Source: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING submitted to
ANIMAL-PLANT INTERACTION ECOLOGY ON WYOMING RANGELANDS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1006367
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
WYO-559-15
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 24, 2015
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2019
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Scasta, JO, DE.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE DEPARTMENT 3434
LARAMIE,WY 82071-2000
Performing Department
Ecosystem Science and Management
Non Technical Summary
In Wyoming, 84% of open spaces are grasslands, shrublands, forests, foothills and mountains, and collectively these are considered rangelands. Agriculturally, the majority of these rangelands (72%) have been primarily used for grazing of domestic livestock due to inherently rugged topography and limited net primary productivity (NPP). Livestock production is critical for the state of Wyoming, as for example cattle account for 61% of Wyoming farm receipts. More recently though, Wyoming's rangelands have become increasingly valued by society for the provision of ecosystem services such as water quality, recreation, wildlife habitat, and open space for aesthetic purposes. This provision of ecosystem services and concern by the general public is evident in the proposed listing of endangered species such as sage-grouse, increasing litigation out of concern for the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, management of wild horses, changing federal policies regarding water resources, and confounded by the potential deleterious effects of climate variation (Western Watersheds Project v. Kraayenbrink 2010; Beschta et al. 2013; NACD 2014; USFWS 2014).During this recent period of changing societal values, agricultural production on rangelands has also experienced variation and change. Cattle prices are at an all-time high due to a shrinking national cowherd and escalating consumer demand (Breazeale 2014). Conversely, sheep production in Wyoming has been on a steady decline due to a lackluster market, competition with a growing goat market, and conflicts with native bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). However, sheep production has stabilized in recent years with increasing prices and global demand (Brester 2012; AgMRC 2013). Consequently, the value of Wyoming's open spaces for agricultural production to provide food and fiber for the public has increased with the burgeoning US and global population. Conjointly, all of these concerns by the general public are also major issues facing ranchers and further complicate the management of grazing animals on rangelands and en masse challenge the sustainability of agricultural production and natural resource conservation.Given that Wyoming rangelands are valued for both agricultural production and natural resource conservation, a dichotomous distinction of agricultural or environmental values for Wyoming open spaces by special interest groups has created a source of political and social division. In reality though, Wyoming rangelands are critical for both the provision of agricultural goods and the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. The recognition of these disparate values assigned by different interest groups has not been fully quantified in North America in the peer-referred literature; however, it has been recognized in Europe (Henle et al. 2008). It has been suggested that grazing as a tool will be necessary to adapt to climate change and manage wildlife habitat (Derner et al. 2009; Svejcar et al. 2014).Consequently, grazing in Wyoming, especially on public lands that account for ~30 million acres or more than half of the land area in the state, is increasingly arduous due to litigation, endangered species concerns, governmental policies and weather variability. Monitoring rangelands may be the most valuable tool for sustaining grazing-based livelihoods and rangeland resources on western rangelands, especially in Wyoming. Yet, research indicates the use of monitoring continues to be sparsely employed across rangelands in the West. Unfortunately, the barriers to using monitoring are not well understood. What is understood though, is that Extension educators and agency personnel (BLM, USFS, NRCS) are a critical component to facilitating monitoring.The combination of increasing public concern with rangelands and the challenges of livestock production in Wyoming including animal distribution, parasitism, drought, fire, forage quality and quantity, and competition with wild and feral wildlife will guide this research program. I will seek to address the critical ecological interactions between grazing animals with plant communities within the context of social interests and livelihoods of Wyoming. Given these complex drivers of animal-plant interactions on rangelands of Wyoming, I am seeking to establish a research program that is relevant to agricultural producers, wildlife managers, and the average citizen.
