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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
p < 0.001
020
40
60
80100
Her
bac
eou
s fo
rage
use
(%
)
.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.
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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
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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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0
25
50
75
100
125
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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.
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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
