Evaluating long-term economic and ecological consequences of continuous and multi-paddock grazing - a modeling approach

Wang, Tong; Teague, W.R.; Park, Seong C.; Bevers, Stan

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2018.06.012

Cited by 28 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Similarly, we found producers located in drought-prone areas, i.e., those with higher temperature and lower precipitation are more likely to perceive RG-related benefits. In this regard, simulation results also indicated that RG benefits are more apparent under drier weather conditions (Wang et al, 2018), while others also highlight the importance of RG to minimize the negative impacts of droughts (Teague et al, 2013;Jakoby et al, 2014Jakoby et al, , 2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Several operation characteristics were also included as explanatory variables. Leased grassland, which generally associated with no tenure security and limited investment in infrastructure, often does not benefit from RG (Whitson et al, 1982;Wang et al, 2018). Accordingly, we asked producers what proportion of their livestock operation was based on owned and leased land.…”

Section: Data Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past several decades, rangeland degradation, mainly attributable to overstocking, improper grazing management, diminished nutrient cycling and changing climate, has become a worldwide concern (Archer and Stokes, 2000;Vetter et al, 2006;Harris, 2010;di Virgilio et al, 2019). To help improve long-term ecological and economic sustainability of rangelands, rangeland research during the past century has primarily focused on identifying proper stocking rate and developing sustainable grazing management strategies (Wang et al, 2018;di Virgilio et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding producers' perspectives on rotational grazing benefits across US Great Plains

Wang

Jin

Kreuter

2021

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Experimental findings on rotational grazing (RG) trials have generally differed from producer observations of RG outcomes on commercial scale ranches. Factors such as small plot size, short duration trials and relatively rigid grazing management that lacks responsiveness to the dynamic and complex social-ecological systems in grazing trials could all contribute to this disparity in outcomes. These differences call for a better understanding of producer perceptions of RG benefits. To fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed 4500 producers from the Northern and Southern Great Plains of the USA. Among the 875 respondents, 40.5% reported that they used continuous grazing (CG), 52.7% implemented RG management in an extensive manner, while 6.8% adopted management intensive grazing. Compared with CG users, adopters of RG in its extensive and intensive form reported an average annual increase of grazing season by 7.6 and 39.3 days, respectively. When controlling for producer demographics, ranch management goals and other rancher characteristics, we found soil and climate heterogeneity significantly affected the perceived relative benefits of RG vs CG strategies. Therefore, instead of focusing on whether RG outperforms CG per se, future research could focus on comparison of RG benefits under different management intensity levels and identifying soil and climate conditions where RG benefits are more noticeable.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Data Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding producers' perspectives on rotational grazing benefits across US Great Plains

Wang

Jin

Kreuter

2021

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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“…The costs associated with converting degraded croplands into perennial forage systems that are rotationally grazed, such as the need for more fencing, are relatively low and readily offset by increased productivity and economic returns (Teague et al, 2013;Jakoby et al, 2015;Wang et al, 2018), as demonstrated for areas in the Midwest United States (Riley et al, 1997). Additionally, with higher perennial productivity and longer growing seasons, animals in these systems become less reliant on external sources of forage (Wang et al, 2018), another cost savings. And particularly in dry environments, conversion from underperforming croplands to perennial pastures that are grazed is attractive, especially when ranchers consider forecasted increases in drought intensity (Wang et al, 2021).…”

Section: Intensive Rotational Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands to Meet Food, Fuel, and Climate Security Needs via Perennialization

Mosier

Córdova

Robertson

2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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A continuously growing pressure to increase food, fiber, and fuel production to meet worldwide demand and achieve zero hunger has put severe pressure on soil resources. Abandoned, degraded, and marginal lands with significant agricultural constraints—many still used for agricultural production—result from inappropriately intensive management, insufficient attention to soil conservation, and climate change. Continued use for agricultural production will often require ever more external inputs such as fertilizers and herbicides, further exacerbating soil degradation and impeding nutrient recycling and retention. Growing evidence suggests that degraded lands have a large potential for restoration, perhaps most effectively via perennial cropping systems that can simultaneously provide additional ecosystem services. Here we synthesize the advantages of and potentials for using perennial vegetation to restore soil fertility on degraded croplands, by summarizing the principal mechanisms underpinning soil carbon stabilization and nitrogen and phosphorus availability and retention. We illustrate restoration potentials with example systems that deliver climate mitigation (cellulosic bioenergy), animal production (intensive rotational grazing), and biodiversity conservation (natural ecological succession). Perennialization has substantial promise for restoring fertility to degraded croplands, helping to meet future food security needs.

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“…The use of AMP grazing principles increases livestock carrying capacity over time while improving ecological function, as paddock number increases. However, this is not intensive grazing but intensive management of grazing (Dowhower et al, 2019) as it reverses the impacts of intensive grazing by specifically avoiding overstocking of, and overgrazing by, livestock in an adaptive manner in response to variable weather (Jakoby et al, 2014(Jakoby et al, , 2015Teague et al, 2015;Wang et al, 2018). In combination, these actions result in light to moderate grazing impact on herbaceous plants, the soil and the ecological functions they perform (Teague et al, 2013;Jakoby et al, 2014;Teague and Barnes, 2017;Dowhower et al, 2019).…”

Section: Managing Grazing To Restore Ecological Function and Ecosystementioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services

Teague

Kreuter

2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

148

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uses short-duration grazing periods, long adaptively varied post-grazing plant recovery periods requiring multiple paddocks per herd to ensure adequate residual biomass, and adjustment of animal numbers as environmental and economic conditions change. Using this approach, farmers and ranchers have achieved superior ecosystem and profitability outcomes. This manuscript summarizes the use of AMP grazing as regenerative tool for grazed and rotationally cropped lands.

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Evaluating long-term economic and ecological consequences of continuous and multi-paddock grazing - a modeling approach

Cited by 28 publications

References 42 publications

Understanding producers' perspectives on rotational grazing benefits across US Great Plains

Understanding producers' perspectives on rotational grazing benefits across US Great Plains

Restoring Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands to Meet Food, Fuel, and Climate Security Needs via Perennialization

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services

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