ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush... more ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush communities. Grazing can change the productivity, composition, and structure of herbaceous plants in sagebrush communities, thus directly influencing the productivity of nesting and early brood-rearing habitats. Indirect influences of livestock grazing and ranching on sage-grouse habitat include fencing, watering facilities, treatments to increase livestock forage, and targeted grazing to reduce fine fuels. To illustrate the relative value of sagebrush habitats to sage-grouse on year-round and seasonal bases, we developed state and transition models to conceptualize the interactions between wildfire and grazing in mountain and Wyoming big sagebrush communities. In some sage-grouse habitats, targeted livestock grazing may be useful for reducing fine fuels produced by annual grasses. We provide economic scenarios for ranches that delay spring turnout on public lands to increase herbaceous cover for nesting sage-grouse. Proper rangeland management is critical to reduce potential negative effects of livestock grazing to sage-grouse habitats.
Policy analysis and planning requires that we know what the likely responses of affected parties ... more Policy analysis and planning requires that we know what the likely responses of affected parties to given policy changes. We conducted a random survey of ranchers holding 1998 public land grazing permits in all western states to determine the social and economic characteristics of permit holders, to assess their attitudes about public land policies, and to gauge their responses to
Properly functioning riparian systems are vital to the health of watersheds and provide an import... more Properly functioning riparian systems are vital to the health of watersheds and provide an important forage and habitat resource for livestock and wildlife. Riparian grazing management strategies that are economically feasible and achieve environmental goals are needed by resource managers and livestock producers. The objective of this thesis was to examine the economic impacts of providing off-stream water and salt in pastures to influence cattle distribution between riparian and upland areas. A field test of the project was conducted at Oregon State University's Hall Ranch in Union, Oregon during mid July through August of 1996 and 1997. A bioeconomic nonlinear programming model using collected data was constructed to test the economic feasibility of the project for a 300 cow-calf operation in northeastern Oregon over sixty years. Nine states of nature were created from historical data to account for the uncertainty of precipitation and cattle market prices. When an environmen...
Background/Question/Methods As funding and support for rangeland research becomes more competitiv... more Background/Question/Methods As funding and support for rangeland research becomes more competitive, researchers and funders must ensure that needs of public and private land managers are met. Coupled with rangeland research funding constraints are ever-expanding environmental, financial, and societal pressures. Given these challenges, we must closely align on-the-ground knowledge needs with knowledge production by university and agency rangeland researchers, as well as research funding organizations. The Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable partnered with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes to convene a workshop of researchers, public and private land managers and producers, and representatives of funding agencies and organizations to develop a research agenda focused on Future Directions for Usable Science for Rangeland Sustainability. Rangelands provide ecosystem services including domestic livestock forage, open space, clean air and...
Few economists have questioned the logical explanation for the existence of grazing permit value,... more Few economists have questioned the logical explanation for the existence of grazing permit value, a cost advantage realizedby profit maximizing ranchers. Yet, it has long been recognized that ranches are overpriced relative to income earning potential. Grazing permits are overpriced as well. Hedonic models in New Mexico and the Great Basin were used to evaluate permit value. Grazing permits
Cattle ranching is one of the traditional uses of public lands recognized under various federal l... more Cattle ranching is one of the traditional uses of public lands recognized under various federal laws and has occurred on those lands well before the existence of those laws. The federal government is the largest landowner in the 11 western states with about 42% of the total land base, which varies from 22% in Washington to 86% in Nevada. The
The objective of this study was to test the combined effect of offstream water and trace mineral ... more The objective of this study was to test the combined effect of offstream water and trace mineral salt on cattle distribution in a riparian meadow and its adjacent uplands. From July 15 to August 26, 1996 and 1997, three treatments were each randomly assigned to one pasture in each of three blocks. Sixty cow/calf pairs were then randomly allotted to the grazed pastures. The treatments included 1) stream access and access to offstream water and trace-mineral salt (off-stream), 2) stream access and no access to offstream water or trace-mineral salt (no-offstream), and 3) ungrazed control. The response of cattle was measured through visual observations of cattle distribution, grazing activity and travel distance, cow/calf performance, and fecal deposit distribution. Distribution patterns of the cattle, measured as the distance of cattle from the stream, was characterized by a time of day x treatment x time in grazing period x year interaction (P < 0.05). No-offstream cattle began the...
