Managing tallgrass prairies for productivity and ecological function: A long-term grazing experiment in the Southern Great Plains, USA

Authors: Steiner, Jean; Starks, Patrick; Neel, James; Northup, Brian; Turner, Kenneth; Gowda, Prasanna; COLEMAN, SAMUEL - Retired ARS Employee; BROWN, MICHAEL - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Agronomy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2019
Publication Date: 10/30/2019
Citation: Steiner, J.L., Starks, P.J., Neel, J.P., Northup, B.K., Turner, K.E., Gowda, P.H., Coleman, S., Brown, M.A. 2019. Managing tallgrass prairies for productivity and ecological function: A long-term grazing experiment in the Southern Great Plains, USA. Agronomy. 9(11):699. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9110699.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9110699

Interpretive Summary: The Great Plains of the USA is one of largest expanses of prairie ecosystems in the world. Prairies, have been predominantly converted to other land uses. The remaining prairie ecosystems are important for livestock grazing and provide benefits including habitat for avian, terrestrial, and aquatic species, carbon regulation and hydrologic function. While producers, land management agencies, and some researchers have promoted livestock management using rotational grazing for increased production efficiency and enhanced ecosystem function, scientific literature has not provided a consensus on whether rotational grazing results in increased plant biomass or animal productivity. To address this research need, we established long-term grazing research within an adaptive management framework to encompass a wide range of production and ecological interactions on native grassland pastures. This paper describes objectives, design, and implementation of the long-term study to evaluate productivity and ecological effects of beef cow-calf management and production under continuous and rotational on native tallgrass prairie. Findings from 2009-2017 indicate that animal productivity was higher on the rotational system while maintaining or exceeding plant productivity and soil nutrient parameters. This prepares us to engage with producers to help determine the focus for the next phase of the research.

Technical Abstract: The Great Plains of the USA is one of largest expanses of prairie ecosystems in the world. Prairies, have been predominantly converted to other land uses. The remaining prairie ecosystems are important for livestock grazing and provide benefits including habitat for avian, terrestrial, and aquatic species, carbon regulation and hydrologic function. While producers, land management agencies, and some researchers have promoted livestock management using rotational grazing for increased production efficiency and enhanced ecosystem function, scientific literature has not provided a consensus on whether rotational grazing results in increased plant biomass or animal productivity. To address this research need, we established long-term grazing research within an adaptive management framework to encompass a wide range of production and ecological interactions on native grassland pastures. This paper describes objectives, design, and implementation of the long-term study to evaluate productivity and ecological effects of beef cow-calf management and production under continuous and rotational on native tallgrass prairie. Findings from 2009-2017 indicate that animal productivity was higher on the rotational system while maintaining or exceeding plant productivity and soil nutrient parameters. This prepares us to engage with producers to help determine the focus for the next phase of the research.