RANGELAND ECONOMICS, ECOLOGY, AND SUSTAINABILITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use,

GRAZING ON PUBLIC LANDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

A panel of professionals from the ranching, environmental, agency, and university communities was assembled to examine trends relating to the future of grazing on federal lands. Five factors were identified that were thought to influence the use of grazed forages over the next 20 years. These factors were (1) multiple uses of public land, (2) public sentiment towards grazing on public lands, (3) environmental and federal agency regulations, (4) permittee issues, and (5) use of science and technology for managing public land grazing. A list of issues associated with each of the five factors was concurrently developed. The panel of experts was surveyed to explore the future direction each issue would take and the influence each issue may exert on grazing on public lands. All four groups were fairly consistent on the way they viewed the future of grazing on public lands. The most likely scenario includes (1) a significant increase in the demand for multiple uses on public lands, (2) a continued public sentiment against grazing on public lands, (3) and increase in the regulations, and their enforcement, that will negatively impact livestock grazing on the majority of allotments, (4) a continued demand or slight decline in rancher demand for grazing on public lands, and (5) a significant increase in the use of science and technology for managing public land grazing.Land Economics/Use,

THE LACK OF A PROFIT MOTIVE FOR RANCHING: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY ANALYSIS

The economic impact of changing land-use policies has traditionally been estimated using the standard economic model of profit maximization. Ranchers are assumed to maximize profit and to adjust production strategies so as to continue maximizing profit with altered policies. Yet, nearly 30 years of research and observation have shown that family, tradition, and the desirable way of life are the most important factors in the ranch purchase decision - not profit. Ranch buyers want an investment they can touch, feel, and enjoy, and they historically have been willing to accept relatively low returns from the livestock production. Profit maximization appears to be an inadequate model for explaining rancher behavior, describing grazing land use, and estimating the impacts of altered public land policies. In this paper, we investigate the relative importance of livestock production income and desirable lifestyle attributes in determining the market value of western ranches, and we explore what this means for economic models and policy analysis.Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Income Earning Potential versus Consumptive Amenities in Determining Ranchland Values

The relative importance of income earning potential versus consumptive values in setting ranchland prices is examined using a truncated hedonic model. The market value of New Mexico ranches is related to annual income earning potential and other ranch characteristics including ranch size, location, elevation, terrain, and the amount of deeded, public, and state trust land on the ranch. We found ranch income to be a statistically important determinant of land value, but yet a relatively small percentage of ranch value was explained by income earnings. Ranch location, scenic view, and the desirable lifestyle influenced ranch value more than ranch income.consumptive value, grazing fees, grazing permit value, hedonic model, land value, lifestyle agriculture, public land grazing, voluntary grazing permit buyout, Land Economics/Use,

AN EVALUATION OF THE PRIA GRAZING FEE FORMULA

The federal grazing fee is currently set using the Public Rangeland Improvement Act (PRIA) fee formula established in 1978 and modified in 1986. The formula is adjusted annually using indices of private land grazing lease rates (Forage Value Index, FVI), prices received for beef cattle (Beef Cattle Price Index, BCPI), and costs of beef production (Prices Paid Index, PPI). The FVI tracks price movement in the private forage market and was the only index originally proposed to be included in the fee formula. Public land ranchers and an Interdepartmental Grazing Fee Technical Committee assigned to study grazing fee alternatives in the 1960s questioned the ability of the FVI to account for short-term demand, supply, and price equilibrium, and, for this reason, the BCPI and PPI were added to the fee formula. Over 30 years of data are now available to evaluate whether adding the BCPI and PPI did, in fact, help explain short-term market fluctuations. This analysis shows, as earlier studies did, that, if tracking the private forage market is the primary objective, then the fee formula should have included only the FVI. Including the BCPI and, especially, the PPI has caused calculated grazing fees to fall further and further behind private land lease rates. Had the $1.23 base fee in the PRIA formula been indexed by only the FVI, the federal grazing fee would have been$3.84/AUM instead of $1.35/AUM in 2000. It is time to consider the feasibility of a competitive bid system for public lands, or, at the very least, adopt a new fee formula that generates more equitable grazing fees.Land Economics/Use,

A typology of fisheries management tools: using experience to catalyse greater success

Fisheries provide nutrition and livelihoods for coastal populations, but many fisheries are fully or over-exploited and we lack an approach for analysing which factors affect management tool performance. We conducted a literature review of 390 studies to assess how fisheries characteristics affected management tool performance across both small-scale and large-scale fisheries. We defined success as increased or maintained abundance or biomass, reductions in fishing mortality or improvements in population status. Because the literature only covered a narrow set of biological factors, we also conducted an expert elicitation to create a typology of broader fishery characteristics, enabling conditions and design considerations that affect performance. The literature suggested that the most commonly used management tool in a region was often the most successful, although the scale of success varied. Management tools were more often deemed successful when used in combination, particularly pairings of tools that controlled fishing mortality or effort with spatial management. Examples of successful combinations were the use of catch limits with quotas and limited entry, and marine protected areas with effort restrictions. The most common factors associated with inadequate biological performance were ‘structural’ issues, including poor design or implementation. The expert-derived typologies revealed strong local leadership, high community involvement and governance capacity as common factors of success across management tool categories (i.e. input, output and technical measures), but the degree of importance varied. Our results are designed to inform selection of appropriate management tools based on empirical data and experience to increase the likelihood of successful fisheries management.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Reshaping Curriculum to Enhance the Relevance of Literary Competence in Children's Education06