Background/Question/Methods Although debate continues about many aspects of climate change, most ... more Background/Question/Methods Although debate continues about many aspects of climate change, most agree that the one constant regarding climate change effects on rangeland sustainability is ongoing and increased uncertainty. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are likely to continue rising, and it is anticipated that temperatures will be warmer and precipitation more variable, all of which can have profound effects on rangeland ecology. In order to assess the impact of these and other associated changes on rangeland ecosystems, and to develop coherent adaptive management strategies, standardized inventory and monitoring systems are needed to characterize soils, water, plants, animals, and productive capacities of landscapes. If social and economic outcomes and tradeoffs resulting from climate change are also to be assessed, data must be collected to identify and clarify those linkages. The connectivity among ecological, social and economic systems is embodied in rangeland ecosystems goods...
ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush... more ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush communities. Grazing can change the productivity, composition, and structure of herbaceous plants in sagebrush communities, thus directly influencing the productivity of nesting and early brood-rearing habitats. Indirect influences of livestock grazing and ranching on sage-grouse habitat include fencing, watering facilities, treatments to increase livestock forage, and targeted grazing to reduce fine fuels. To illustrate the relative value of sagebrush habitats to sage-grouse on year-round and seasonal bases, we developed state and transition models to conceptualize the interactions between wildfire and grazing in mountain and Wyoming big sagebrush communities. In some sage-grouse habitats, targeted livestock grazing may be useful for reducing fine fuels produced by annual grasses. We provide economic scenarios for ranches that delay spring turnout on public lands to increase herbaceous cover for nesting sage-grouse. Proper rangeland management is critical to reduce potential negative effects of livestock grazing to sage-grouse habitats.
ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush... more ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush communities. Grazing can change the productivity, composition, and structure of herbaceous plants in sagebrush communities, thus directly influencing the productivity of nesting and early brood-rearing habitats. Indirect influences of livestock grazing and ranching on sage-grouse habitat include fencing, watering facilities, treatments to increase livestock forage, and targeted grazing to reduce fine fuels. To illustrate the relative value of sagebrush habitats to sage-grouse on year-round and seasonal bases, we developed state and transition models to conceptualize the interactions between wildfire and grazing in mountain and Wyoming big sagebrush communities. In some sage-grouse habitats, targeted livestock grazing may be useful for reducing fine fuels produced by annual grasses. We provide economic scenarios for ranches that delay spring turnout on public lands to increase herbaceous cover for nesting sage-grouse. Proper rangeland management is critical to reduce potential negative effects of livestock grazing to sage-grouse habitats.
Policy analysis and planning requires that we know what the likely responses of affected parties ... more Policy analysis and planning requires that we know what the likely responses of affected parties to given policy changes. We conducted a random survey of ranchers holding 1998 public land grazing permits in all western states to determine the social and economic characteristics of permit holders, to assess their attitudes about public land policies, and to gauge their responses to
Properly functioning riparian systems are vital to the health of watersheds and provide an import... more Properly functioning riparian systems are vital to the health of watersheds and provide an important forage and habitat resource for livestock and wildlife. Riparian grazing management strategies that are economically feasible and achieve environmental goals are needed by resource managers and livestock producers. The objective of this thesis was to examine the economic impacts of providing off-stream water and salt in pastures to influence cattle distribution between riparian and upland areas. A field test of the project was conducted at Oregon State University's Hall Ranch in Union, Oregon during mid July through August of 1996 and 1997. A bioeconomic nonlinear programming model using collected data was constructed to test the economic feasibility of the project for a 300 cow-calf operation in northeastern Oregon over sixty years. Nine states of nature were created from historical data to account for the uncertainty of precipitation and cattle market prices. When an environmen...
