Forage production of rangelands differs during different times of grazing season and in the same month of different years. In range management projects, grazing capacity calculated once during the grazing season, which coincides with the maximum production of rangeland species. This may cause more livestock entry into the rangeland during the grazing season, leading to more degradation. Th...

Grazing by large herbivores may negatively affect bird populations. This is of great conservation concern in areas with intensive sheep grazing. Sheep management varies substantially between regions, but no study has been performed in less intensively grazed systems. In a fully replicated, landscape scale experiment with three levels of sheep grazing, we tested whether the abundance and diversi...

We evaluated the effects of livestock grazing on C content of the plant-soil system (to 60 cm) of two semi-arid grasslands: a mixed-grass prairie (grazed 12 years), and a short-grass steppe (grazed 56 years). Grazing treatments included season-long grazing at heavy and light stocking rates, and non-grazed exclosures. Significantly higher soil C (0-30cm) was measured in grazed pastures compared ...

Electron-probe x-ray micro analysis (EPMA) and particle-induced x-ray emission analysis (PIXE) were performed under grazing-exit conditions. To control the exit angle (take-off angle), a new sample holder having a stepping motor was developed for grazing-exit EPMA. A carefully polished surface of a stainless-steal sample was measured. The surface of stainless steel is normally covered with a th...

owing to the importance and necessity of identifying soil properties in arid rangeland management, and the variableeffects of different kinds of herbivores on soil, this study compares some of the physical and chemical properties ofsoil between two regions experiencing livestock and wildlife grazing in the desert rangelands of kalmand-bahadoranin yazd province. the key areas in two regions expe...

 Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing were investigated at one station in the Homa Lagoon from February to January in 2006-2007. Our results showed significant seasonal variations in phytoplankton dynamics. Microzooplankton was mainly composed of dinoflagellates and tintinnid ciliates and nauplii. Microzooplankton grazing increased with increasing of temperature. Grazing ra...

In recent years, studying the dietary preferences and livestock grazing behaviorhas attracted lots of attention due to manage and improve the efficiency of rangelands. So,in this study the foraging behavior and diet selection of Tali goat was investigated in theChabahar Rangeland during 2008-2010. Data were collected and analyzed for speeds oflivestock, covered distance, time of grazing, restin...

Angus-cross steers (n = 60) were used to assess the effect of forage species [alfalfa (AL; Medicago sativa L.), bermudagrass (BG; Cynodon dactylon), chicory (CH; Cichorium intybus L.), cowpea (CO; Vigna unguiculata L.), and pearl millet (PM; Pennisetum glaucum (L. R Br.)] in replicated 2-ha paddocks for finishing on cattle performance, carcass quality, and meat quality in a 2-yr study. Steers w...

Grazing intensity elicits changes in the composition of plant functional groups in both shortgrass steppe (SGS) and northern mixed-grass prairie (NMP) in North America. How these grazing intensity-induced changes control aboveground net primary production (ANPP) responses to precipitation remains a central open question, especially in light of predicted climate changes. Here, we evaluated effec...