Integrating space and time: a case for phenological context in grazing studies and management

doi:10.15302/J-FASE-2017193

Front. Agr. Sci. Eng.

0, Vol.

Issue () : 44-56 https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2017193

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Integrating space and time: a case for phenological context in grazing studies and management

Dawn M. BROWNING¹(

), Sheri SPIEGAL¹, Richard E. ESTELL¹, Andres F. CIBILS², Raul H. PEINETTI³

¹. USDA-Agriculture Research Service, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
². Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
³. Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, CP 6300, Argentina

Download: PDF(3770 KB)
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

In water-limited landscapes, patterns in primary production are highly variable across space and time. Livestock grazing is a common agricultural practice worldwide and a concern is localized overuse of specific pasture resources that can exacerbate grass losses and soil erosion. On a research ranch in New Mexico with average annual rainfall of 217 mm, we demonstrate with a quantitative approach that annual seasons vary greatly and examine foraging patterns in Angus-Hereford (Bos taurus) cows. We define five seasonal stages based on MODIS NDVI: pre-greenup, greenup, peak green, drydown and dormant, and examine livestock movements in 2008. Daily distance traveled by cows was greater and foraging area expanded during periods with higher precipitation. A regression model including minimum NDVI, rainfall and their interaction explained 81% of the seasonal variation in distance traveled by cows (P<0.01). Cows explored about 81 ha·d⁻¹ while foraging, but tended to explore smaller areas as the pasture became greener (greenup and peak green stages). Cows foraged an average of 9.7 h daily and spent more time foraging with more concentrated search patterns as pastures became greener. Our findings suggest that phenological context can expand the capacity to compare and integrate findings, and facilitate meta-analyses of grazing studies conducted at different locations and times of year.

Keywords GPS collars Jornada Experimental Range land-surface phenology livestock movement LTAR MODIS NDVI rangeland

Corresponding Author(s): Dawn M. BROWNING

Just Accepted Date: 20 December 2017 Online First Date: 19 January 2018 Issue Date: 21 March 2018

Cite this article:

Dawn M. BROWNING,Sheri SPIEGAL,Richard E. ESTELL, et al. Integrating space and time: a case for phenological context in grazing studies and management[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 0, (): 44-56.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10.15302/J-FASE-2017193
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/Y0/V/I/44