Animal Health Component
10%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
33%
Applied
33%
Developmental
34%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12101991070100%
Knowledge Area
121 - Management of Range Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
Wyoming is dominated by rangelands that are critical for livestock production and the conservation of natural resources. The provision of ecosystem services from Wyoming's rangelands has led to concern by the general public about endangered species, increasing litigation, management of wild horses, changing policies regarding water resources, and potential deleterious effects of climate variation. These concerns have also further complicated the many challenges to livestock production including animal distribution, parasitism, drought, fire, forage quality and quantity, and competition with wild and feral wildlife. This research program will focus on critical ecological interactions between grazing animals and plant communities in Wyoming within the context of social interests and livelihoods.Specific Goals Include:1. Address the most challenging issues affecting livestock production and the conservation of natural resources within the context of animal-plant interactions in Wyoming. Determine rangeland monitoring techniques to evaluate associated conflicts.2. Understand how disturbances such as drought and fire affect plant communities and distribution of livestock and wildlife to develop innovative strategies for coping with wildfire. Assist managers in making best management decisions to respond to these disturbances and strategically apply prescribed fire as a management tool.3. Determine adaptive grazing management strategies that are beneficial ecologically, agriculturally, and socially while looking out for the best interests of livelihoods and natural resources.4. Understand the complexity of livestock and wildlife parasites as it relates to topography, climate, vegetation structure, and animal movements in Wyoming.5. Develop impartial data about how wild horses move through landscapes, affect plant communities, and interact with wildlife and livestock.Areas of focus to address these goals include:1. Rangeland Vegetation Monitoring2. Drought and Climate Variation3. Wildfire and Prescribed Burning4. Livestock Production Under Harsh Range Conditions5. Parasites and Diseases of Livestock and Wildlife6. Wild Horse Management
Project Methods
1. Rangeland vegetation monitoring - I will collaborate with stakeholders in developing research that monitors rangeland conditions relative to grazing, climate, disturbance, policy, and management. I have provided leadership to the Thunder Basin Research Initiative (TBRI), a collaborative effort between UW AES, USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and Thunder Basin Grassland Prairie Ecosystem Association (TBGPEA) to seed landscape-scale research addressing critical ecological issues in the Thunder Basin of Wyoming. I volunteered along with two others to summarize the suggestions from the initial TBRI meeting in September of 2014 and develop the TBRI conceptual model and proposal funding guidelines. I am also collaborating with Lauren Porensky (USDA ARS) on a funding proposal for a master's student to conduct rangeland vegetation research in response to livestock and wildlife herbivory and wildfire in the Thunder Basin. I am also participating in WERA 40 ('Application and Utility of the Ecological Site and Condition Concept for Monitoring Rangeland Ecological States in the Western US') by serving as the Secretary (2015) and incoming Chair (2016). I will be coordinating the 2016 meeting in Wyoming. We are also discussing with Extension Educators how to implement rangeland monitoring applied research demonstrations across the state and I have submitted a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) proposal that is in review to fund those efforts.2. Drought and climate variation; Wildfire patterns and prescribed burning - These efforts to address climate and fire are lumped together as these are disturbances that influence rangeland management and animal-plant interactions. I am collaborating with UW AES managers in Laramie, WY and Lingle, WY to assess the negative effects of the 2012 drought on cow-calf production, forage production, and baseline cattle production data. We are also developing research on how cow size influences calf weaning weights relative to drought. I am also interested in developing research on how climate variability influences wildfire patterns in Wyoming. I am working with a Rangeland Management Specialist and Fuels Specialist with the US Forest Service to identify funding sources for graduate students to monitor vegetation responses to fire and mechanical treatments in the Pole Mountain Unit. This effort will support the Pole Mountain Vegetation Management Plan that has gone through National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approval and proposes treating 8,653 acres of the 55,584 acre (16%) Pole Mountain Unit over the next decade. USFS has indicated that they have the capacity to administer treatments but they would like to collaborate with UW on monitoring the effects of treatments to ascertain if they are meeting their objectives. Specifically, we are interested in: 1) regeneration of aspen stands with fire and masticators and the prevention of juniper encroachment, 2) thinning ponderosa pine and mixed conifer stands while limiting overstory mortality, and 3) understanding herbivore use of burned areas.3. Livestock production under harsh range conditions - I have been working with UW AES managers in Laramie, WY and Lingle, WY to identify research needs and opportunities for rangeland livestock and vegetation. In particular, we are discussing how to position the McGuire ranch for grazing management research through the development of internal fencing and additional water. The McGuire ranch will be an ideal place to study animal distribution due to the physical heterogeneity and topography constraints. I have been developing a proposal to assess animal movements with rotational grazing at SAREC (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Lingle, WY) based on biological and climatic cycles. This research will also include vegetation monitoring metrics (composition, structure, quantity, quality), livestock production metrics (weaning weights, cow weights, treatment costs), and livestock health (parasite loads, disease exposure). I am also planning to use startup funds to generate baseline data about cattle and sheep nutritional planes relative to patterns of forage quality and quantity. This work is also leading to applied research with Extension educators investigating the seasonal patterns of toxic compounds relative to seasonal patterns of forage nutrients. I am also coordinating with a Ph.D. student to write a proposal to fund a postdoctoral fellowship to use GPS collars to modernize livestock resource selection functions. 