Rangelands
Rangelands support multiple ecosystem services including grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed health and recreational opportunities. Livestock grazing is the most common economic use of rangelands, and also the principal management tool. Maintaining forage production and soil health is key to meeting ecological and economic objectives under changing climate conditions, and will be essential for sustaining livestock grazing in the future. Conservative stocking rates, varied season of grazing, optimizing herd size and composition, identifying reserve forage, strategic distribution of water, proactive vegetation and soil management and changes in enterprise structure are examples of sustainable rangeland management practices that can help livestock producers adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. More information on these practices is contained in the resources below.
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Southwestern Drought Seen in Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Program
To help farmers cope with drought, programs like the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance program managed by…
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Adaptive Grazing Management for Resilient Northwest Rangelands
Adaptive Grazing Management is a flexible process that can help rangeland producers adjust to challenges associated…
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Climate Change and Wildfire in Northwest Rangelands
The risk of large, frequent, and severe rangeland wildfires is increasing as warming temperatures and invasive annual…
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Checking On The Cows From Your Phone - Technologies for Precision Ranching
Precision ranching involves the use of technologies such as smart-sensors to allow for automated monitoring or task…
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NIFA Awards $4.5 Million to Northern Plains Climate Hub and Outreach Partners for Native Climate, Climate-Smart Agriculture, and Insurable Weather
Supporting climate adaptation in Native communities, The Prairie Hub Project: Promoting climate-smart agricultural…
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Virtual Fencing as a Climate Adaptation Strategy
Virtual fencing allows ranchers to move livestock without physical fences and could be an effective climate adaptation…
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Grazing Lands in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
A summary of grazing lands and the effects of climate change in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
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Virtual Fencing: A Climate Adaptation Strategy
Virtual fencing allows ranchers to move livestock without physical fences and could be an effective climate adaptation…
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If you have cattle, you should check out Grass-Cast
The weather can be crazy in the great plains and with the changing climate, it just keeps getting crazier. For farmers…