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Jeffrey Bennett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Understanding herders' Stocking Rate decisions in response to policy initiatives
The Science of the total environment, 2019Co-Authors: Jeffrey BennettAbstract:Overgrazing is widely accepted to be the main driver of grassland degradation. However, policies designed to reduce overgrazing are poorly understood in terms of their political acceptability and their effectiveness in improving the sustainability of grassland management. This study was conducted to explore herders' preferences across a range of policies aimed at reducing Stocking Rates and how those policies impact on their Stocking Rate decisions. Choice Modelling and Contingent Behavior methods were used in a survey distributed to a sample of Inner Mongolian herders. It was found that while increasing the extent of loan payments and subsidies were popular amongst the herder respondents; these policy options are predicted to have no significant effect on Stocking Rates. In contrast, less preferred policies such as increasing the probability of being caught exceeding Stocking Rate limits and increasing the financial penalties associated with such breaches would be effective in reducing grazing pressure. Only the policy of increasing pension payments was shown to be both popular amongst respondents and effective in reducing Stocking Rates. The results from this research provide useful information to policy makers in their consideration of new policy initiatives.
Martín Oesterheld - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Impact of Stocking Rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
Applied Vegetation Science, 2016Co-Authors: Rafael Pizzio, Cristina Herrero-jáuregui, Mariano Pizzio, Martín OesterheldAbstract:Questions: What is the effect of a range of controlled Stocking Rates on plant species richness and diversity? Location: Subtropical grasslands of Corrientes, Argentina, South America. Methods: We studied the effect of three controlled Stocking Rates (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 cow equivalents (ha1) on species diversity and composition during 8 yr. We calculated species diversity using the antilog of the Shannon-Wiener index, and considered its two components, richness and evenness. We also assessed the proportion of prostRate and erect species. Species abundance was based on biomass estimations. Results: Species diversity under high Stocking Rates gradually decreased throughout the experiment and became nearly 50% lower than under low Stocking Rate. This decline was largely accounted for by changes of evenness because species richness was not affected by Stocking Rates. Species composition clearly diverged among the three treatments over time. Low Stocking Rate maintained a fairly constant relative cover of erect and prostRate grasses throughout the experiment, whereas intermediate and high Stocking Rate treatments were gradually and consistently enriched in prostRate grasses and forbs. These effects occurred simultaneously with drastic inter-annual changes likely driven by annual precipitation. Conclusions: The range of Stocking Rates had no effect on species richness, but reduced diversity through the effect on evenness. High Stocking Rate progressively increased the proportion of prostRate species in the biomass.
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relation between noaa avhrr satellite data and Stocking Rate of rangelands
Ecological Applications, 1998Co-Authors: Martín Oesterheld, C M Dibella, H KerdilesAbstract:Biomass of both wild herbivores and livestock in rangelands is correlated with rainfall at a regional scale. Thus, rainfall may be a good predictor of actual Stocking Rates. However, rainfall data are scarce in many regions, and their spatial resolution is usually much coarser than needed to set or to evaluate wildlife or livestock Stocking Rates. We here show a relationship between livestock biomass and an annual vegetation index (normalized-difference vegetation index-integRated value, NDVI-I) calculated from re- motely sensed data on spectral properties of rangelands of Argentina. The relationship is as strong or even stronger than previously reported correlations between herbivore biomass and rainfall. This, together with the greater availability and higher spatial resolution of satellite data, makes remote sensing a potentially valuable tool to predict Stocking Rates for regions, landscapes, and different portions of a landscape. The form of the relationship between Stocking Rate and average NDVI-I was exponential, which, as previously shown, indicates an increasing herbivore load per unit of primary production as rainfall or pro- ductivity increases. This may be at least partially explained by the fact that the NDVI interannual variation and seasonality were negatively related with average NDVI-I. Thus, Stocking Rate may increase exponentially because of an increasing year-to-year reliability of the forage resource and a more even distribution within the year.
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RELATION BETWEEN NOAA‐AVHRR SATELLITE DATA AND Stocking Rate OF RANGELANDS
Ecological Applications, 1998Co-Authors: Martín Oesterheld, C M Dibella, H KerdilesAbstract:Biomass of both wild herbivores and livestock in rangelands is correlated with rainfall at a regional scale. Thus, rainfall may be a good predictor of actual Stocking Rates. However, rainfall data are scarce in many regions, and their spatial resolution is usually much coarser than needed to set or to evaluate wildlife or livestock Stocking Rates. We here show a relationship between livestock biomass and an annual vegetation index (normalized-difference vegetation index-integRated value, NDVI-I) calculated from re- motely sensed data on spectral properties of rangelands of Argentina. The relationship is as strong or even stronger than previously reported correlations between herbivore biomass and rainfall. This, together with the greater availability and higher spatial resolution of satellite data, makes remote sensing a potentially valuable tool to predict Stocking Rates for regions, landscapes, and different portions of a landscape. The form of the relationship between Stocking Rate and average NDVI-I was exponential, which, as previously shown, indicates an increasing herbivore load per unit of primary production as rainfall or pro- ductivity increases. This may be at least partially explained by the fact that the NDVI interannual variation and seasonality were negatively related with average NDVI-I. Thus, Stocking Rate may increase exponentially because of an increasing year-to-year reliability of the forage resource and a more even distribution within the year.
