Bement (1969) developed a stocking rate (SR) guide for yearling cattle grazing shortgrass steppe based on relationships among average daily weight gain (ADG, kg · d?1), beef production per hectare (BP, ha?1), and (animal unit days, AUD ha?1) measured in long-term experiments conducted from 1940 to 1963. These analyses identified an optimal biophysical SR of 13.5 ha?1. Here, we 1) examine modern...

In Mongolia, drought is a major natural disaster that can influence and devastate large regions, reduce livestock production, cause economic damage, and accelerate desertification in association with destructive human activities. The objective of this article is to determine the optimal satellite-derived drought indices for accurate and real-time expression of grassland drought in Mongolia. Fir...

Extensive studies have investigated the relationships between climate change and vegetation dynamics. However, the geographic controls on vegetation dynamics are rarely studied. In this study, the geographic controls on the trends and variation of vegetation greenness in middle and eastern Inner Mongolia, China (mid-eastern Inner Mongolia) were investigated. The SPOT VEGETATION 10-day period sy...

Rain-index insurance is strongly advocated in many parts of the developing world to help farmers to cope with climatic risk that prevail in (semi-)arid rangelands due to low and highly uncertain rainfall. We present a modeling analysis of how the availability of rain-index insurance affects the sustainability of rangeland management. We show that a rain-index insurance with frequent payoffs, i....

The soil–vegetation relationships are reciprocal and fundamental for terrestrial ecosystem integrity. However, the long-term degradation of vegetation cover alters edaphic conditions, which can lead to habitats, obstructs proper functioning. This study aimed assess effects perennial steppe due overgrazing (i.e., continuous free grazing) on physicochemical characteristics soil fertility in range...

Adapting what we currently know about ecosystems to a future where rangelands are changing is a new frontier in rangeland management. Current tools for knowledge discovery and application are limited because they cannot adequately judge ecological relevance of knowledge to specific situations. We propose development of integrated knowledge systems (KSs)— collections of resources (e.g., data, an...

INTRODUCTION Analyzing trends of land use systems and the changes occurred overtime is an effective way of assessing the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) changes on ecosystem function. It provides important insights for understanding the spatial patterns of land use processes. The rangelands of southern Ethiopia are adversely affected by increased human population pressure, encroachment of...