Comparative Pasture Management on Canadian Cattle Ranches With and Without Adaptive Multipaddock Grazing

Bork, Edward W.; Döbert, Timm F.; Grenke, Jessica; Carlyle, Cameron N.; Cahill, James; Boyce, Mark S.

doi:10.1016/j.rama.2021.04.010

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Additionally, we highlight the potential confounding role of larger ranch sizes found under AMP management. AMP ranches were larger on average compared to their N-AMP counterparts (Bork et al, 2021).…”

Section: Do Amp Systems Act As a Biotic Filter To Influence The Plant...mentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Additionally, we highlight the potential confounding role of larger ranch sizes found under AMP management. AMP ranches were larger on average compared to their N‐AMP counterparts (Bork et al, 2021). While it is beyond the scope of this work to parse out the interactive influence of grazing management and total ranch size on the resulting plant communities (Figure S4), we note that larger and contiguous areas of land under the same management regime may foster increased plant diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stocking density was higher in AMP ranches compared to N-AMP ranches, and was paralleled by other differentiating factors, such as a longer grazing season, shorter grazing periods and increased rest after grazing in spring and early summer (Bork et al, 2021). What remains unclear is how these factors alter plant diversity, which is otherwise known to respond to grazing intensity (i.e.…”

Section: Do Amp and N-amp Ranches Use Distinct Management Systems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A grazing system growing in popularity among ranchers, known as Adaptive Multi‐Paddock (AMP) grazing, employs high animal densities within small areas for short periods of time (Briske et al, 2008) followed by a long recovery period before subsequent grazing (Bork et al, 2021). In theory, this practice allows heightened control for land managers to target how long, and at what intensity, livestock grazing occurs (Briske et al, 2008; Teague et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To test the effects of AMP management on plant diversity, we conducted a large-scale vegetation survey across grasslands of the northern Great Plains using a paired design, which linked to a larger study reporting on grazing practices across 64 ranches in western Canada (Bork et al, 2021). To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to compare the real-world consequences of AMP management with regionally typical practices on ranch-scale diversity across a broad geographical expanse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Limited impacts of adaptive multi‐paddock grazing systems on plant diversity in the Northern Great Plains

Grenke

Bork

Carlyle

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Grassland plant community structure and function are dependent on the type, timing, frequency and intensity of disturbance. Grazing systems employing dense herds of livestock for short periods of time (e.g. Adaptive Multi-paddock Grazing; AMP) are gaining popularity as a potentially sustainable practice. Effects of AMP systems on plant diversity and composition are unknown, though theory provides some expectations. Spatially homogeneous grazing used by AMP may be a uniform ecological filter, thereby lowering plant diversity; alternatively, the AMP practice of using multiple paddocks might enhance habitat heterogeneity.Maintaining plant diversity, particularly of native species, is a key aspect of sustainability. As such, an understanding of the real-world effects of AMP grazing is needed.2. We studied grasslands within 18 pairs of ranches across the northern Great Plains. Ranches managed under AMP were paired with a neighbouring ranch (N-AMP) using regionally representative grazing practices. We collected surveys of management practices and conducted 2 years of on-farm sampling to identify plant composition and diversity.3. Ranch management practices used by self-identified AMP ranchers differed significantly (p < 0.1) from those used on neighbouring ranches, with higher stocking densities (number of animals per area at a single time) but not stocking rates (total number of animals per unit time per area) on AMP relative to N-AMP ranches.4. There were fewer plant species in AMP grasslands at both the plot and landscape scales compared to N-AMP ranches despite no overall difference in plant community composition. Management type did not alter the variability of plant community composition (beta diversity) or plot-level species evenness. Although there were trends for lower diversity of native and introduced species at both spatial scales, a significant effect was found only for native species at the landscape scale.

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Section: Do Amp Systems Act As a Biotic Filter To Influence The Plant...mentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Do Amp and N-amp Ranches Use Distinct Management Systems?mentioning

confidence: 99%