The Birds and the Bees: Producing Beef and Conservation Benefits on Working Grasslands

Abstract

Globally, grasslands have been heavily degraded, more so than any other biome. Grasslands of the eastern U.S. are no exception to this trend and, consequently, native biota associated with the region’s >20 million ha of agricultural grasslands are under considerable stress. For example, grassland associated breeding bird populations have declined precipitously in recent decades as have numerous species of pollinators. Although there is increasing awareness of the role grasslands can play in global carbon cycles and in providing high quality dietary proteins needed by an increasing global population, there is a lack of awareness of the alarming trends in the sustainability of the native biota of these ecosystems. Here, we present the status of this conservation challenge and offer prospective solutions through a working lands conservation approach. Such a strategy entails maintaining appropriate disturbances (i.e., grazing, fire, and their combination), improved grazing management, an increased reliance on native grasses and forbs, and improved plant diversity within pastures. Furthermore, we note some examples of opportunities to achieve these goals, offer suggestions for agricultural and conservation policy, and provide a framework for evaluating tradeoffs that are inevitably required when pursuing a multi-purpose grassland management framework.

Review of Conservation Challenges and Possible Solutions for Grassland Birds of the North American Great Plains

“…Moreover, fire and grazing practices on both public and private land are often inexorably linked to producer livelihoods. Thus, the need to promote solutions that both benefit grassland birds and allow producers to remain economically viable cannot be overstated (Drum et al 2015; Keyser et al 2022). Finally, 42% of North American grassland bird species are considered highly vulnerable to climate change (Wilsey et al 2019).…”

Grassland Ecology and Ecosystem Management for Sustainable Livestock Performance

“…(1) Forage quality and animal performance [17][18][19][20] (2) Animal grazing behavior [21] (3) Fatty acid (FA) profiles of various forages [22,23] (4) Ecosystem health for production animals [24][25][26] (5) Technology for improving management [27] 2.1. Forage Quality and Animal Performance Tracy et al [17] found that adding nutritionally high-quality, summer-productive forages, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) or sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.…”

“…Keyser et al [25] presented the status of grassland conservation and proposed solutions through a working lands conservation approach. Grassland management entails maintaining appropriate disturbances (management by grazing and fire) with an increased reliance on native grasses and forbs to improve the plant diversity within pastures.…”

Blooming and Forage Characteristics of Twelve Native Forbs Subjected to Repeated Defoliation

“…The eastern U.S. contains >20 million ha of grasslands, primarily as pastures, which support >40% of all U.S. cow-calf operations, along with a variety of other grazing animals [13]. These pastures present an opportunity to support both vital pollinators and growing livestock in a dual-purpose system.…”

“…These pastures present an opportunity to support both vital pollinators and growing livestock in a dual-purpose system. Through the incorporation of native forbs in a working land framework, a diversity of benefits can be achieved for both grazers and pollinators [13,14]. The existing literature has documented transplanted seedling The soil was an Etowah silt loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudult) and had a pH, phosphorus, and potassium content of 6.0, 6.8 kg ha −1 , and 103.4 kg ha −1 , respectively.…”