Valuation of beef cattle ecosystem services An economic valuation of federal and private grazing lands ecosystem services supported by beef cattle ranching in the U.S

Abstract

Beef cattle ranching and farming is a major agricultural industry in the U.S. that manages an estimated 147 million ha of private land and uses approximately 92% of forage authorized for grazing on federal rangelands. Rangelands, as working landscapes, sustain beef cattle ranching while providing habitat for wildlife, recreation and open space amenities, as well as spiritual and cultural values that define a way of life. Historically, discussions regarding the economics of beef cattle ranching have focused primarily on the value of beef production but have more recently expanded to consider related ecosystem services. A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature published between 1998 to 2018, found 154 articles that considered ecosystem services from rangelands/grasslands. Of these, only two articles (1%) provided an in-depth economic valuation (monetary measure) of ecosystem services in the U.S. To fill this knowledge gap, we primarily used publicly available data to conduct an economic valuation of major ecosystem services associated with beef cattle production in the U.S. at both the national and state-level. We find that over 186 million ha were actively grazed by beef cattle ranches and farms in the U.S. in 2017. We estimate the economic value of this land use to be $17.5 billion for wildlife recreation, $3.8 billion for forage production, and $3.2 billion for other ecosystem services related to the conservation of biodiversity—a combined total of $24.5 billion. Ecosystem services from federal rangelands in 16 western states accounted for 35% of the total value. Ecosystem services per beef cow and per kilogram of retail beef were estimated to be $1,043.35 and $2.74, respectively. More studies like these are needed to inform decision-makers at the industry, land management, and federal levels to ensure the conservation, improvement, and restoration of these ecosystem services are considered in future management and research efforts.

Assessing the contribution of nonmarket factors to the market value generated by cow-calf operations in rangelands of the western USA: A true cost accounting approach

“…However, land area does not consider variation in the types and qualities of the ecosystem services provided. Although rangelands supply multiple ecosystem services, such as forage production, recreation, and other nonspecified services, forage production is the most critical for livestock production [53]. As indicated by Jones et al [54] the production of herbaceous aboveground biomass in rangelands is a fundamental ecosystem service upon which livestock, wildlife, and humans depend, but it is also influenced by human use and management.…”

The search for relationships between soil health and ranch-level economic outcomes – A case study on California rangelands

“…32 Ecosystem services generated annually from rangelands and pastures supported by beef cattle ranches and farms in California are conservatively estimated to be $873.7 million USD. 33…”

“…32 Ecosystem services generated annually from rangelands and pastures supported by beef cattle ranches and farms in California are conservatively estimated to be $873.7 million USD. 33 Our study area was entirely within the state of California located in the Mediterranean climate zone, where most of the livestock is produced. 28 , 34 This area is approximately within the California Subtropical Fr uit, Tr uck, and S pecialt y Crop Region.…”

Coupling Remote Sensing with a Process Model for the Simulation of Rangeland Carbon Dynamics

“…Rangelands, which include a wide range of landscapes primarily composed of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that are often grazed or browsed by domestic livestock and/or wild animals, cover more than 30% of the land area (~ 2.7 million km 2 ) of the contiguous United States and have a significant global presence (54%) (Chen et al, 2015;Olson et al, 2001;Reeves & Mitchell, 2011). It has been well established that rangelands provide many crucial ecosystem services, including habitat biodiversity, forage production, water retention, nutrient cycling, and carbon (C) sequestration and storage (Maher et al, 2021;Phukubye et al, 2022;Waterhouse et al, 2023). Unfortunately, grassland conversion to cropland and improper management (e.g., overgrazing) have historically contributed to land degradation and C loss in western U.S. rangelands, which can be further exacerbated by extreme climate events such as droughts (Holechek et al, 2020).…”