4. Parasites and diseases of livestock and wildlife - The grazing systems research (listed above) will also be complementary for research on external and internal parasites of livestock and wildlife. I have been in communication with UW AES staff at both the Laramie and Lingle, WY stations to discuss parasite management challenges and will collect baseline data in 2015 and have plans to secure research funding for a two year master's project to start in 2016. These discussions have focused on fly parasites of cattle, ticks on cattle and sheep, and internal parasites of both. I have also been in discussion with Extension Entomologist (Dr. Alex Latchininsky), and also with an epidemiologist at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory (Dr. Brant Schumaker), about further research on fly parasites and disease exposure. I am also using startup funds to finance the laboratory analysis of pronghorn blood samples from six discrete populations to screen for bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD)--diseases that can also affect domestic sheep. This disease research is in coordination with other Ecosystem Science and Management faculty and researchers in the UW Veterinary Science Laboratory.5. Wild horse management - I have been in discussion with UW colleagues, Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), and BLM Wild Horse and Burro Specialists in Rawlins, WY and Rocksprings, Wyoming and submitted two grant proposals to the new WDA wild horse research program. Our proposals will incorporate rangeland vegetation monitoring, wild horse movements and behavior, and ecological impacts in several Herd Management Area's (HMA's), and verifying population survey methods. The proposal development for wild horses is part of an ongoing effort of the development of an Extension Bulletin that addresses wild horse dietary conflicts with livestock and wildlife (Scasta 2014), a Forum manuscript that I recently submitted to Rangeland Ecology and Management, and the presentation of this quantitative meta-analysis at the Wyoming Stock Growers Progressive Rancher Forum in 2014 and the Society for Range Management meeting in Sacramento, California in 2015. To further enable my ability to acquire funds to conduct wild horse research (and other livestock and wildlife research), I completed the Wildlife Research Curriculum (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Reference ID 14521600).In developing these research projects I will adhere to all institutional, local, state, and federal policies regarding research. This includes but is not limited to approval for all animal handling through the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), approval for surveys through the UW Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Progress 06/24/15 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project include the ranching industry, NGOs, local working groups, state agencies, and federal agencies. These represent users of the research and outreach produced by this project that relates to animal-plant interaction ecology in Wyoming. The ranching industry includes both ranchers explicitly and commodity groups, specifically Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) and Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA). I have made efforts to be available for in-person consultation, formal presentations through Extension/Outreach avenues, and have strived to make my research available to this target audience. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I have worked with my target audience to provide trainings for producers at the Progressive Rancher Forum hosted at the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Winter Meeting every year of this project. I have also worked with Wyoming Wool Growers Association to provide training to emerging entrepreneurs. I have also shared results with University of Wyoming Extension Range Team members at annual meetings and planning workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I have made myself available for in-person meetings with stakeholders and pursuing trust and vulnerability. Consequently, I have been asked to serve as the moderator for UW Extension Focus Groups in Pinedale (2015), Afton (2016), and Rock Springs (2019) for the Sustainable Management of Rangeland Resources Groups. I regularly attend UW Extension Range Management Initiative Team meetings to work with Extension Educators to develop strategies to address persistent or emerging issues in their counties. I also have regularly attended Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Wyoming Wool Growers Association Meetings. Consequently, I have developed efforts to address such issues as predators, prairie dogs, feral horses, and grazing management decisions. I have conducted >325 visits off-campus with >6,000 direct Extension contacts. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project has facilitated the development of cutting edge research on very difficult topics for western rangelands, including feral horse management, predator-livestock interactions, and drought. Specific accomplishments include the following: 1. Wehave developed the only GPS collar study of BLM feral horses in the western United States, that has a land-grant collaboration component,to date. This is a major accomplishment from this funding source and is opening up the possibility for other universities to develop similar projects. 