Background/Question/Methods As funding and support for rangeland research becomes more competitiv... more Background/Question/Methods As funding and support for rangeland research becomes more competitive, researchers and funders must ensure that needs of public and private land managers are met. Coupled with rangeland research funding constraints are ever-expanding environmental, financial, and societal pressures. Given these challenges, we must closely align on-the-ground knowledge needs with knowledge production by university and agency rangeland researchers, as well as research funding organizations. The Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable partnered with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes to convene a workshop of researchers, public and private land managers and producers, and representatives of funding agencies and organizations to develop a research agenda focused on Future Directions for Usable Science for Rangeland Sustainability. Rangelands provide ecosystem services including domestic livestock forage, open space, clean air and...
Few economists have questioned the logical explanation for the existence of grazing permit value,... more Few economists have questioned the logical explanation for the existence of grazing permit value, a cost advantage realizedby profit maximizing ranchers. Yet, it has long been recognized that ranches are overpriced relative to income earning potential. Grazing permits are overpriced as well. Hedonic models in New Mexico and the Great Basin were used to evaluate permit value. Grazing permits
Cattle ranching is one of the traditional uses of public lands recognized under various federal l... more Cattle ranching is one of the traditional uses of public lands recognized under various federal laws and has occurred on those lands well before the existence of those laws. The federal government is the largest landowner in the 11 western states with about 42% of the total land base, which varies from 22% in Washington to 86% in Nevada. The
The objective of this study was to test the combined effect of offstream water and trace mineral ... more The objective of this study was to test the combined effect of offstream water and trace mineral salt on cattle distribution in a riparian meadow and its adjacent uplands. From July 15 to August 26, 1996 and 1997, three treatments were each randomly assigned to one pasture in each of three blocks. Sixty cow/calf pairs were then randomly allotted to the grazed pastures. The treatments included 1) stream access and access to offstream water and trace-mineral salt (off-stream), 2) stream access and no access to offstream water or trace-mineral salt (no-offstream), and 3) ungrazed control. The response of cattle was measured through visual observations of cattle distribution, grazing activity and travel distance, cow/calf performance, and fecal deposit distribution. Distribution patterns of the cattle, measured as the distance of cattle from the stream, was characterized by a time of day x treatment x time in grazing period x year interaction (P < 0.05). No-offstream cattle began the...
Background/Question/Methods Although debate continues about many aspects of climate change, most ... more Background/Question/Methods Although debate continues about many aspects of climate change, most agree that the one constant regarding climate change effects on rangeland sustainability is ongoing and increased uncertainty. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are likely to continue rising, and it is anticipated that temperatures will be warmer and precipitation more variable, all of which can have profound effects on rangeland ecology. In order to assess the impact of these and other associated changes on rangeland ecosystems, and to develop coherent adaptive management strategies, standardized inventory and monitoring systems are needed to characterize soils, water, plants, animals, and productive capacities of landscapes. If social and economic outcomes and tradeoffs resulting from climate change are also to be assessed, data must be collected to identify and clarify those linkages. The connectivity among ecological, social and economic systems is embodied in rangeland ecosystems goods...
ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush... more ABSTRACT Sage-grouse obtain resources for breeding, summer, and winter life stages from sagebrush communities. Grazing can change the productivity, composition, and structure of herbaceous plants in sagebrush communities, thus directly influencing the productivity of nesting and early brood-rearing habitats. Indirect influences of livestock grazing and ranching on sage-grouse habitat include fencing, watering facilities, treatments to increase livestock forage, and targeted grazing to reduce fine fuels. To illustrate the relative value of sagebrush habitats to sage-grouse on year-round and seasonal bases, we developed state and transition models to conceptualize the interactions between wildfire and grazing in mountain and Wyoming big sagebrush communities. In some sage-grouse habitats, targeted livestock grazing may be useful for reducing fine fuels produced by annual grasses. We provide economic scenarios for ranches that delay spring turnout on public lands to increase herbaceous cover for nesting sage-grouse. Proper rangeland management is critical to reduce potential negative effects of livestock grazing to sage-grouse habitats.
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