1	M L Thomey, S L Collins, R Vargas, J E Johnson, R F Brown, D O Natvig, M T Friggens. Effect of precipitation variability on net primary production and soil respiration in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Global Change Biology, 2011, 17(4): 1505–1515 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02363.x
2	J M Paruelo, W K Lauenroth. Interannual variability of NDVI and its relationship to climate for North American shrublands and grasslands. Journal of Biogeography, 1998, 25(4): 721–733 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.1998.2540721.x
3	D P C Peters, K M Havstad. Nonlinear dynamics in arid and semi-arid systems: interactions among drivers and processes across scales. Journal of Arid Environments, 2006, 65(2): 196–206 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.05.010
4	R H Behnke, I Scoones. Rethinking range ecology: iplications for rangeland management in Africa, In: Behnke R H, Scoones I, Kerven C, Editors. Range Ecology at Disequilibrium: New Models of Natural Variability and Pastoral Adaptation in African Savannas.London: Overseas Development Institute, 1993, 1–30
5	R H Behnke, M E Fernandez-Gimenez, M D Turner, F Stammler. Animal Migration. In: Milner-Gulland E J, Fryxell J M,Sincclair A R E, Editors. Pastoral migration: mobile systems of livestock husbandry. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, 257
6	L Huntsinger, N F Sayre, L Macaulay. Ranchers, land tenure, and grassroots governance. In: Herrera P, Davies J,Baena P M, Editors. The Governance of Rangelands. London: Routledge, 2014, 62–93
7	R E Kennedy, S Andréfouët, W B Cohen, C Gómez, P Griffiths, M Hais, S P Healey, E H Helmer, P Hostert, M B Lyons, G W Meigs, D Pflugmacher, S R Phinn, S L Powell, P Scarth, S Sen, T A Schroeder, A Schneider, R Sonnenschein, J E Vogelmann, M A Wulder, Z Zhu. Bridging an ecological view of change to Landsat-based remote sensing. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2014, 12(6): 339–246 https://doi.org/10.1890/130066
8	C E Woodcock, R Allen, M Anderson, A Belward, R Bindschadler, W Cohen, F Gao, S N Goward, D Helder, E Helmer, R Nemani, L Oreopoulos, J Schott, P S Thenkabail, E F Vermote, J Vogelmann, M A Wulder, R Wynne, T Landsat Sci. Free access to Landsat imagery. Science, 2008, 320(5879): 1011 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.320.5879.1011a pmid: 18497274
9	M Brandt, C Mbow, A A Diouf, A Verger, C Samimi, R Fensholt. Ground- and satellite-based evidence of the biophysical mechanisms behind the greening Sahel. Global Change Biology, 2015, 21(4): 1610–1620 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12807 pmid: 25400243
10	C J Tucker. Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 1979, 8(2): 127–150 https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(79)90013-0
11	M Hebblewhite, E Merrill, G McDermid. A multi-scale test of the forage maturation hypothesis in a partially migratory ungulate population. Ecological Monographs, 2008, 78(2): 141–166 https://doi.org/10.1890/06-1708.1
12	D L Swain, M A Friend, G J Bishop-Hurley, R N Handcock, T Wark. Tracking livestock using global positioning systems— are we still lost? Animal Production Science, 2011, 51(3): 167–175 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN10255
13	D J Augustine, J D Derner. Controls over the strength and timing of fire-grazer interactions in a semi-arid rangeland. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2014, 51(1): 242–250 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12186
14	R N Handcock, D L Swain, G J Bishop-Hurley, K P Patison, T Wark, P Valencia, P Corke, C J O’Neill. Monitoring animal behaviour and environmental interactions using wireless sensor networks, GPS collars and satellite remote sensing. Sensors, 2009, 9(5): 3586–3603 https://doi.org/10.3390/s90503586 pmid: 22412327
15	Society for Range M. Glossary of terms used in range management: a definition of terms commonly used in range management. Denver, Colorado, USA: The Society for Range Management, 1998
16	D M Browning, J W Karl, D Morin, A D Richardson, C E Tweedie. Phenocams bridge the gap between field and satellite observations in an arid grassland ecosystem. Remote Sensing, 2017, 9(10): 1071
17	D M Browning, M C Thersa, D K James, S Spiegal, M R Levi, J P Anderson, D C Peters. Synchronous species responses identify phenological guilds—Implications for management. Ecosphere (In Review)
18	R E Estell, K M Havstad, A F Cibils, E L Fredrickson, D M Anderson, T S Schrader, D K James. Increasing shrub use by livestock in a world with less grass. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2012, 65(6): 553–562 https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-11-00124.1
19	D D Briske, J D Derner, D G Milchunas, K W Tate. An evidence-based assessment of prescribed grazing practices. In: Briske D D, Jolley L W, Duriancik L F, Dobrowlski J P, Editors. Conservation Benefits of Rangeland Practices—Assessment, Recommendations, and Knowledge Gaps. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, 2011, 21–74
20	J L Holechek, R D Pieper, C H Herbel. Range Management: Principles and Practices. Fourth ed. , London, England: Prentice-Hall 2001, 587
21	D W Bailey, J R Brown. Rotational grazing systems and livestock grazing behavior in shrub-dominated semi-arid and arid rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2011, 64(1): 1–9 https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-09-00184.1
22	R S Campbell. Milestones in range management. Journal of Range Management, 1948, 61(4): 359–367
23	A F Cibils, J A Miller, A M Encinias, K G Boykin, B F Cooper. Monitoring heifer grazing distribution at the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Rangelands, 2008, 30(6): 19–23 https://doi.org/10.2111/1551-501X-30.6.19
24	USDA-NRCS. Ecological site information system. Lincoln: National Resource Conservation Service, 2010
25	H E J Bulloch, R E Neher. Soil survey of Dona Ana County Area, New Mexico. Washington: USDA-SCS, 1980