2. We have linked vegetation monitoring with livestock production to better understand specific applications of targeted grazing. This is important for accomplishing vegetation management goals and for maintaining livestock production on federal lands. 3. We have developed specific livestock parasite information, for both sheep (keds) and cattle (horn flies), in high-elevation environments that was previously lacking. This is important as we address a changing climate which will influence parasite biology and livestock risk for parasitism in high-elevations that historically were buffered by colder temperatures. In addition, we have developed IPM strategies that can be used by producers, specifically the treatment of specific breeds and age classes relative to their risk of parasitism.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Scasta, J.D. Accepted 12/15/2019. Mortality and operational attributes relative to feral horse and burro capture techniques based on publicly available data from 2010-2019. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science JEVS-D-19-00069
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Smart, A., K. Harmoney, J.D. Scasta, M.B. Stephenson, J.D. Volesky, L.T. Vermeire, J. Mosely, K. Sedivec, M. Meehan, T. Haigh, J. Derner, and M. McClaran. Accepted 9/20/20109. Critical decision dates for drought management in central and northern Great Plains rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Reynolds, A. , D. Augustine, L. Porensky, H. Wilmer, T. Jorns, D. Briske, J.D. Scasta, M. Fernandez-Gimenez, CARM Stakeholder Group. In Press. Ecological sites: Can they be managed to promote livestock production?. Rangelands doi:10.1016/j.rala.2019.07.003
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D., T. Jorns!, J. Derner, S. Lake, D. Augustine, J. Windh, and T. Smith. In Press. Validation of DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples using cattle fed known rations. Animal Feed Science and Technology 255: ###-###. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2019.114219
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D., K.L. Koepke, and W. Stewart. 2019. Responses in vegetative selection and diet quality for dissimilar sheep breeds under targeted grazing of yellow sweetclover. Applied Animal Science 35(4): 441-453. doi: 0.15232/aas.2019-01844
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: C.M. Calkins!, J.D. Scasta, T. Smith, M.M. Stayton, and Scott L. Lake. In Press. Haematobia irritans parasitism of F1 yak � beef cattle (Bos grunniens � B. taurus) hybrids. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. doi:10.1111/mve.12382
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Gergeni, T.M.!, and J.D. Scasta. In Press. Are SSURGO organic matter estimates reliable for cold arid steppe? Implications for rangeland soil health. Arid Land Research and Management. doi:10.1080/15324982.2019.1573388
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Connell, L.C.!, L.M. Porensky, A.D. Chalfoun, and J.D. Scasta. 2019. Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) metapopulation response to conspecific signals from a novel source. Animal Behaviour. 150: 189-199. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.02.004
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2019. Why are humans so emotional about feral horses? A spatiotemporal review of the psycho-ecological evidence with global implications. Geoforum 103: 171-175. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.12.007
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Windh, J.L. !, J.D. Scasta, and B. Stam. 2019. Contemporary livestock-predator themes identified through a Wyoming, USA rancher survey. Rangelands 41(2): 94-101. doi:10.1016/j.rala.2018.11.007
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: J.D. Scasta, C.E. Estep!, T.T. Barrett!, C. Gray , J. Lautenbach!, L.A. Boggs-Lynch!, C.W. Ott!, J.L. Skovgard!, R.C. Wilbur!, and L. Hoffer. B-1351 Burning irrigation ditches. University of Wyoming Bulletin.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: L. Connell!, R. Wilbur!, L. Porensky, and J.D. Scasta. B-1346 Prairie dog ecology and management in Wyoming. University of Wyoming Bulletin.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D., D. Mount, B. Hauptman, and T. Jorns!. 2019. B-1343 Beef cow size: industry trends, economics, and implications for grazing Wyoming rangelands. University of Wyoming Extension Bulletin. http://www.wyoextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B-1343_beef-cow-size_web.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Marah, B.D. !, and J.D. Scasta. 2019. Fire then and Now: A look at wildland fire in North America in the 21st century  Publication 2019-1. Southern Rockies Fire Science Network. Publication 2019-1.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2019. Free-roaming equids and human emotions: merging ecology and psychology. The Wildlife Society & American Fisheries Society Joint Annual Conference. Reno, NV.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D., J.D. Hennig!, J.L. Beck, S.E.R. Leverkus, S.D. Fuhlendorf, M. Geertsema, B.W. Allred, M. Gregory, A.R. Bevington, and D.M. Engle. 2019. North American horse spatial ecology: GPS tracking insights from desert to boreal. International Wild Equid Conference. Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2019. Equids and humans: a historical examination of global psycho-ecology influencing emotions. International Wild Equid Conference. Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2019. State-wide assessment of cattle diets using fecal DNA metabarcoding technology. (J.D. Scasta, B. Stam, T. Jorns!, and J. Derner), IN REVIEW.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2019. Comparing feral horse management in the US to Australia and New Zealand. (J.D. Scasta), IN REVIEW.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2019. Deployment of GPS collars on Wyoming beef cattle: ranch-scale demonstrations. (J.D. Scasta, B. Stam, J. Hennig!, J. Beck, and D. Christianson), IN REVIEW.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2019. Comparing cattle nutritional plane to forage quality to determine mineral intake and deficiencies. (B. Horn and J.D. Scasta), IN REVIEW.


Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The ranching community, NGOs, energy, local, state, and federal agencies. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participation in the 7th National Grazing Lands Conference (NV), International Feral Conference (NZ), Fire Continuum Conference (MT), International Association of Vegetation Scientists (MT), etc. with 6 additional abstracts submitted for the 2019 SRM meeting in MN. I have also participated in 2 multi-state working groups including Rangelands Partnership Multi-State Working Group for Extension Range Specialists and Ag Librarians (WERA 1008), and Wild Horse & Burro Management MultiState Working Group (W507). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I gave 20 total invited Extension lectures and presentations; 68 total Extension meetings/field visits off-campus. 4 extension guides published including B-1320 and B-1288.3 (UW Extension), E-1048 (Multi-state effort), and GPE 2017-5 (Great Plains Fire Science Exchange); 5 UW AES Field Day Bulletins published. ? Media coverage in Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), Western Farmer-Stockman, Rangelands Partnership Newsletter, Wyoming Livestock Roundup, Cody Enterprise, Western Confluence, and University of Wyoming News. I also coordinated/assisted the Patch-Burn Grazing Workshop (July) and the Thunder Basin Field Day (August). Regarding the Thunder Basin Field Day: In cooperation with USDA ARS, TBGPEA, NRCS, and private ranching and energy partners, we hosted a field day in August with presentations and field tours presenting applied projects addressing grazing management, plant ecology and succession, habitat, drought management, and wildlife. A total of 60 people attended the field day and positive change was noted from a retrospective survey in multiple subject matter areas. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue to summarize and publish findings in peer-reviewed journals, Extension bulletins, conference abstracts, etc. I will also continue to assist with field days and seminars across the state.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I continued to work with private ranches on how to use new technology to understand cattle use of the environment, how fire influences sagebrush in Thunder Basin, and how feral horses compete with wildlife in the Red Desert. I have also been invited to give a number of important key note presentations about feral horses and livestock production across the western United States. Our feral horse research seems to be improving the ability of other researchers to use GPS collars on feral horses and has also demonstrated problems with horse census techniques. I made 67 off-campus visits and had 1,327 direct contacts with stakeholders. This past year I had 9 peer-reviewed journal articles (accepted or published) in the following journals: Animal Production Science, Ecosphere, Environmental Communication, Human-Wildlife Interactions (3), Rangeland Ecology and Management (2), and Rangelands. My career publication total (published and in-press) = 41 journal articles, Google Scholar citation count = 280, h-index = 10, i10-index = 12, Research Gate Score = 25.16.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., and B.M. Feuz. 2018. Post-wildfire shrub dynamics and ecological site controls in a sagebrush steppe: successional shift or enhanced visibility?. Arid Land Research and Management 32(2): 229-235. doi:10.1080/15324982.2017.135021
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Overbeck, G., J.D. Scasta, F. Furquim!, I. Boldrini, and J. Weir. 2018. The South Brazilian grasslands  a South American Tallgrass Prairie? Parallels and implications of fire dependency. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 16: 24-30. doi:10.1016/j.pecon.2017.11.002
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Leverkus, S.E.R, S.D. Fuhlendorf, M. Geertsema, B.W. Allred, M. Gregory, A.R. Bevington, D.M. Engle, and J.D. Scasta. 2018. Resource selection of free-ranging horses influenced by fire in northern Canada. HumanWildlife Interactions 12(1): 85-101.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hennig, J.D. !, J.D. Scasta, and J.L. Beck. 2018. Spatial ecology observations from feral horses equipped with global positioning system transmitters. Human-Wildlife Interactions 12(1): 75-84.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., J.D. Hennig!, and J.L. Beck. 2018. Framing contemporary U.S. wild horse and burro management processes in a dynamic ecological, sociological, and political environment. Human-Wildlife Interactions 12(1): 31-45.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., K.J. Welter , and C. Friday!. 2018. Common values and themes for grazed open spaces: Plant diversity and watershed as communication intersections for agriculture and conservation groups? Environmental Communication doi:10.1080/17524032.2018.1457066
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., J.L. Windh , and B. Stam. 2018. Modeling large carnivore and ranch attribute effects on livestock predation and non-lethal losses. Rangeland Ecology and Management 71(6): 815-826. doi:10.1016/j.rama.2018.04.009
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Connell, L.C.!, J.D. Scasta, and L.M. Porensky. 2018. Prairie dogs and wildfires shape vegetation structure in a sagebrush grassland more than does rest from ungulate grazing. Ecosphere 9(8): e02390. doi:10.1002/ecs2.2390
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Connell, L.C. !, L.M. Porensky, and J.D. Scasta. 2018 . Prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) influence on forage quantity and quality in a grazed grassland-shrubland ecotone. Rangeland Ecology and Management
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., and T. Smith. 2018. Commingled black and white cows (Bos taurus; Angus and Charolais) in high-elevation rangeland are differentially parasitized by Haematobia irritans. Animal Production Scienc
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Windh, J.L. !, J.D. Scasta, and B. Stam. 2018. Contemporary livestock-predator themes identified through a Wyoming, USA rancher survey. Rangelands
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2018. Post-grazing vegetation structure and ground surface temperature responses to grazing intensity in a rangeland soil health experiment in a Wyoming mixed-grass prairie. (T. Gergeni! and J.D. Scasta), pp. 96-97
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2018. Predation and survival of mock sage-grouse nests in Carbon County. (J.D. Scasta and A. Perry), pp. 50-51
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2018. Wildfire effects on density and volume of sagebrush and rabbitbrush in a high-elevation rangeland. (J.D. Scasta and B. Feuz), pp. 48-49.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2018. Pronghorn antelope shortterm response to a dormant-season wildfire in a high-elevation steppe rangeland. (J.D. Scasta), pp. 28-29.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: University of Wyoming, Agriculture Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2018. Canopy and soil-surface fire temperatures during small-plot burns in a saline-greasewood ecological site. (J.D. Scasta), pp. 30-31.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scasta, J.D., L. Connell!, L. Poresnky. 2018. Vegetation structure and shrub dynamics relative to fire, prairie dogs, and large ungulates in a hierarchical exclusion experiment in northeast Wyoming, USA. International Association of Vegetation Scientists  Annual Meeting. Bozeman, MT.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Furqhim, F.F.!, J.D. Scasta, G.E. Overbeck. 2018. Ecotourism and botanical conservation: a case study of regionally endemic cushion plants in exposed calcareous outcroppings in Park County, Wyoming, USA. International Association of Vegetation Scientists  Annual Meeting. Bozeman, MT.


Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Ranchers, state agencies (such as Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers, and Wyoming Department of Agriculture), federal agencies (such as Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, etc.), NGO's (such as The Nature Conservancy, Guardians of the Range, etc.), and Extension educators. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?My project has provided many one on one training opportunities for ranchers and federal agencies. This has included many field visits and on-site consulting. I also regularly consult by phone, email, and in person with Extension educators as they deal with questions/needs from clientele. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I served as a co-coordinator for the National Wild Horse and Burro Summit in Salt Lake City, UT and presented on the socio-ecology of wild horses. Then my Ph.D. student presented on his spatial data quantifying wild horse movements in the Red Desert of Wyoming. This meeting had more than 150 stakeholders present. I also provided 20 presentations for Extension audiences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I am developing state-wide efforts to quantify cattle diets using new technology with ranchers and Extension educators, seeking funding for a state-level rangeland management Extension conference, and anticipate that results from several projects will be completed and published.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I wrapped up a livestock-predator study which is a pervasive challenge for Wyoming livestock production (Goal #1). I conducted two prescribed fires in Wyoming and two in Colorado with University and federal partners (Goal #2). I am working with USDA ARS to finish a project assessing how grazing management affects diet quality and composition of yearling cattle (Goal #3) with the summer of 2017 serving as the final field season. I completed year 2 in a study of horn fly dynamics on commingled cattle (Goal #4) that I anticipate resulting in a peer-reviewed manuscript this next year. This year we continued to expand our wild horse research project (Goal #5) by placing GPS collars on more mares in the Red Desert and collecting soils and vegetation data relative to their distributions.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Scasta, J.D., J.L. Talley, D.M. Engle, and D.M. Debinski. 2017. Climate extremes, vegetation change, and de-coupling of interactive fire-grazing processes exacerbate fly parasitism of cattle. Environmental Entomology 46(2): 191-200. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvw171
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Weir, J.R., and J.D. Scasta. 2017. Vegetation responses to season of fire in tallgrass prairie: a 13-year case study. Fire Ecology 13(2): 137-142. doi:10.4996/fireecology.130290241
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Kane, K., D.M. Debinski, C. Anderson, J.D. Scasta, D.M. Engle, and J.R. Miller. 2017. Using regional climate projections to guide grassland community restoration in the face of climate change. Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 730. doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.00730
