANAKA, JOHN - University Of Wyoming
item Derner, Justin
item Frasier, Gary
item Havstad, Kris

Submitted to: Environmental Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2013
Publication Date: 1/8/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/58786
Citation: Svejcar, A.J., Boyd, C.S., Davies, K.W., Madsen, M.D., Bates, J.D., Sheley, R.L., Marlow, C., Bohnert, D., Borman, M., Mata-Gonzalez, R., Buckhouse, J., Stringham, T., Perryman, B., Swanson, S., Tate, K., George, M., Ruyle, G., Roundy, B., Call, C., Jensen, K.B., Launchbaugh, K., Gearhart, A., Vermeire, L.T., Tanaka, J., Derner, J.D., Frasier, G.W., Havstad, K.M. 2014. Western land managers will need all available tools for adapting to climate change, including grazing: A critique of Beschta et al. Environmental Management. 53:1035-1038. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0218-2.

Interpretive Summary: The impacts of grazing animals on western rangeland have created controversies, especially in light of potential climate change. In a recent scientific publication the authors suggested that most livestock and native large grazers should be removed from western public rangelands to help rangelands cope with climate change. We pointed out some of the flaws in the methods used by these authors to assess the scientific literature, and suggest that the issue is much more complex than they acknowledge. This analysis will be useful to land managers who make grazing-related decisions.

Technical Abstract: In a previous article, Beschta et al. (2013) argue that grazing by large ungulates (both native and domestic) should be eliminated or greatly reduced on western public lands to reduce potential climate change impacts. The authors were selective in their use of the scientific literature, and their publication is more of an opinion article than a synthesis. Their conclusions do not reflect the complexities associated with herbivore grazing. Interactions of climate change and grazing will depend on the specific situation. For example, increasing atmospheric CO2 and temperatures may increase both accumulation of fine fuels (primarily grasses) and thus increase wildfire risk. Prescribed grazing by livestock is one of the few management tools available for reducing fine fuel accumulation. While there are certainly points on the landscape where herbivore impacts can be identified, there are also vast grazed areas where impacts are minimal. Broad scale reduction of domestic and wild herbivores to help native plant communities cope with climate change will be unnecessary because over the past 20 to 50 years land managers have actively sought to bring populations of native and domestic herbivores in balance with the potential of vegetation and soils.