Adaptive Grazing Management in the Information Age – incorporating data from virtual fence, remote sensing, and ground measurements

Authors: Macon, Lara; UTSUMI, SANTIAGO - New Mexico State University; Lambert, Justin; Cooper, Gregory; PEREA, ANDRES - New Mexico State University; James, Darren; Estell, Richard; Bestelmeyer, Brandon; Spiegal, Sheri

Submitted to: Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2025
Publication Date: 2/13/2025
Citation: Macon, L.K., Utsumi, S., Lambert, J.C., Cooper, G.A., Perea, A., James, D.K., Estell, R.E., Bestelmeyer, B.T., Spiegal, S.A. 2025. Adaptive Grazing Management in the Information Age – incorporating data from virtual fence, remote sensing, and ground measurements. Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts. Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Adaptive management has become crucial for ranchers and rangeland managers facing climate change. Learning from previous management actions, incorporating monitoring data, and predicting climatic factors such as seasonal changes in precipitation can help managers deal with the increasing variability characteristic of a changing climate. Traditionally, on-the-ground monitoring has been a key piece of adaptive management, to provide feedback on utilization by livestock, changes in plant cover, and overall range health. Increasingly, technologies such as virtual fencing and near-real time location monitoring for livestock are gaining popularity. We sought to explore how these emerging technologies, along with remote sensing and on-the-ground monitoring, can be incorporated into an adaptive grazing management plan. Our objectives were to a) provide adequate forage for cattle in an arid environment by utilizing precision ranching technologies that allowed us to contain livestock in a previously ungrazed pasture with aging physical fence, and b) use the technologies to monitor and manage grazing pressure across the landscape. We used virtual fence to successfully contain two independent herds of cattle in separate ~2400 ha sub-pastures within a 9600 ha pasture. We monitored grazing patterns using LoraWAN-enabled GPS collars to identify weekly grazing hotspots, measured utilization on the ground at these hotspots, and virtually fenced out cattle from the hotspots if utilization exceeded 30%. Throughout the grazing period, cattle appeared to “self regulate”, tending to move off previously grazed hotspots on their own. Following our protocol, we fenced off several hotspots for precautionary resource protection and to better understand cattle response to virtual fencing in the middle of a grazing period. Cattle quickly adapted to these changes. This talk will discuss the preliminary findings of this project, as well as highlight some of the benefits and challenges of incorporating precision ranching technologies into a grazing management program.