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Data from USDA ARS Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) near Nunn, CO: Cattle weight gains managed with light, moderate and heavy grazing intensities

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posted on 2024-02-20, 21:25 authored by Justin D Derner, Mary Ashby, David J. Augustine, Melissa Johnston, Tamarah (Tami) Jorns, Matt Mortenson, Jake Thomas, Jeff Thomas
<p>The USDA-Agricultural Research Service Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) is a Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network site located ~20 km northeast of Nunn, in north-central Colorado, USA. In 1939, scientists established the Long-term Grazing Intensity study (LTGI) with four replications of light, moderate, and heavy grazing. Each replication had three 129.5 ha pastures with the grazing intensity treatment randomly assigned. Today, one replication remains. Light grazing occurs in pasture 23W (9.3 Animal Unit Days (AUD)/ha, targeted for 20% utilization of peak growing-season biomass), moderate grazing in pasture 15E (12.5 AUD/ha, 40% utilization), and heavy grazing in pasture 23E (18.6 AUD/ha, 60% utilization). British- and continental-breed yearling cattle graze the pastures season-long from mid-May to October except when forage limitations shorten the grazing season. Individual raw data on cattle entry and exit weights, as well as weights every 28-days during the grazing season are available from 2000 to 2019. Cattle entry and exit weights are included in this dataset. Weight outliers (± 2 SD) are flagged for calculating summary statistics or performing statistical analysis. </p><div><br>Resources in this dataset:</div><br><ul><li><p>Resource Title: Data Dictionary for LTGI Cattle weights on CPER (2000-2019).</p> <p>File Name: LTGI_2000-2019_data_dictionary.csv</p><p>Resource Description: Data dictionary for data from USDA ARS Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) near Nunn, CO cattle weight gains managed with light, moderate and heavy grazing intensities </p></li><br><li><p>Resource Title: LTGI Cattle weights on CPER (2000-2019).</p> <p>File Name: LTGI_2000-2019_all_weights_published.csv</p><p>Resource Description: Data from USDA ARS Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) near Nunn, CO cattle weight gains managed with light, moderate and heavy grazing intensities </p></li></ul><p></p>

Funding

USDA-ARS: 3012-21610-003-00D

History

Related Materials

  1. 1.
    DOI - Is supplement to Hart, R. H., & Ashby, M. M. (1998). Grazing Intensities, Vegetation, and Heifer Gains: 55 Years on Shortgrass. Journal of Range Management, 51(4), 392. https://doi.org/10.2307/4003323
  2. 2.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Raynor E. J., J. D. Derner, D. L. Hoover, W. J. Parton, and D. J. Augustine. 2020. Large-scale and local climatic controls on large herbivore productivity: implications for adaptive rangeland management. Ecological Applications
  3. 3.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Grass-Cast Database - Data on aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), climate data, NDVI, and cattle weight gain for Western U.S. rangelands.
  4. 4.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Irisarri, J. G. N., Derner, J. D., Porensky, L. M., Augustine, D. J., Reeves, J. L., & Mueller, K. E. (2016). Grazing intensity differentially regulates ANPP response to precipitation in North American semiarid grasslands. Ecological Applications, 26(5), 1370–1380. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-1332
  5. 5.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Porensky, L. M., Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., & Milchunas, D. G. (2017). Plant Community Composition After 75 Yr of Sustained Grazing Intensity Treatments in Shortgrass Steppe. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 70(4), 456–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2016.12.001
  6. 6.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Baldwin, T., Ritten, J. P., Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., Wilmer, H., Wahlert, J., Anderson, S., Irisarri, G., & Peck, D. E. (2022). Stocking rate and marketing dates for yearling steers grazing rangelands: Can producers do things differently to increase economic net benefits? Rangelands, 44(4), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2022.04.002
  7. 7.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Raynor, E. J., Derner, J. D., Soder, K. J., & Augustine, D. J. (2021). Noseband sensor validation and behavioural indicators for assessing beef cattle grazing on extensive pastures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 242, 105402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105402
  8. 8.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Raynor, E. J., Derner, J. D., Baldwin, T., Ritten, J. P., & Augustine, D. J. (2021). Multidecadal directional shift in shortgrass stocking rates. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 74, 72–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2020.09.005
  9. 9.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Raynor, E. J., Derner, J. D., Hoover, D. L., Parton, W. J., & Augustine, D. J. (2020). Large‐scale and local climatic controls on large herbivore productivity: implications for adaptive rangeland management. Ecological Applications, 30(3). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2053
  10. 10.
    DOI - Is supplemented by Reynolds, A. Q., Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., Porensky, L. M., Wilmer, H., Jorns, T., Briske, D. D., Scasta, J. D., & Fernández-Giménez, M. E. (2019). Ecological Sites: Can they be Managed to Promote Livestock Production? Rangelands, 41(6), 239–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2019.07.003

Data contact name

Derner, Justin

Data contact email

Justin.Derner@usda.gov

Publisher

Ag Data Commons

Intended use

Research and education

Use limitations

Single replication of the grazing intensity treatments

Temporal Extent Start Date

2000-01-01

Temporal Extent End Date

2019-12-31

Theme

  • Not specified

Geographic Coverage

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Geographic location - description

The USDA-Agricultural Research Service Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) is a Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network site located ~20 km northeast of Nunn, in north-central Colorado, USA (40°50 N, 104°43 W, 1645 m above sea level). Mean annual precipitation (1939–2018) is 340 mm, with 43% of this occurring from April through June and 37% from July through September. Major soils on the study pastures are Ascalon fine sandy loam (fine-loamy mixed mesic Aridic Argiustoll) and Renohill fine sandy loam (fine montmorillonitic mesic Ustollic Haplargid). The main ecological site in the study pastures is Loamy Plains (Site ID: R067BY002CO; data available online). The perennial C4 shortgrass blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis [Willd. ex Kunth] Lag ex Griffiths) is the dominant species and increases as grazing intensity increases. Conversely, the perennial C3 mid-height grasses western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii [Rydb] A. Love) and needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata [Trin. & Rupr.] Barkworth ssp. comata) decrease with increasing grazing intensity. Other key plant species include needleleaf sedge (Carex duriuscula C.A. Mey), an important perennial C3 graminoid, scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea [Nutt.] Rydb.), the primary forb, and plains pricklypear cactus (Opuntia polyacantha Haw).

ISO Topic Category

  • environment
  • farming

Ag Data Commons Group

  • Central Plains Experimental Range
  • Long-Term Livestock Production

National Agricultural Library Thesaurus terms

Colorado; weight gain; grazing intensity; pastures; yearlings; forage; beef cattle; rangelands; cattle production

OMB Bureau Code

  • 005:18 - Agricultural Research Service

OMB Program Code

  • 005:040 - National Research

ARS National Program Number

  • 215

Pending citation

  • No

Public Access Level

  • Public

Preferred dataset citation

Derner, Justin D; Ashby, Mary; Augustine, David J.; Johnston, Melissa; Jorns, Tamarah (Tami); Mortenson, Matt; Thomas, Jake; Thomas, Jeff (2023). Data from USDA ARS Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) near Nunn, CO: Cattle weight gains managed with light, moderate and heavy grazing intensities. Ag Data Commons. https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1528520

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    Categories

    Keywords

    cattlebeef cattleLivestockrangelandcattle weight gaincattle productionNP215data.govARS

    Licence

    U.S. Public Domain

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