Twenty-first century learners face a multi-literacy landscape as they strive to acquire the cognitive skills needed for independent learning, apply linguistic skills to other knowledge base, and become computer literate. This article envisions a combination of skill sets and knowledge bases as the foundation of a literary competence-based curriculum. Such a curriculum would have the goal of enhancing young learners"critical thinking abilities; this would also help them take charge of the cognitive,linguistic, and sociocultural dimensions of written and spoken language in order to make learning transferable and applicable to the real world

Prevalence of tuberculous lesion in cattle slaughtered in Mubende district, Uganda

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of gross pathology suggestive of bovine tuberculosis (TB-like lesions) and evaluate animal’s characteristics associated with the risk of having bovine TB-like lesions among cattle slaughtered in Mubende district in the Uganda cattle corridor. METHOD: We conducted a cross sectional study in which 1,576 slaughtered cattle in Mubende district municipal abattoir underwent post-mortem inspection between August 2013 and January 2014. The presence of bovine TB-like lesions in addition to the animal’s sex, age, breed, and sub-county of origin prior to slaughter were recorded. Associations between the presence of bovine TB-like lesions and animal’s age, sex, breed, and sub-county of origin prior to slaughter were initially analysed using a univariable approach with the chi-square test, and subsequently with a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the combined impact of these animal characteristics with the risk of having a bovine TB-like lesion. Additionally, and as a secondary objective, tissue samples were collected from all carcases that had a bovine TB-like lesion and were processed using standard Mycobacterium culture and identification methods. The culture and acid fast positive samples were tested using Capilia TB-neo® assay to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). RESULTS: Of 1,576 carcasses inspected, 9.7% (153/1,576) had bovine TB-like lesions from which Mycobacterium spp and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex (MTC) were isolated in 13 (8.4%) and 12 (7.8%) respectively. Bovine TB-like lesions were more likely to be found in females (OR = 1.49, OR 95% CI: 1.06–2.13) and in older cattle (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.64–3.7). When compared to Ankole cattle, Cross breed (OR = 6.5, OR 95% CI: 3.37–12.7) and Zebu cattle (OR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.78–3.72) had higher odds of having bovine TB-like lesions. Animals from Kasanda (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.52–4.17) were more likely to have bovine TB-like lesions than cattle from Kasambya. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of study reveals that approximately one in ten slaughtered cattle presents with gross pathology suggestive of bovine TB in Mubende district in the Uganda cattle corridor district, however, we isolated MTC in only 8.4% of these bovine TB-like lesions. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cause of all the other bovine TB-like lesions in order to safe guard diagnostic integrity of meat inspection in Uganda

Measurement of vertebral rotation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with low-dose CT in prone position - method description and reliability analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To our knowledge there is no report in the literature on measurements of vertebral rotation with low-dose computed tomography (CT) in prone position.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>To describe and test the reliability of this new method, compare it with other methods in use and evaluate the influence of body position on the degree of vertebral rotation measured by different radiological methods.</p> <p>Study design</p> <p>Retrospective study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>25 consecutive patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis scheduled for surgery (17 girls, 8 boys) aged 15 ± 2 years (mean ± SD) were included in the analysis of this study. The degree of the vertebral rotation was in all patients measured according to the method of Perdriolle on standing plain radiographs and on supine CT scanogram, and according to the method of Aaro and Dahlborn on axial CT images in prone position and on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in supine position. The measurements were done by one neuroradiologist at two different occasions. Bland and Altman statistical approach was used in the reliability assessment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The reliability of measuring vertebral rotation by axial CT images in prone position was almost perfect with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.95, a random error of the intraobserver differences of 2.3°, a repeatability coefficient of 3.2° and a coefficient of variation of 18.4%. Corresponding values for measurements on CT scanogram were 0.83, 5.1°, 7.2°, and 32.8%, respectively, indicating lower reliability of the latter modality and method. The degree of vertebral rotation measured on standing plain radiographs, prone CT scanogram, axial images on CT in prone position and on MRI in supine position were 25.7 ± 9.8°, 21.9 ± 8.3°, 17.4 ± 7.1°, and 16.1 ± 6.5°, respectively. The vertebral rotation measured on axial CT images in prone position was in average 7.5% larger than that measured on axial MRI in supine position.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study has shown that measurements of vertebral rotation in prone position were more reliable on axial CT images than on CT scanogram. The measurement of vertebral rotation on CT (corrected to the pelvic tilt) in prone position imposes lower impact of the recumbent position on the vertebral rotation than did MRI in supine position. However, the magnitude of differences is of doubtful clinical significance.</p