26	C M Steele, B T Bestelmeyer, L M Burkett, P L Smith, S Yanoff. Spatially Explicit Representation of State-and-Transition models. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2012, 65(3): 213–222 https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-11-00047.1
27	J Wainwright. Climate and Climatological Variations in the Jornada Basin, in Structure and Function of a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem. The Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Havstad K M, Huennecke L F, Schlesinger W H, Editors. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2006, 44–80
28	A Dai. Increasing drought under global warming in observations and models. Nature Climate Change, 2012, 3(1): 52–58 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1633
29	E R Cook, C A Woodhouse, C M Eakin, D M Meko, D W Stahle. Long-term aridity changes in the western United States. Science, 2004, 306(5698): 1015–1018 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1102586 pmid: 15472040
30	E M Díaz Falú, M Á Brizuela, M S Cid, A F Cibils, M G Cendoya, D Bendersky. Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland. Livestock Science, 2014, 161: 147–157 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.11.010
31	H R Peinetti, E L Fredrickson, D P C Peters, A F Cibils, J O Roacho-Estrada, A S Laliberte. Foraging behavior of heritage versus recently introduced herbivores on desert landscapes of the American Southwest. Ecosphere, 2011, 2(5): 1157–1165 https://doi.org/10.1890/ES11-00021.1
32	R L Wesley, A F Cibils, J T Mulliniks, E R Pollak, M K Petersen, E L Fredrickson. An assessment of behavioural syndromes in rangeland-raised beef cattle. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2012, 139(3–4): 183–194 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2012.04.005 pmid: 22773870
33	D M Anderson, C Winters, R E Estell, E L Fredrickson, M Doniec, C Detweiler, D Rus, D James, B Nolen. Characterising the spatial and temporal activities of free-ranging cows from GPS data. Rangeland Journal, 2012, 34(2): 149–161 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ11062
34	X Gao, A R Huete, W G Ni, T Miura. Optical-biophysical relationships of vegetation spectra without background contamination. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2000, 74(3): 609–620 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(00)00150-4
35	A R Huete. A soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI). Remote Sensing of Environment, 1988, 25(3): 295–309 https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(88)90106-X
36	J J Maynard, J W Karl, D M Browning. Effect of spatial image support in detecting long-term vegetation change from satellite time-series. Landscape Ecology, 2016, 31(9): 2045–2062 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0381-y
37	P Jönsson, L Eklundh. TIMESAT—a program for analyzing time-series of satellite sensor data. Computers & Geosciences, 2004, 30(8): 833–845 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2004.05.006
38	J E Huston, W E Pinchak. Range Animal Nutrition, in Grazing Management: an ecological perspective, Heitschmidt R K, Stuth J W, Editors. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1991, 27–64
39	D P C Peters, J Yao, O E Sala, J P Anderson. Directional climate change and potential reversal of desertification in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 2012, 18(1): 151–163 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02498.x
40	D M Browning, J J Maynard, J W Karl, D C Peters. Breaks in MODIS time series portend vegetation change: verification using long-term data in an arid grassland ecosystem. Ecological Applications, 2017, 27(5): 1677–1693 https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1561 pmid: 28423459
41	D P Goolsby. Heterogeneity in Ecological State Transitions at Multiple Spatial Scales in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree.New Mexico, USA: New Mexico State University, 2012
42	D M Browning, A Rango, J W Karl, C M Laney, E R Vivoni, C E Tweedie. Emerging technological and cultural shifts advancing drylands research and management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2015, 13(1): 52–60 https://doi.org/10.1890/140161
43	J A Winder, D A Walker, C C Bailey. Effect of breed on botanical composition of cattle diets on Chihuahuan desert range. Journal of Range Management, 1996, 49(3): 209–214 https://doi.org/10.2307/4002880
44	M L Russell, D W Bailey, M G Thomas, B K Witmore. Grazing distribution and diet quality of Angus, Brangus, and Brahman cows in the Chihuahuan Desert. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2012, 65(4): 371–381 https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-11-00042.1
45	C H Herbel, A B Nelson. Species preference of Hereford and Santa Gertrudis cattle on a southern New Mexico Range. Journal of Range Management, 1966, 19(4): 177–181 https://doi.org/10.2307/3895643
46	J W Stuth. Foraging behavior. in Grazing Management: an ecological perspective, Heitschmidt R K,Stuth J W, Editors.Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1991, 65–83
47	M N Sawalhah, A F Cibils, C Hu, H P Cao, J L Holechek. Animal-driven rotational grazing patterns on seasonally grazed New Mexico Rangeland. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2014, 67(6): 710–714 https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-14-00047.1

[1]	Xinquan ZHAO, Liang ZHAO, Qi LI, Huai CHEN, Huakun ZHOU, Shixiao XU, Quanmin DONG, Gaolin WU, Yixin HE. Using balance of seasonal herbage supply and demand to inform sustainable grassland management on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2018, 5(1): 1-8.
[2]	Cody F. CREECH, Blair L. WALDRON, Corey V. RAMSOM, Dale R. ZOBELL, Joseph Earl CREECH. Influence of harvest date on seed yield and quality in forage kochia[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2018, 5(1): 71-79.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed