Grazing History Effects on Rangeland Biomass, Cover and Diversity Responses to Fire and Grazing Utilization

Vermeire, Lance T.; Strong, Dustin J.; Waterman, R. C.

doi:10.1016/j.rama.2018.05.001

Cited by 28 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…It is unlikely in this northern mixed-grass prairie ecosystem that all the changes in plant communities indicated by classification of pixels were real changes from one plant community type to another over 1 year. In the absence of a major disturbance event, such major shifts in species composition typically occur much more slowly (Vermeire et al, 2018). The results from the plant community analysis indicate training sites were chosen appropriately to account for differences in species composition on the ground; therefore apparent changes are much more likely due to factors that affect the spectral signature of the vegetation.…”

Section: Random Forest Model Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing stability in random forest models to map Northern Great Plains plant communities in pastures occupied by prairie dogs using Pleiades imagery

2020

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Abstract. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) have been described as a keystone species and are important for grassland conservation, yet many concerns exist over the impact of prairie dogs on plant biomass production and consequently livestock production. The ability to map plant communities in pastures colonized by prairie dogs can provide land managers with an opportunity to optimize rangeland production while balancing conservation goals. The aim of this study was to test the ability of random forest (RF) models to classify five plant communities located on and off prairie dog towns in mixed-grass prairie landscapes of north central South Dakota, assess the stability of RF models among different years, and determine the utility of utilizing remote sensing techniques to identify prairie dog colony extent. During 2015 and 2016, Pleiades satellites were tasked to image the study site for a total of five monthly collections each summer (June–October). Training polygons were mapped in 2016 for the five plant communities and used to train RF models. Both the 2015 and 2016 RF models had low (1 %) out-of-bag error rates. However, comparisons between the predicted plant community maps using the 2015 imagery and one created with the 2016 imagery indicate over 32.9 % of pixels changed plant community class between 2015 and 2016. The results show that while RF models may predict with a high degree of accuracy, overlap of plant communities and interannual differences in rainfall may cause instability in fitted models. A final RF model combining both 2015 and 2016 data yielded the lowest error rates and was also highly accurate in determining prairie dog colony boundaries.

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Section: Random Forest Model Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing stability in random forest models to map Northern Great Plains plant communities in pastures occupied by prairie dogs using Pleiades imagery

2020

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“…Although heavy summer grazing created the greatest diversity, it also reduced native species standing crop and non-native species were abundant. In fact, the reduction of two dominant native species, H. comata and C. filifolia, was the likely mechanism for increased diversity with heavy summer grazing ( Koerner et al 2018 ;Vermeire et al 2018 ). Moderate fall grazing increased diversity and native species standing crop but also yielded the greatest non-native species standing crop.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing Intensity and Seasonality Manipulate Invasive Annual Grasses and Native Vegetation

Vermeire¹,

Waterman²,

Reinhart³

et al. 2023

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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“…The strong impact of grazing in the Great Basin is likely due to reduction of pre-fire fuels, associated with lower bunchgrass mortality, with livestock grazing compared to exclosure sites (Davies et al, 2010(Davies et al, , 2018, and the ability of bunchgrasses to effectively compete with annual grasses post-fire (Davies et al, 2009;Davies, Bates, Boyd, & Svejcar, 2016). In contrast, a similar experiment with pre-fire grazing demonstrated little impact of grazing on vegetation response to fire in the northern Great Plains site (Figure 3, LRRL; Vermeire et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Capacity For Grazing To Alter the Effects Of Fire Are Dr...mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Shifting F I G U R E 3 Contrasting effects of moderate livestock grazing on change in non-native annual grasses (Bromus spp.) after burning with main effects only at a Great Plains site, the Livestock and Range Research Laboratory (adapted from Vermeire et al, 2018), and an interactive effect at a North American Desert site, the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range (adapted from Davies et al, 2009).…”

Section: The Capacity For Grazing To Alter the Effects Of Fire Are Dr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable effects of long‐term livestock grazing across the western United States suggest diverse approaches are needed to meet global change challenges

Copeland

Hoover

Augustine

et al. 2023

Applied Vegetation Science

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Aims Livestock production is the most widespread land use globally and occurs across a diverse set of ecosystems. Variability in long‐term livestock grazing impacts across ecosystems is poorly characterized, particularly at larger spatial scales, despite strong relationships with various ecosystem services related to soil fertility and stabilization and vegetation productivity. Here we examine the effects of grazing on vegetation and the implications for resistance and resilience to global change. Methods We use six long‐term research stations in the western United States, spanning two ecoregions, multiple ecosystems, and 311 total site‐years of research. Across these sites we evaluate convergence and divergence of vegetation response to grazing vs grazing removal, focusing on interactions with drivers of global change. Results We found that at long time scales (multiple decades), grazing has numerous convergent and divergent effects across ecoregions and ecosystems. Similarity among precipitation patterns and plant traits linked to grazing and production timing were key elements explaining convergence or divergence in long‐term patterns of livestock grazing response. Ecosystem differences across western US rangelands are also associated with variable effects of grazing on resistance and resilience to invasive species and climate change. Conclusions These results suggest that unique ecosystem or ecoregion responses to future global change may result from complex interactions between grazing and environmental factors, such as precipitation timing and plant traits. Adapting livestock and grazing management to specific ecosystem vegetation and climate variability is needed to manage for the myriad global changes affecting rangeland production and diversity.

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Grazing History Effects on Rangeland Biomass, Cover and Diversity Responses to Fire and Grazing Utilization

Cited by 28 publications

References 48 publications

Comparing stability in random forest models to map Northern Great Plains plant communities in pastures occupied by prairie dogs using Pleiades imagery

Comparing stability in random forest models to map Northern Great Plains plant communities in pastures occupied by prairie dogs using Pleiades imagery

Grazing Intensity and Seasonality Manipulate Invasive Annual Grasses and Native Vegetation

Variable effects of long‐term livestock grazing across the western United States suggest diverse approaches are needed to meet global change challenges

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