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Derner, J., D. Briske, M. Reeves, T. Brown-Brandl, M. Meehan, D. Blumenthal, W. Travis, D. Augustine, H. Wilmer, J.D. Scasta, J. Hendrickson, J. Volesky, L. Edwards, and D. Peck. 2017. Vulnerability of grazing and confined livestock in the Northern Great Plains to projected mid- and late- 21st century climate. Climatic Change 146(1-2): 19-32. doi:10.1007/s10584-017-2029-6
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2017. Seasonal forage dynamics of three grasses with different origins and photosynthetic pathways in a rural North American cold steppe. Livestock Research for Rural Development 29(11): Article 209.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Scasta, J.D., B. Stam, and J.L. Windh . 2017. Rancher-reported efficacy of lethal and non-lethal livestock predation mitigation strategies for a suite of carnivores. Scientific Reports doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14462-1
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Correll, L.L. !, R.M. Burton , J.D. Scasta, and J.L. Beck. 2017. B-1295. Landowner guide to sage-grouse conservation in Wyoming: a practical guide for land owners and managers. University of Wyoming Extension Bulletin.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Scasta, J.D., and B.M. Feuz. 2017. 2017. Post-wildfire shrub dynamics and ecological site controls in a sagebrush steppe: successional shift or enhanced visibility?. Arid Land Research and Management doi:10.1080/15324982.2017.1350212
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Overbeck, G., J.D. Scasta, F. Furquim!, I. Boldrini, and J. Weir. 2018. The South Brazilian grasslands  a South American Tallgrass Prairie? Parallels and implications of fire dependency. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 16: 24-30. 10.1016/j.pecon.2017.11.002


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:To include, but not limited to: ranchers, local agency employees, state agency employees, federal agency employees, special interest groups, Extension educators, elected officials, and graduate students. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I have assisted with Extension trainings for ranchers, agency personell, Extension Educators, elected officials, etc. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations 2016 Universidade Federale Rio Grande do Sul, Seminar for the BioSciences. Ecology, management, and conservation of North American rangelands. Porto Alegre, Brazil. (45 participants) 2016 University of Wyoming Extension New Employee Training. Effective evaluation strategies. Laramie, WY. (8 participants). 2016 Northeast Wyoming Range Livestock Symposium. Sustainable cattle and sheep production research: nutrition, parasites, and plant selection. Sundance, WY. (31 participants) 2016 Northeast Wyoming Range Livestock Symposium. Drought management strategies for the ranch. Sundance, WY. (31 participants) 2016 Albany County Cattle Parasite Management Workshop. IPM for livestock parasites on Wyoming rangelands. Laramie, WY. (13 participants) 2016 Albany County Cattle Parasite Management Workshop. Horn flies on range cattle. Laramie, WY. (13 participants) 2016 Carbon County Stock Growers Annual Conference. Beef industry trends and rangeland grazing efficiency. Saratoga, WY. (37 participants) 2016 Converse County Women in Range Conference. Nutritional value of drought affected rangeland. Eastern Wyoming College. Douglas, WY. (7 participants) 2016 Southern Wyoming Beef Cow Symposium. IPM for rangeland livestock parasites. Torrington, WY. (10 participants). 2016 Sublette County Range-Wildlife Conference. Wildlife-livestock dietary and spatial overlap research. Pinedale, WY. (40 participants) 2016 University of Wyoming Extension Wildlife Training. Wild horse diet composition and conflict with wildlife and livestock. (12 participants) 2016 USDA Colorado NRCS Range and Soils Staff Webinar. Fire effects on soil health. (34 participants) 2016 Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board Summer Meeting. Update on livestock-predator survey. Douglas, WY. (15 participants) 2016 Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days. Wild horse conflicts with wildlife and livestock. (18 participants) 2016 Great Plains Fire Science Exchange Webinar. Fire and parasites: implications for animal and human ecology and strategic management. (11 participants) 2016 Wind River Reservation Winter Livestock Series. Matching livestock needs with rangeland resources. (7 participants) 2016 Bureau of Land Management - Rawlins FO, Rocksprings FO, and State Horse Lead Meting. Update on proposed wild horse spatial ecology and rangeland resource selection research. Rawlins, WY. (9 participants) 2016 Bureau of Land Management - Rawlins Field Office Requested Range-Wildlife Training. Wild horse conflicts with livestock and wildlife. Rawlins, WY. (12 participants) 2016 X International Rangeland Congress. Evolving deployment of Extension resources for rangelands in Wyoming: moving from county generalist to regional specialist. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (60 participants) 2016 X International Rangeland Congress. Multi-decadal cow size changes and rangeland grazing: a cryptic trend altering plant-animal interaction ecology and impacts for grazing decisions. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (150 participants) 2016 Society for Range Management Annual Conference. Cow-size and herd efficiency relative to weather variability on Wyoming rangeland. Corpus Christi, TX. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I am continuing efforts to start our feral horse research project. We are continuing the grazing management projects. I will also continue to engage with stakeholders via my Extension appointment.