Grazing Management & Yosemite Toad...

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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LeslieRocheandKenTateRangelandWatershedLabUniversityofCalifornia,Davis

Grazing Management & Yosemite Toad Conservation

GrazingEcologyandManagementWorkshopCatheys Valley,CA12March2014

Waterquality,speciesofconcern,riparianandmeadowhealth,soilquality,invasiveplants,forageproduction,andlivestockperformance…

RangelandWatershedLaboratoryhttp://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu

RangelandManagementand…

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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YosemiteToadAdaptiveManagementProject

• YosemiteToad‐ ProposedforlistingunderESA• MountainMeadows– Keybreedingandrearinghabitat

• Believedtobedeclining• Livestockasapotentialdriverofdecline?

• 2005‐2010ResearchCollaboration• USFS,UCDavis,UCBerkeley,UCCE,rangestakeholders

• MultipleResearchApproaches• Cattleexclusionexperiments

1)Fencebreedingarea,2)Fencewholemeadow,3)Grazedcontrol

• Cross‐sectionalsurvey

CattleExclusionExperimentsCattleExclusion– Toadbreedingpoolhabitatresponse• 2006‐2008

• 3SierraNFAllotments

• 9Meadows

• Monitoredwaterqualityandvegetativecover

CattleExclusion– Tadpoles&youngofyearresponse• 2006‐2010

• 2StanislausNFAllotments;3SierraNFAllotments

• 14Meadows

• Monitoredpooloccupancybytoadsandearlylifestagedensities

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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Results

• Nutrients≥90%belowlevelsofecologicalconcern.

• Turbidity,temperature,depth,andcovernotsignificantlydifferentamonggrazedandungrazedtreatments.

• NobenefittoYosemitetoadpresenceorearlylifestagesinungrazedcomparedtograzedtreatments.

• Toadpopulationsappearedconstantovertheperiodofthestudy.

CattleExclusionExperiments

Rocheetal.2012.RangelandEcology&Management.McIlroy etal.2013PLOSONE.

Nograzingtreatment‐inducedtrends.

X

Multi‐ProngedApproach

SierraNationalForestCross‐SectionalSurvey

• UnderstandardUSFSgrazingmanagement• Coarse‐scalehabitatoverlapofcattleandtoads

YosemiteToadAdaptiveManagementProject

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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Results• Cattleselectforhigherforagequalitydiets(relativelydriermeadows)• Toadsmoreprevalentinwettermeadows.

Rocheetal.2012.PLOSONE.

YosemiteToadAdaptiveManagementProject

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.5 1 1.5 2 2.5Diversity (H')

Win‐Win‐Win:Toadconservation+Cattlegrazing+Diverseplantcommunities.

YosemiteToadAdaptiveManagementProject

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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1. CattleGrazingandYosemiteToad(BufocanorusCamp)BreedingHabitatinSierraNevadaMeadows.L.M.Roche,B.Allen‐Diaz,D.J.Eastburn, K.W.Tate.2012.RangelandEcology&Management.

2. Cattlegrazingandconservationofameadow‐dependentamphibianspeciesintheSierraNevada.L.M.Roche,A.M.Latimer,D.J.Eastburn,K.W.Tate.2012.PLOSONE.

3. DeterminingtheeffectsofcattlegrazingtreatmentsonYosemitetoads(Anaxyrus canorus)inmontanemeadows. S.McIlroy,A.J.Lind,B.H.Allen‐Diaz,L.M.Roche,W.E.Frost,R.L.Grasso,K.W.Tate.2013.PLOSONE.

Cattlegrazing&Yosemitetoadconservationcanbecompatiblegoals

MeadowConditionsonNationalForestGrazingAllotmentsUSFSREGION 5RANGE PROGRAM CONDITION AND TREND MONITORING

• SierraNevadaForestPlanAmendment(early2000s)– Setripariangrazingutilizationlimits(i.e.browseonwillow,banktrampling,amountofannualforageconsumed).

• 1998:USFSinitiatedlong‐termmeadowconditionandtrendmonitoringprogram.• 1)Documentbaselinemeadowconditionsasnewriparian

uselimitswerecomingintouse.

• 2)Examinelong‐termtrendsinmeadowconditionfollowingimplementationoflimits.

• UCDavisRangelandWatershedLabpartneringwithUSFStoanalyzethesedata.

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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• 850Permanentplots– Readevery5years– Over270with10yearsofdata

• Plantspeciescomposition– Diversity– Richness– Stability– CIR– RangeCondition

• Currentdataanalysis– CurrentCondition– TrendsinCondition– InitialConditionxWeatherxSiteTypexManagement

RangeConditionMonitoring1998‐Present

ComparingGrazingw/RiparianStandardstoUngrazedConditions

FourAllotments2000‐20102 closedtograzing2grazedwithriparianuselimits

25monitoringplots16grazed9ungrazed

InyoNationalForest

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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ComparingGrazingw/RiparianUseLimitstoUngrazedConditions

?

Testedthehypothesisthatmeadowconditionswouldimprovemoreinthenon‐grazedcomparedtograzedallotments.

Ungrazed

Grazed

MeadowHealth

Year 1 Year 10

Results

• Livestockexclusiondidnotleadtogreaterratesofmeadowrecoverycomparedtograzingtoachieveriparianuselimits.

• Grazingmanagementimplementedtoachieveriparianuselimitsdidnotdegrademeadowhealth.

• Demonstratestheeffectivenessof1)Settingriparianutilizationobjectives,and2)Grazingmanagementpractices(i.e.,herding,rest,rotation).

Freitas,M.,L.M.Roche,D.W.Weixelman,andK.W.Tate.AcceptedwithMinorRevision.MontaneMeadowPlantCommunityResponsetoGrazing.EnvironmentalManagement.

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

USFSGrazingPolicyoverthenext40years?

“best available science”

?

1000s of Cattle

Whatisallthisresearchtellingus?• Withgoodmanagement– livestockproduction,cleanwater,healthyriparianareas,andconservationofsensitivespeciesarecompatiblegoals.Takesworkandgoalsetting.

• Substantialnewsciencesupportsthisconclusion.• Makecertainthisscienceisintegratedintopolicyandmanagementdecisionmaking– bestavailablescience.

• Collaborationandcommunicationbetweenmanagers,policymakers,andscientistsisessential.

L. Roche and Ken Tate 12 March 2014

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RangelandLiteratureSynthesis.2011ConservationBenefitsofRangelandPractices:Assessment,Recommendations,andKnowledgeGapshttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/nra/ceap/?cid=stelprdb1045811

Somerelevantreviews

WesternLandManagerswillNeedallAvailableToolsforAdaptingtoClimateChange,IncludingGrazing:ACritiqueofBeschta etal.2014.EnvironmentalManagementTonySvejcar•ChadBoyd•KirkDavies•MatthewMadsen•JonBates•RogerSheley•ClaytonMarlow•DavidBohnert •MikeBorman•RicardoMata‐Gonza`lez •JohnBuckhouse •TamzenStringham•BarryPerryman•ShermanSwanson•KennethTate•MelGeorge•GeorgeRuyle •BruceRoundy•ChrisCall•KevinJensen•KarenLaunchbaugh •AmandaGearhart•LanceVermeire•JohnTanaka•JustinDerner•GaryFrasier•KrisHavstadhttp://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/main/GrazingPublicLandsClimateChange/index.html’

rangeland watersheds

RangelandWatershedLaboratoryhttp://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu