Grazinglands Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, El Reno, Oklahoma and Bushland, Texas.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014 Nov;1328:10-7. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12572.
Ruminant livestock provides meat and dairy products that sustain health and livelihood for much of the world's population. Grazing lands that support ruminant livestock provide numerous ecosystem services, including provision of food, water, and genetic resources; climate and water regulation; support of soil formation; nutrient cycling; and cultural services. In the U.S. southern Great Plains, beef production on pastures, rangelands, and hay is a major economic activity. The region's climate is characterized by extremes of heat and cold and extremes of drought and flooding. Grazing lands occupy a large portion of the region's land, significantly affecting carbon, nitrogen, and water budgets. To understand vulnerabilities and enhance resilience of beef production, a multi-institutional Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), the "grazing CAP," was established. Integrative research and extension spanning biophysical, socioeconomic, and agricultural disciplines address management effects on productivity and environmental footprints of production systems. Knowledge and tools being developed will allow farmers and ranchers to evaluate risks and increase resilience to dynamic conditions. The knowledge and tools developed will also have relevance to grazing lands in semiarid and subhumid regions of the world.
反刍家畜为世界上许多人的健康和生计提供了肉类和奶制品。支持反刍家畜的放牧地提供了许多生态系统服务，包括提供食物、水和遗传资源；调节气候和水；支持土壤形成；养分循环；以及文化服务。在美国南部大平原，牧场、牧地和干草上的牛肉生产是一项主要的经济活动。该地区的气候特点是极端的冷热和极端的干旱和洪水。放牧地占据了该地区很大一部分土地，这对碳、氮和水的预算有重大影响。为了了解牛肉生产的脆弱性并增强其恢复力，一个多机构的协调农业项目（CAP），即“放牧 CAP”，成立了。涵盖生物物理、社会经济和农业学科的综合研究和推广，解决了管理对生产系统生产力和环境足迹的影响。正在开发的知识和工具将使农民和牧场主能够评估风险，并提高对动态条件的恢复力。所开发的知识和工具也将与世界上半干旱和亚湿润地区的放牧地有关。