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: We are close to starting research on feral horses in the Adobe Town HMA. We have also continued to work with Extension Educators on a state-wide rangeland monitoring effort. Goal 2: Presentations have been given and several of the published papers are relevant to the topic of both drought and fire in Wyoming and the western US. Goal 3: Through coordination with USDA ARS we are working on how grazing management affects animal behavior, nutrition, and diet composition. Work has been presented at the American Society for Animal Science meeting and published in the Journal of Animal Science as a proceedings supplement. Goal 4: We published a paper on sheep keds in Livestock Science and are continuing to collect data on horn flies relative to breeds. Goal 5: As mentioned, work on feral horses in southern Wyoming pending.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scasta, J. D., Lalman, D. L., & Henderson, L. (2016). Drought Mitigation for Grazing Operations: Matching the Animal to the Environment. Rangelands, 38(4), 204-210.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scasta, J. D., Beck, J. L., & Angwin, C. J. (2016). Meta-Analysis of Diet Composition and Potential Conflict of Wild Horses with Livestock and Wild Ungulates on Western Rangelands of North America. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 69, 310-318.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scasta, J. D., & Koepke, K. (2016). Host-parasite ecology of keds (Melophagus ovinus (L.)) relative to sheep breed and age on Wyoming rangeland. Livestock Science, 189, 17-22.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scasta, J. D., Duchardt, C., Engle, D. M., Miller, J. R., Debinski, D. M., & Harr, R. N. (2016). Constraints to restoring fire and grazing ecological processes to optimize grassland vegetation structural diversity. Ecological Engineering, 95, 865-875.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scasta, John Derek, John R. Weir, & Michael C. Stambaugh. 2016. Droughts and Wildfires in Western US Rangelands. Rangelands 38, 197-203.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Kelley, W. K., Scasta, J. D., & Derner, J. D. (2016). Advancing Knowledge for Proactive Drought Planning and Enhancing Adaptive Management for Drought on Rangelands: Introduction to a Special Issue. Rangelands, 38(4), 159-161.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Plechaty, T. R., Scasta, J. D., & Derner, J. D. (2016). 0011 Does adaptive grazing management influence dietary quality of yearlings during the grazing season on western Great Plains rangelands?. Journal of Animal Science, 94(supplement5), 5-5.


Progress 06/24/15 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Rangeland managers, ranch owners, and employees of state and federal agencies. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I have provided numerous presentations to Extension educators, ranchers, and agency employees this year as well as conducting field visits across the state to address many, if not all, of these issues. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through a blog,http://wyoextension.org/rangelands4u/, articles in the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, Extension products, and presentations across the state which included 71 off-campus visits. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Further development of empirical research addressing each of the goals.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Relative to Goal 1: I have worked closely with Extension educators in 2015 to develop baseline rangeland vegetation monitoring demonstrations at six locations. Relative to Goals 2 and 4:I developed baseline data on cattle production relative to cow size for one of the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and the effects of drought on cattle at two of the Agricultural Experiment Stations. Relative to Goal 3: I published apeer-reviewed paper on parasites and diseases of livestock and wildlife. Relative to Goal 5: Ideveloped an Extension bulletin that addresses fire patterns and issues in the state. Relative to Goal 6: I have acquired funding to support wild horse research and am working on an in-kind donation for three additional horse GPS collars. I anticipate hiring a graduate student to work on wild horses very soon.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2015. B-1271 Wildland fire in Wyoming: patterns, influences, and effects. University of Wyoming Extension Bulletin.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2015. Matching cow size to Wyoming rangeland conditions, p. 37-38. University of Wyoming.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Field Day Bulletin. 2015. Effects of drought on cow-calf production at UW research stations from 2011-2014, p.83-84. University of Wyoming.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Scasta, J.D., L. Henderson!, and T. Smith. 2015. Drought effect on weaning weight and efficiency relative to cow size in semi-arid rangeland. Journal of Animal Science 93(12):5829-5839. doi:10.2527/jas2015-9172
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Scasta, J.D., J.L. Windh , T. Smith, and B. Baumgartner. 2015. Drought consequences for cow-calf production in Wyoming: 2011-2014. Rangelands 37(5):171-177. doi:10.1016/j.rala.2015.07.001
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Scasta, J.D. 2015. Livestock parasite management on high-elevation rangelands: ecological interactions of climate, habitat, and wildlife. Journal of Integrated Pest Management 6(1):1-12. doi:10.1093/jipm/pmv008