EC64-161 Common Range Plants in Nebraska

Extension Circular 64-161 This circular is about range plants in Nebraska. It describes their importance as well as some of the common range plants found in the state

Factors Affecting the Chemical Composition of Range Forage Plants on the Edwards Plateau.

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From Shared Governance to Shared Leadership: Our COVID Response to Faculty Evaluation, Support, and Advancement

As a state comprehensive university in a small, midwestern metropolitan area, “Students First” is more than a slogan. The preamble to our Faculty Constitution and our University’s mission statement both specify that students and their flourishing are the justification for our institution’s existence. We have learned, however, that a precondition to robust attention to students’ well-being is parallel attention to the well-being and development of our faculty. This article chronicles the principles and practices by which our shared leadership team responded to unique challenges presented by the COVID crisis and its ripple effects. A closing theme acknowledges that COVID revealed latent, pre-existing gaps in our care for faculty and students as well as introducing new and temporary challenges, and that some of our resulting solutions may require institutionalization as permanent fixtures

Synthesis Paper: Targeted Livestock Grazing: Prescription for Healthy Rangelands

Targeted livestock grazing is a proven tool for manipulating rangeland vegetation, and current knowledge about targeted livestock grazing is extensive and expanding rapidly. Targeted grazing prescriptions optimize the timing, frequency, intensity, and selectivity of grazing (or browsing) in combinations that purposely exert grazing/browsing pressure on specific plant species or portions of the landscape. Targeted grazing differs from traditional grazing management in that the goal of targeted grazing is to apply defoliation or trampling to achieve specific vegetation management objectives, whereas the goal of traditional livestock grazing management is generally the production of livestock commodities. A shared aim of targeted livestock grazing and traditional grazing management is to sustain healthy soils, flora, fauna, and water resources that, in turn, can sustain natural ecological processes (e.g., nutrient cycle, water cycle, energy flow). Targeted grazing prescriptions integrate knowledge of plant ecology, livestock nutrition, and livestock foraging behavior. Livestock can be focused on target areas through fencing, herding, or supplement placement. Although practices can be developed to minimize the impact of toxins contained in target plants, the welfare of the animals used in targeted grazing must be a priority. Monitoring is needed to determine if targeted grazing is successful and to refine techniques to improve efficacy and efficiency. Examples of previous research studies and approaches are presented to highlight the ecological benefits that can be achieved when targeted grazing is applied properly. These cases include ways to suppress invasive plants and ways to enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Future research should address the potential to select more adapted and effective livestock for targeted grazing and the associated animal welfare concerns with this practice. Targeted livestock grazing provides land managers a viable alternative to mechanical, chemical, and prescribed fire treatments to manipulate rangeland vegetation

EC67-170 Nebraska Range and Pasture Grasses

Extension Circular 67-170: Nebraska Range and Pasture Grasses; Nebraska Range sites, parts of a grass plant, key to grass tribes, fescue tribe, barley tribe, oat tribe, redtop tribe, grama tripe, canary grass tribe, millet tribe, bluestem tribe, references on Nebraska grasses, and an index to common names of grasses

EC63-156 Water for Range Livestock

Extension Circular 63-156: This circular is about the water range for livestock. It includes information on planning stockwater development, obtaining good livestock distribution, range livestock, water requirements, water quality, natural water supplies, man-made stockwater supplies, and more

EC68-131 Nebraska Handbook of Range Management

Extension circular 68-131 contains the Nebraska handbook of range management

EC68-161 Common Range Plants in Nebraska

Extension Circular 68-161 discusses Common Range Plants in Nebraska

Common Range Plants in Nebraska

This is a master list of the common range plants in Nebraska. It is divided into two sections, Important Nebraska Range Plants and Common Range Plants of Secondary Importance. The first section, Important Nebraska Range Plants , includes those plants upon which management of Nebraska grasslands should be based. Some of these plants are palatable and productive, others are unpalatable and unproductive. However, from the presence, absence, or abundance of all plants in this group in a particular range it is possible to evaluate past use, determine range condition, and measure effectiveness of grazing and management programs. The second section, Common Range Plants of Secondary Importance , includes plants frequently seen in Nebraska grasslands but which are less important indicators of management and producers of forage. Because the practical management of a ranch requires a knowledge of only the first group of plants, educational programs in range management should emphasize recognition and evaluation of this group. Some range plant species respond differently to grazing on different range sites or in different precipitation zones. For example, little bluestem is a decreaser in the 15 to 19-inch precipitation zone but an increaser in the 20 to 24-inch precipitation zone. Prairie sandreed increases under heavy grazing on most range sites but decreases on thin loess and shallow range sites. Western wheatgrass is an increaser except on sand and clay sites in the 15 to 19-inch precipitation zone where it is a decreaser