Riparian Meadow Response to Modern Conservation Grazing Management

Abstract

Riparian meadows occupy a small proportion of the public lands in the western United States but they provide numerous ecosystem services, including the production of high-quality forage for livestock grazing. Modern conservation management strategies (e.g., reductions in livestock stocking rates and adoption of new riparian grazing standards) have been implemented to better balance riparian conservation and livestock production objectives on publicly managed lands. We examined potential relationships between long-term changes in plant community, livestock grazing pressure and environmental conditions at two spatial scales in meadows grazed under conservation management strategies. Changes in plant community were not associated with either livestock stocking rate or precipitation at the grazing allotment (i.e., administrative) scale. Alternatively, both grazing pressure and precipitation had significant, albeit modest, associations with changes in plant community at the meadow (i.e., ecological site) scale. These results suggest that reductions in stocking rate have improved the balance between riparian conservation and livestock production goals. However, associations between elevation, site wetness, precipitation, and changes in plant community suggest that changing climate conditions (e.g., reduced snowpack and changes in timing of snowmelt) could trigger shifts in plant communities, potentially impacting both conservation and agricultural services (e.g., livestock and forage production). Therefore, adaptive, site-specific management strategies are required to meet grazing pressure limits and safeguard ecosystem services within individual meadows, especially under more variable climate conditions.

Inhibiting Effects of Vegetation on the Characteristics of Runoff and Sediment Yield on Riparian Slope along the Lower Yellow River

“…As an important transitional zone between rivers and terrestrial ecosystems, the riparian zone acts as a corridor, filter and barrier, and its effective management is an important guarantee for maintaining the stability and health of river and terrestrial ecosystems [1,2]. In recent years, due to natural environmental changes in climate, channel morphology, flood cycles and beach structures, and human activities such as urban expansion, large-scale engineering construction, and agricultural and livestock development, the structure and function of the riparian ecosystem has been severely impaired [3,4]. Therefore, the restoration and maintenance of riparian ecosystem function has become a central and urgent need in geographical and ecological research [3].…”

Low‐tech riparian and wet meadow restoration increases vegetation productivity and resilience across semiarid rangelands

“…In rangeland systems of the Intermountain West, benefits of proper grazing management have been reported (Oles et al ), but in general, implementation of low‐tech restoration has outpaced evaluations of efficacy (Pilliod et al ). One common fundamental outcome necessary for success of many restorations is enhanced soil water storage capacity to promote riparian and wetland vegetation (Hammersmark et al ).…”

Using conspecific broadcast for Willow Flycatcher restoration

“…In recent decades, however, grazing pressure has been reduced significantly, and numerous large-scale wetland restoration projects designed in part to improve habitat for riparian birds have been implemented across California (Pope et al 2015, Oles et al 2017. Despite apparently improving habitat conditions, Willow Flycatchers have not returned to restored habitat from which they have been lost, even when high-quality restored habitat is within the dispersal distance of potential source populations .…”