Over eight years we measured the effects of plant community composition, vegetation structure, and livestock grazing on occurrence of three grassland bird species-Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)-at sites in central California during breeding season. In California's Mediterranean-type climatic region, co...

Carnivores in Asia and throughout the world face high risk of extinction due to factors such as continued habitat loss and hunting. However, the Asiatic lion of Gir forest, India presents a conservation success story whose history may help to guide the recovery and conservation of other imperiled predators. Protection of core and satellite habitats and the relocation of pastoral communities and...

The study was conducted in Assosa district of Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, western Ethiopia, to assess major farm enterprises, agricultural risks and demand for micro-insurance services. Two peasant associations namely, Selga-23 and Kushmengel were selected to represent settler and native farming communities, respectively. Using simple randomized techniques, 86 respondents were selected fo...

Epichloë fungal endophytes are broadly found in cool-season grasses. The symbiosis between these grasses and Epichloë may improve the abiotic and biotic resistance of the grass plant, but some Epichloë species produce alkaloids that are toxic for livestock. Therefore, it is important to understand the characteristics of the grass-Epichloë s symbiosis so that the beneficial aspects can be preser...

Vernal pools in the Sacramento Valley are essentially islands of native flora among a grassland composed primarily of exotic annual species. In managing the vernal pool landscape to sustain these islands of native flora, the integrity of the landscape’s hydrology must be maintained. One management decision that may indirectly affect hydrology is complete rest from grazing. Although the native v...

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus is one predominant cause of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs), but little information exists regarding the characterization of S. aureus from non-native patients with SSTIs in China. METHODS In this study, we enrolled 52 non-native patients with S. aureus SSTIs, and 65 native control patients with S. aureus SSTIs in Shanghai. 52 and 65 S. aureus isolates...

species using herbicides can improve forage availability and enhance ranch profitability by increasing the livestock carrying capacity of native pastures. However, deciding how and when to control noxious plants is crucial, and is generally more profitable on more productive soils with less brush. Factors that contribute to brush encroachment on rangelands include: • Fewer fires because of huma...

Integrating use of seeded perennial cool-season grass pastures with native rangeland can increase available forage and provide a high plane of nutrition for grazing livestock. Our objective was to compare performance of yearling beef heifers grazing native rangeland with those grazing an integrated system that included seeded forages. Twice-replicated, 3-ha pastures seeded to either ‘Rosana’ we...

The role of livestock grazing in regulating woody cover and biomass in grass-dominant systems is well recognized. However, the way in which woody plant populations in respond when livestock are removed from grazing in the absence of other disturbances, such as fire, remains unclear.We conducted a 10-year, replicated fencing experiment in a sandy semiarid rangeland in northern China (which has a...

The widespread replacement of wild ungulate herbivores by domestic livestock in African savannas is composed of two interrelated phenomena: (1) loss or reduction in numbers of individual wildlife species or guilds and (2) addition of livestock to the system. Each can have important implications for plant community dynamics. Yet very few studies have experimentally addressed the individual, comb...