H Kerdiles - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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relation between noaa avhrr satellite data and Stocking Rate of rangelands
Ecological Applications, 1998Co-Authors: Martín Oesterheld, C M Dibella, H KerdilesAbstract:Biomass of both wild herbivores and livestock in rangelands is correlated with rainfall at a regional scale. Thus, rainfall may be a good predictor of actual Stocking Rates. However, rainfall data are scarce in many regions, and their spatial resolution is usually much coarser than needed to set or to evaluate wildlife or livestock Stocking Rates. We here show a relationship between livestock biomass and an annual vegetation index (normalized-difference vegetation index-integRated value, NDVI-I) calculated from re- motely sensed data on spectral properties of rangelands of Argentina. The relationship is as strong or even stronger than previously reported correlations between herbivore biomass and rainfall. This, together with the greater availability and higher spatial resolution of satellite data, makes remote sensing a potentially valuable tool to predict Stocking Rates for regions, landscapes, and different portions of a landscape. The form of the relationship between Stocking Rate and average NDVI-I was exponential, which, as previously shown, indicates an increasing herbivore load per unit of primary production as rainfall or pro- ductivity increases. This may be at least partially explained by the fact that the NDVI interannual variation and seasonality were negatively related with average NDVI-I. Thus, Stocking Rate may increase exponentially because of an increasing year-to-year reliability of the forage resource and a more even distribution within the year.
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RELATION BETWEEN NOAA‐AVHRR SATELLITE DATA AND Stocking Rate OF RANGELANDS
Ecological Applications, 1998Co-Authors: Martín Oesterheld, C M Dibella, H KerdilesAbstract:Biomass of both wild herbivores and livestock in rangelands is correlated with rainfall at a regional scale. Thus, rainfall may be a good predictor of actual Stocking Rates. However, rainfall data are scarce in many regions, and their spatial resolution is usually much coarser than needed to set or to evaluate wildlife or livestock Stocking Rates. We here show a relationship between livestock biomass and an annual vegetation index (normalized-difference vegetation index-integRated value, NDVI-I) calculated from re- motely sensed data on spectral properties of rangelands of Argentina. The relationship is as strong or even stronger than previously reported correlations between herbivore biomass and rainfall. This, together with the greater availability and higher spatial resolution of satellite data, makes remote sensing a potentially valuable tool to predict Stocking Rates for regions, landscapes, and different portions of a landscape. The form of the relationship between Stocking Rate and average NDVI-I was exponential, which, as previously shown, indicates an increasing herbivore load per unit of primary production as rainfall or pro- ductivity increases. This may be at least partially explained by the fact that the NDVI interannual variation and seasonality were negatively related with average NDVI-I. Thus, Stocking Rate may increase exponentially because of an increasing year-to-year reliability of the forage resource and a more even distribution within the year.
F Flynn - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the effect of calving date and Stocking Rate on the performance of spring calving dairy cows
Grass and Forage Science, 1995Co-Authors: P Dillon, S Crosse, G Stakelum, F FlynnAbstract:A 3-year experiment on milk production systems was set up in 1989 to investigate the effect of calving date and Stocking Rate on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows. An early-calving herd (System A) with a mean calving date of 23 January and stocked at 2·9 cows per hectare was compared with two later calving herds (Systems B and C) with a mean calving date of 15 March. System B had a similar Stocking Rate to System A (2·9 cows ha−1), while System C had a Stocking Rate of 2·6 cows ha−1. The average lactation yields (kg) over the three years were as follows: 5872, 5444 and 5584 (milk)210, 204 and 215 (fat), 187, 184 and 189 (protein) and 261, 245 and 250 (lactose) for Systems A, B and C respectively. The average milk composition (gkg−1) was: 36·0, 37·6 and 38·7 (fat), 31·9, 33·7 and 33·8 (protein) and 44·5. 45·1 and 44·8 (lactose) for Systems A, B and C respectively. Delaying calving date to coincide with the beginning of the grass-growing season (System B compared with System A) reduced milk yield per cow significantly (P < 0·05) in all three years of the experiment. However, fat and protein concentration were increased, resulting in no significant difference in the yield of fat or protein per cow. Reducing the Stocking Rate from 2·9 cows per hectare to 2·6 cows per hectare for cows calving in mid-March (System C compared with System B) increased milk yield per cow significantly (P < 0·05) in only one of the three years (1990). Milk fat content was increased significantly in 1990. Stocking Rate had no other
P Dillon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the effect of calving date and Stocking Rate on the performance of spring calving dairy cows
Grass and Forage Science, 1995Co-Authors: P Dillon, S Crosse, G Stakelum, F FlynnAbstract:A 3-year experiment on milk production systems was set up in 1989 to investigate the effect of calving date and Stocking Rate on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows. An early-calving herd (System A) with a mean calving date of 23 January and stocked at 2·9 cows per hectare was compared with two later calving herds (Systems B and C) with a mean calving date of 15 March. System B had a similar Stocking Rate to System A (2·9 cows ha−1), while System C had a Stocking Rate of 2·6 cows ha−1. The average lactation yields (kg) over the three years were as follows: 5872, 5444 and 5584 (milk)210, 204 and 215 (fat), 187, 184 and 189 (protein) and 261, 245 and 250 (lactose) for Systems A, B and C respectively. The average milk composition (gkg−1) was: 36·0, 37·6 and 38·7 (fat), 31·9, 33·7 and 33·8 (protein) and 44·5. 45·1 and 44·8 (lactose) for Systems A, B and C respectively. Delaying calving date to coincide with the beginning of the grass-growing season (System B compared with System A) reduced milk yield per cow significantly (P < 0·05) in all three years of the experiment. However, fat and protein concentration were increased, resulting in no significant difference in the yield of fat or protein per cow. Reducing the Stocking Rate from 2·9 cows per hectare to 2·6 cows per hectare for cows calving in mid-March (System C compared with System B) increased milk yield per cow significantly (P < 0·05) in only one of the three years (1990). Milk fat content was increased significantly in 1990. Stocking Rate had no other
